Vertical Perspectives: Why Every Sector is Embracing Hybrid Cloud in 2025

As the push for digital transformation accelerates, industries are at a crossroads: evolve or fall behind. From finance to construction to healthcare, the common thread is simple. Data is now the fuel for innovation, and hybrid cloud storage is fast becoming the engine that drives it.

Drawing from Nasuni’s The Era of Hybrid Cloud Storage industry research report, here’s a look at how each sector is adapting, what’s holding them back, and where hybrid cloud is making the biggest impact.

Architecture, Engineering, & Construction (AEC): Bridging the Gap Between Vision and Readiness

In the AEC world, innovation is a mandate. Nearly every firm sees AI as a priority, yet only 28% have committed significant budgets to support it. Meanwhile, 76% of firms have experienced a cyberattack, with recovery taking an average of 5.3 weeks (despite 75% expressing confidence in their security readiness). This disconnect between perceived preparedness and actual resilience reveals a critical opportunity for firms to shore up infrastructure as they modernize.

Energy: Ambition Hindered by Infrastructure

For energy sector organizations, legacy systems and highly distributed operations make digital transformation a formidable challenge. While 96% of firms prioritize AI, only a quarter have made substantial investments. Even fewer AI initiatives are generating meaningful ROI, a sign that outdated infrastructure and siloed data are creating friction. As teams remain spread across remote sites and continents, these firms are seeking solutions that bring cohesion to complexity.

Financial Services: Leaders Under Pressure

Financial services lead in cloud maturity, AI investment, and returns. Over half of organizations are actively investing in AI, and 42% have made significant budget allocations — more than any sector except media. This commitment is paying off, with nearly one-third of AI projects delivering measurable ROI. However, the speed of modernization introduces vulnerabilities. Cyberattacks remain common, and the average recovery time of 3.9 weeks underscores the need to ensure security keeps pace with innovation.

Healthcare & Life Sciences: Critical Data, Constrained Systems

In an industry where data can save lives, healthcare organizations still lag in AI execution. Though 99% rank AI as a priority, only 21% of firms have heavily invested, and only 23% of projects are seeing measurable returns. Legacy systems, regulatory complexity, and fragmented data environments continue to weigh down transformation. The promise of AI in diagnostics, research, and treatment planning is significant, but progress ultimately hinges on better access, security, and integration.

Manufacturing: High Stakes, High Vulnerability

Manufacturers face mounting risks as they digitize operations. Despite 66% of organizations claiming confidence in their cyber defenses, they experience the longest recovery times from attacks averaging over six weeks. Nearly all firms are prioritizing AI, but fewer than a third have invested significantly. Fragmented systems and global supply chains are slowing the sector’s progress, even as competitive pressure to modernize intensifies.

Media & Advertising: Moving Fast, Though Strained

The media industry is sprinting ahead on AI. Every firm surveyed lists it as a top priority, and more than half have made sizable investments, which is the highest across sectors. Though 43% of projects already show ROI, fast innovation brings growing pains. File sync issues, rising storage costs, and infrastructure lag are creating friction for creative teams under constant pressure to deliver.

Public Sector: Ambitious, but Underfunded

Public institutions overwhelmingly see AI as a strategic priority — 95% of organizations say it’s essential — but only 11% have allocated significant funding, the lowest of any industry. As a result, only 18% of AI initiatives are showing returns. Budget constraints and entrenched legacy systems are slowing momentum, even as the need for modernization grows more urgent in the face of rising public expectations.

Retail & Consumer Goods: Balancing Transformation and Complexity

Retailers are full steam ahead on digital transformation, with 100% prioritizing AI and 53% actively investing. Yet significant budget allocations remain limited, and only 26% of projects are generating ROI. The pressure to deliver seamless customer experiences across channels — in-store, online, and everywhere in between — creates operational complexity that many still struggle to unify across legacy systems and disconnected platforms.

The Bottom Line: One Destination, Many Roads

Every industry is chasing the same north star: smarter operations, faster innovation, and greater resilience. But the route there isn’t defined by ambition alone; instead, it’s defined by the infrastructure choices leaders make today.

Hybrid cloud has emerged as more than a bridge between old systems and new goals. It’s the launchpad for everything modern enterprises want to achieve, from unlocking the power of AI to enabling real-time collaboration and standing strong against rising cyber threats. Ultimately, the difference between lagging and leading isn’t vision. It’s execution.

The industries that move now to modernize their data foundations aren’t just preparing for the future, they’re building it. They’re accelerating innovation, improving outcomes, and creating a true competitive edge. To learn more about how your organization compares to others in your sector, download your free copy of The Era of Hybrid Cloud Storage today.