OVES Enterprise: Major reset in the IT industry in 2025 – volume projects fade as budgets shift to applied ai, security, and critical infrastructure

The IT industry is closing 2025 amid a major reset, following a year marked by restructuring, budget adjustments, and a profound shift in how companies decide which projects to continue and which to abandon.

IT budgets have been reallocated, and selection criteria have become far more stringent. The initiatives that remain active are those with clear strategic value, a direct impact on security, and the ability to support organizations and critical infrastructure over the long term.

How IT Investment Decisions Have Changed

In 2025, IT investment decisions shifted from volume to relevance. Generic projects with no clear impact on organizational operations or security were gradually phased out, while remaining budgets were directed toward a limited number of initiatives deemed essential, with high requirements for stability, control, and delivery.

This shift has directly affected the traditional outsourcing model. As the number of active projects declined, many companies chose to internalize resources for critical initiatives, placing additional pressure on IT service providers, including those in Romania. Demand became far more selective, and vendor selection criteria tightened significantly.

AI Adoption Remains Limited: Romania at 5%

Although artificial intelligence dominated public discourse in 2025, official data point to a much more modest level of actual adoption. According to Eurostat, around 20% of EU companies with more than 10 employees use AI technologies, while Romania ranks last in the EU at 5.2%.

If basic uses such as conversational tools are excluded, the share of companies implementing advanced AI solutions or agentic AI is even smaller. In 2025, the market began to clearly distinguish between stated intentions and the real capability to deploy and operate such technologies in production—especially in environments with high security requirements.

Strategic Projects Attract Budgets: Applied AI, Security, and Defence

Against this backdrop, projects with strategic importance are attracting the largest budgets. Applied AI, cybersecurity, and defence are emerging as stable направления, with initiatives built on five- to ten-year horizons. This is a product-driven market with high entry barriers, complex procurement processes, and strict requirements for quality, auditability, and software safety.

This realignment is also reflected in the performance of OVES Enterprise, which targets global revenues of approximately EUR 25 million in 2025, up about 22% compared to 2024. A significant shift from previous years lies in the revenue mix: defence, AI, and cybersecurity have reached parity with the commercial segment, which had previously been dominant.

“If we look at 2025 as a balance sheet for the IT industry, we see a far more demanding market, where volume-based projects have been eliminated and budgets have focused on initiatives with real strategic stakes. Technology has become critical to safety, control, and continuity, fundamentally changing how projects are designed and delivered. For OVES Enterprise, the transition toward product development, applied AI, and the defence sector began long before these changes became evident. The experience gained in complex commercial projects enabled us to deliver high-quality software in critical environments, and today our defence expertise is raising standards in commercial projects as well, with a much higher level of safety and control,” said Mihai Filip, CEO of OVES Enterprise.

Looking ahead to 2026, outsourcing will remain relevant only for complex projects that integrate advanced technologies, AI, and a strong consulting, support, and training component. Companies that fail to adapt their structures and capabilities to this new reality risk exiting the market.