April 2025 was not a quiet month. It was a convergence of risk, reinvention, and recalibration — across firmware, pricing models, trade barriers, and AI governance. At Greyhound Research, we tracked 27 developments that we believe carried long-term consequences for CIOs and CXOs in distributed enterprises. This Monthly Brief is not an exhaustive archive — it’s a strategic checkpoint. A curation of what we analysed, wrote about, and shared commentary on publicly.
Theme 1: AI Risk Moves Deeper Into the Stack
April revealed how AI is no longer confined to models or interfaces — it is now rewriting the very foundation of enterprise infrastructure. Microsoft’s discovery of a bootloader vulnerability using AI tools exposed latent risk at the firmware level, while IBM’s z17 announcement reframed mainframes as AI-native platforms, not legacy baggage. In parallel, IBM’s governance framework for enterprise AI reminded leaders that scalable trust requires architectural design, not afterthought. A politically charged debate over CISA’s oversight added urgency to security reform. Taken together, these developments shift AI from augmentation to foundational re-architecture — and enterprises must catch up.
- Bootloader Vulnerability Discovered by Microsoft’s AI
- The Mainframe Reborn – IBM’s z17 Isn’t A Legacy Play
- Trust By Design – IBM’s AI Governance Stack
- CISA Under Fire: Politicised Oversight and Cybersecurity
Theme 2: Tariffs Reshape the CIO Playbook
Tariffs re-emerged in April not as macroeconomic noise, but as a direct disruptor of technology strategy. Indian IT vendors, long buffered by delivery scale and cost leverage, found themselves exposed to ripple effects from U.S. and global tariff manoeuvres. Infosys’s guidance miss was not an isolated financial event — it signalled a recalibration of client demand and risk appetite. Greyhound Research observed procurement cycles stretching, deal renewals stalling, and CXOs forced into active scenario planning. Tariffs, once a line item buried in legal and compliance, are now reshaping sourcing, partner strategy, and infrastructure timelines. CIOs can no longer afford to treat them as externalities.
- The Tariffs Missed Indian IT, But the Shockwaves Won’t
- The Impact of Tariffs on CIO Decision-Making
- Tariff Shock – Infosys’s Guidance Miss
Theme 3: AI Collaboration Realigns Around Trust
April surfaced a fundamental shift in how enterprises engage with AI ecosystems. Strategic partnerships like Anthropic’s Claude integration into Google Workspace marked a trend toward embedded intelligence within secure, productivity-centric platforms. Simultaneously, Meta’s open models prompted concern around security, while viral AI-generated content, such as the Ghibli incident, raised alarms about data traceability and consent. Greyhound Research observed growing enterprise demand for AI that is not only powerful, but controllable. Trust — not speed — is emerging as the currency of AI adoption. For CXOs, the message is clear: collaboration models must now be vetted for transparency, privacy, and operational alignment.
- Ghibli Goes Viral – So Does Your Data
- Claude + Workspace Integration
- Meta’s LLaMA and the New AI Cold War
- EU Probes X Over AI Data Use
- Google’s $75B AI Bet: Strategic Implications
- Google’s 71% Discount for U.S. Federal IT
Theme 4: Sovereignty Becomes a Buying Criterion
Sovereignty evolved in April from a compliance discussion to a core driver of enterprise procurement. The launch of TCS SovereignSecure Cloud demonstrated how vendors are repositioning cloud offerings to meet jurisdictional requirements around control, governance, and localisation. Yet, Greyhound Research cautions that sovereignty is not about data residency alone — it is about legal accountability, operational transparency, and the ability to withstand geopolitical turbulence. CXOs are now expected to scrutinise their hyperscaler and SaaS relationships through the lens of policy risk. As sovereign frameworks mature, enterprise architecture must embed sovereignty into vendor evaluation, renewal strategy, and long-term infrastructure planning.
