Cloud Computing Köln

The Year in Google Cloud — 2025

In the AI era, when one year can feel like 10, you’re forgiven for forgetting what happened last month, much less what happened all the way back in January. To jog your memory, we pulled the readership data for top product and company news of 2025. And because we publish a lot of great thought leadership and customer stories, we pulled that data too. Long story short: the most popular stories largely mapped to our biggest announcements. But not always — there were more than a few sleeper hits on this year’s list. Read on to relive this huge year, and perhaps discover a few gems that you may have missed. 

Building tomorrow, today: 2025 customer AI innovation highlights with Google Cloud

January
2025 started strong with important new virtual machine offerings, foundational AI tooling, and tools for both Kubernetes and data professionals. We also launched our “How Google Does It” series, looking at the internal systems and engineering principles behind how we run a modern threat-detection pipeline. We showed developers how to get started with JAX and made AI predictions for the year ahead. Readers were excited to learn about how L’Oréal built its MLOps platform and Deutsche Börse’s pioneering work on cloud-native financial trading.
Product news

Simplify the developer experience on Kubernetes with KRO

Blackwell is here — new A4 VMs powered by NVIDIA B200 now in preview

Introducing Vertex AI RAG Engine: Scale your Vertex AI RAG pipeline with confidence

Introducing BigQuery metastore, a unified metadata service with Apache Iceberg support

C4A, the first Google Axion Processor, now GA with Titanium SSD

Thought leadership:

How Google Does It: Making threat detection high-quality, scalable, and modern

2025 and the Next Chapter(s) of AI

Customer stories

How L’Oréal Tech Accelerator built its end-to-end MLOps platform

Trading in the Cloud: Lessons from Deutsche Börse Group’s cloud-native trading engine

FebruaryThere are AI products, and then there are products enhanced by AI. This month’s top launch, Gen AI Toolbox for Databases, falls into the latter category. This was also the month readers got serious about learning, with blogs about upskilling, resources, and certifications topping the charts. The fruits of our partnership with Anthropic made an appearance in our best-read list, and engineering leaders detailed Google’s extensive efforts to optimize AI system energy consumption. Execs ate up an opinion piece about how agents will unlock insights into unstructured data (which makes up 90% of enterprises’ information assets), and digested a sobering report on AI and cybercrime. During the Mobile World Congress event, we saw considerable interest in our work with telco leaders like Vodafone Italy and Amdocs.Product and company news:Announcing public beta of Gen AI Toolbox for DatabasesGet Google Cloud certified in 2025—and see why the latest research says it mattersDiscover Google Cloud careers and credentials in our new Career DreamerAnnouncing Claude 3.7 Sonnet, Anthropic’s first hybrid reasoning model, is available on Vertex AIThought leadershipDesigning sustainable AI: A deep dive into TPU efficiency and lifecycle emissionsFrom dark data to bright insights: How AI agents make data simpleNew AI, cybercrime reports underscore need for security best practicesCustomer storiesTransforming data: How Vodafone Italy modernized its data architecture in the cloudAI-powered network optimization: Unlocking 5G’s potential with Amdocs

MarchBack when we announced it, our intent to purchase cybersecurity startup Wiz was Google’s largest deal ever, and the biggest tech deal of the year. We built on that security momentum with the launch of AI Protection. We also spread our wings to the Nordics with a new region, and announced the Gemma 3 open model on Vertex AI. Meanwhile, we explained the threat that North Korean IT workers pose to employers, gave readers a peek under the hood of the Colossus file system, and reminisced about what we’ve learned over 25 years of building data centers. Readers were interested in Levi’s approach to data and weaving it into future AI efforts, and in honor of the GDC Festival of Gaming, our AI partners shared some new perspectives on “living games.”Product and company newsGoogle + Wiz: Strengthening Multicloud SecurityAnnouncing AI Protection: Security for the AI eraHej Sverige! Google Cloud launches new region in SwedenAnnouncing Gemma 3 on Vertex AIThought leadershipThe ultimate insider threat: North Korean IT workersColossus under the hood: How we deliver SSD performance at HDD prices3 key lessons from 25 years of warehouse scale computingCustomer storiesLevi’s seamless data strategy: How tailor-made AI keeps an icon from getting hemmed inCo-op mode: New partners driving the future of gaming with AI

