Datacom Report – Business Outlook

The 2025 Datacom Business Outlook highlights a shift in priorities and threats compared to 2024. Workplace productivity and growth remain top priorities for businesses, while economic uncertainty has emerged as the most significant threat, overtaking its 2024 ranking. Government focus areas have also shifted, with boosting the economy remaining paramount, but export opportunities gaining prominence over climate change.

Priorities

1. Workplace productivity: 29%

2. Growth: 28%

3. Customer experience: 11%

4. Other: 10%

5. Digital transformation: 9%

6. Staff retention and recruitment: 9%

7. Innovation: 5%

Business Threats

1. Economic uncertainty: 77%

2. Cybersecurity: 29%

3. Current workforce challenges: 28%

4. Lack of budget: 26%

5. Future workforce challenges: 25%

6. Customer experience: 20%

7. Geopolitical climate: 19%

8. Ability to adapt: 16%

9. AI uncertainty: 5%

In the Datacom 2024 Business Outlook Survey, economic uncertainty ranked as the fourth concern but has risen to the top spot for 2025. However, business leaders largely anticipate changing conditions.

Government Focus Areas

Going into 2025, respondents identified the top three focus areas for the government as:

1. Boosting the economy: 87%

2. Export opportunities: 34%

3. Improving public services: 17%

This marks a shift from the priorities highlighted in the 2024 Business Outlook Survey, where the top three areas were boosting the economy, improving public services, and addressing climate change.

You can download the full report here https://datacom.com/nz/en/discover/articles/business-outlook-research-economy-still-biting-for-nz-businesses