- TCS SovereignSecure Cloud
- Digital Sovereignty: The New Arms Race
- The Risks of Separating Chrome from Google
Theme 5: Indian IT Enters Its ‘Lean’ Phase
The Indian IT sector confronted a sobering reality in April — high-margin, high-volume deals are no longer the norm. As economic pressures mount and enterprise buyers fragment their vendor strategies, firms like HCLTech saw margin pressures intensify. At the same time, a broader trend of shrinking deal sizes and diversified sourcing became evident across the services landscape. Greyhound Research notes that clients are prioritising flexibility, speed, and value over legacy relationships and scale commitments. For service providers, this moment demands structural adaptation. For enterprise buyers, it signals an opportunity to rethink sourcing models and renegotiate value in an evolving ecosystem.
- Why Smaller Contracts Are the New Normal
- HCL Tech’s Margin Decline
- The Great IT Pricing Reset
- TCS Faces U.S. Discrimination Probe
Theme 6: Cloud Infrastructure and Supply Chains Under Pressure
April brought fresh attention to the fragility of global tech supply chains. Intel’s partnership with TSMC marked a strategic pivot in chip sourcing aimed at reducing geopolitical exposure and securing manufacturing scale. At the same time, China’s control over rare earth exports reminded enterprise buyers how deeply infrastructure decisions are tethered to global politics. These developments are not limited to OEMs or hardware vendors — they ripple into data center buildouts, cloud region availability, and pricing volatility. Greyhound Research advises CXOs to adopt a supply-aware view of cloud and infrastructure strategy. Resilience, not just performance, must now drive architectural decisions.
Theme 7: Talent, Wage Pressures, and Workforce Structures
AI’s impact in April extended beyond systems and strategies — it hit the workforce directly. Greyhound Research analysed how Indian IT firms are grappling with altered wage dynamics, where automation is suppressing entry-level hiring even as demand for high-skill AI talent surges. Compensation models are being rewritten, delivery structures decentralised, and career pathways made less predictable. Our research shows enterprises reducing pyramid-heavy models in favour of leaner, more specialised talent pools. For CHROs and CFOs alike, the implications are clear: workforce planning must now account for volatility in both cost and capability. AI is not just replacing roles — it’s redefining organisational design.
Theme 8: Decision Intelligence in Healthcare Goes Mainstream
Healthcare technology crossed a new threshold in April with growing enterprise interest in AI for clinical decision support. Rather than replacing physicians, these systems — as seen in oncology, radiology, and diagnostics — are being designed to enhance accuracy and accelerate treatment workflows. Greyhound Research’s coverage highlighted how federated learning models can allow hospitals to contribute to shared intelligence without compromising patient privacy. With regulatory compliance, clinical safety, and operational scale in mind, AI is becoming a strategic differentiator in modern healthcare delivery. For hospital CIOs and IT leaders, decision intelligence is no longer a future roadmap — it’s a present-day mandate.
Greyhound Newsletters: Stay Informed Between the Headlines
As part of our editorial publishing rhythm, Greyhound Research produces a series of newsletters designed to help enterprise leaders stay ahead of market shifts, vendor movements, and regulatory developments. These include the Daily Brief, which offers rapid analysis of emerging signals; the Weekend Brief, which provides a strategic wrap-up of the week; and this edition of the Monthly Brief, which brings together the most critical insights published over the past month.
While we missed sending the Daily and Weekend Briefs on a regular basis in April, we are actively working to restore cadence. Future editions will aim to deliver timely, executive-grade analysis across AI, cloud, governance, and infrastructure — directly to your inbox. In April, we published the following:
To receive upcoming editions of our newsletters — including The Monthly Brief — subscribe to our editorial updates via greyhoundresearch.com.
GreyhoundTV: A Greyhound Studios Production
For decision-makers who prefer to engage through video, many of our insights are also available via GreyhoundTV — a Greyhound Studios production and the official video channel of Greyhound Research. These segments offer extended commentary and strategic analysis on several of the themes explored in this Monthly Brief, including AI risk, tariff volatility, digital sovereignty, and workforce transformation. To view all GreyhoundTV content published in April — along with our full video archive — visit our official YouTube channel.
As we close April, this body of work reflects the patterns that matter — not just for reflection, but for realignment. For CXOs navigating volatile regulation, rising AI risk, and pricing pressures across infrastructure and services, this Month-End Brief is a strategic compass. This Monthly Brief is part of our editorial archive now available on greyhoundresearch.com. To explore more insights and ongoing updates, visit the site and navigate to our Insights section.
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