AprilWith April came Google Cloud Next, our flagship annual conference. From Firebase Studio, Ironwood TPUs, and Google Agentspace, to Vertex AI, Cloud WAN, and Gemini 2.5, it’s hard to limit ourselves to just a few stories, there were so many bangers (for the whole list, there’s always the event recap). Meanwhile, our systems team discussed innovations to keep data center infrastructure’s thermal envelope in check. And at the RSA Conference, we unveiled our vision for the agentic security operations center of the future. On the customer front, we highlighted the startups who played a starring role at Next, and took a peek behind the curtain of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere.Product and company newsIntroducing Firebase Studio and agentic developer tools to build with GeminiIntroducing Ironwood TPUs and new innovations in AI HypercomputerVertex AI offers new ways to build and manage multi-agent systemsScale enterprise search and agent adoption with Google AgentspaceCloud WAN: Connect your global enterprise with a network built for the AI eraGemini 2.5 brings enhanced reasoning to enterprise use casesThe dawn of agentic AI in security operations at RSAC 2025Thought leadershipAI infrastructure is hot. New power distribution and liquid cooling infrastructure can help3 new ways to use AI as your security sidekickCustomer storiesGlobal startups are building the future of AI on Google CloudThe AI magic behind Sphere’s upcoming ‘The Wizard of Oz’ experience

MaySchool was almost out, but readers got back into learning mode to get certified as generative AI leaders. You were also excited about new gen AI media models in Vertex AI, the availability of Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4. We also learned that you’re very excited to use AI to generate SQL code, and about using Cloud Run as a destination for your AI apps. We outlined the steps for building a well-defined data strategy, and showed governments how AI can actually improve their security posture. And on the customer front, we launched our “Cool Stuff Customers Built” round-ups, and ran stories from Formula E and MLB.Google Cloud announces first-of-its-kind generative AI leader certificationExpanding Vertex AI with the next wave of generative AI media modelsAnnouncing Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4 on Vertex AIThought leadershipGetting AI to write good SQL: Text-to-SQL techniques explainedAI deployments made easy: Deploy to Cloud Run from AI Studio or any MCP clientBuilding a data strategy for the AI eraHow governments can use AI to improve threat detection and reduce costCustomer storiesCool Stuff Customers Built: May EditionPushing the limits of electric mobility: Formula E’s Mountain RechargeTuning in with AI: How MLB My Daily Story creates truly personalized highlight videos

JuneUp until this point, the promise of generative AI was largely around text and code. The launch of Veo 3 changed all that. Developers writing and deploying AI apps saw the availability of GPUs on Cloud Run as a big win, and we continued our steady drumbeat of Gemini innovation with 2.5 Flash and Flash-Lite. We also shared our thoughts on securing AI agents. And to learn how to actually build these agents, readers turned to stories about Box, the British real estate firm Schroders, and French luxury conglomerate LVMH (home of Louis Vuitton, Channel, Sephora and more).You dream it, Veo creates it: Veo 3 is now available for everyone in public preview on Vertex AICloud Run GPUs, now GA, makes running AI workloads easier for everyoneGemini momentum continues with launch of 2.5 Flash-Lite and general availability of 2.5 Flash and Pro on Vertex AIThought leadershipAsk OCTO: Making sense of AI agentsCloud CISO Perspectives: How Google secures AI agentsCustomer storiesThe secret to document intelligence: Box builds Enhanced Extract Agents with A2A frameworkHow Schroders built its multi-agent financial analysis research assistantInside LVMH’s perfectly manicured data estate, where luxury AI agents are taking root

JulyReaders took a break from reading about AI to read about network infrastructure — the new Sol transatlantic cable, to be precise. Then it was back to AI: new video generation models in Vertex; a crucial component for building stateful, context-aware agents; and a new toolset for connecting BigQuery data to Agent Development Kit (ADK) and Multi-Cloud Protocol (MCP) environments. Developers cheered the integration between Cloud Run and Docker Compose, and executive audiences enjoyed a listicle on actionable, real-world uses for AI agents.On the security front, we took a back-to-basics approach this month, exploring the persistence of some cloud security problems. And then, back to AI again, with our Big Sleep agent. Readers were also interested in how AI is alleviating record-keeping for nurses at HCA Healthcare, Ulta Beauty’s data warehousing and mobile record keeping initiatives, and how SmarterX migrated from Snowflake to BigQuery.Strengthening network resilience with the Sol transatlantic cableVeo 3 and Veo 3 Fast are now generally available on Vertex AIAnnouncing Vertex AI Agent Engine Memory Bank available for everyone in previewBigQuery meets ADK & MCP: Accelerate agent development with BigQuery’s new first-party toolsetFrom localhost to launch: Simplify AI app deployment with Cloud Run and Docker ComposeThought leadershipSecure cloud. Insecure use. (And what you can do about it)Our Big Sleep agent makes a big leapCustomer storiesHow nurses are charting the future of AI at America’s largest hospital network, HCA HealthcareUlta Beauty redefines beauty retail with BigQuerySmarterX’s migration from Snowflake to BigQuery accelerated model building and cut costs in half

AugustAI is compute- and energy-intensive; in a new technical paper, we released concrete numbers about our AI infrastructure’s power consumption. Then people went [nano] bananas for Gemini 2.5 Flash Image on Vertex AI, and developers got a jump on their AI projects with a wealth of technical blueprints to work from. The summer doldrums didn’t stop our security experts from tackling the serious challenge of cyber-enabled fraud. We also took a closer look at the specific agentic tools empowering workers at Wells Fargo, and how Keeta processes 11 million blockchain transactions per second with Spanner.How much energy does Google’s AI use? We did the mathBuilding next-gen visuals with Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka nano-banana) on Vertex AI101+ gen AI use cases with technical blueprintsThought leadershipNew Threat Horizons report details evolving risks — and defensesHow CISOs and boards of directors can help fight cyber-enabled fraudHow AI-powered weather forecasting can transform energy operationsCustomer storiesHow Wells Fargo is using Google Cloud AI to empower its workforce with agentic toolsHow Keeta processes 11 million financial transactions per second on the blockchain with Spanner

SeptemberAI is cool tech, but how do you monetize it? One answer is the Agent Payment Protocol, or AP2. Developers and data scientists preparing for AI flocked to blogs about new Data Cloud offerings, the 2025 DORA Report, and new trainings. Executives took in our thoughts on building an agentic data strategy, and took notes on the best prompts with which to kickstart their AI usage. And because everybody is impacted by the AI era, including business leaders, we explained what it means to be “bilingual” in AI and security. Then, at Google’s AI Builders Forum, startups described how Google’s AI, infrastructure, and services are supporting their growth. Not to be left out, enterprises like Target and Mr. Cooper also showed off their AI chops.Powering AI commerce with the new Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)The new data scientist: From analyst to agentic architectAnnouncing the 2025 DORA Report: State of AI-Assisted Software DevelopmentBack to AI school: New Google Cloud training to future-proof your AI skillsThought leadershipBuilding better data platforms, for AI and beyondBoards should be ‘bilingual’ in AI, security to gain advantageA leader’s guide to five essential AI promptsCustomer storiesHow Google Cloud’s AI tech stack powers today’s startupsFrom query to cart: Inside Target’s search bar overhaul with AlloyDB AIHow Mr. Cooper assembled a “team” of AI agents to handle complex mortgage questions

OctoberWelcome to the Gemini Enterprise era, which brings enhanced security, data control, and advanced agent capabilities to large organizations. To help you prepare, we relaunched a variety of enhancements to our learning platform, and added new commerce and security programs. And while developers versed themselves on the finer points of Veo prompts, we discussed securing the AI supply chain, building AI agents for cybersecurity and defense, and a new vision on economic threat modeling. We partnered with PayPal to enable commerce in AI chats, Germany’s Planck Institute showed how AI can help share deep scientific expertise, and DZ Bank pioneered ways to make blockchain-based finance more reliable.Introducing Gemini EnterpriseGoogle Skills: Your new home for cloud learningEnabling a safe agentic web with reCAPTCHAPartners powering the Gemini Enterprise agent ecosystemThought leadershipThe ultimate prompting guide for Veo 3.1How you can secure your AI supply chainHow Google Does It: Building AI agents for cybersecurity and defenseCustomer storiesIntroducing an agentic commerce solution for merchants from PayPal and Google CloudHow the Max Planck Institute is sharing expert skills through multimodal agentsThe oracles of DeFi: How DZ Bank builds trustworthy data feeds for decentralized applications

NovemberWhether it was Gemini 3, Nana Banana Pro, or our seventh-generation Ironwood TPUs, this was the month that we gave enterprise customers access to all our latest and greatest AI tech. We also did a deep dive on how we built the largest-ever Kubernetes cluster, clocking in at a massive 130,000 nodes, and we announced a new collaboration with AWS to improve connectivity between clouds.Meanwhile, we updated our findings on the adversarial misuse of AI by threat actors and on the ROI of AI for security, and executives vibed out on our piece about vibe coding. Then, just in time for the holidays, we took a look at how Mattel is using AI tools to revamp its toys, and Waze showed how it uses Memorystore to keep the holiday traffic flowing.Bringing Gemini 3 to EnterpriseHow Google Does It: Building the largest known Kubernetes cluster, with 130,000 nodesAnnouncing Nano Banana Pro for every builder and businessAnnouncing Ironwood TPUs General Availability and new Axion VMs to power the age of inferenceAWS and Google Cloud collaborate to simplify multicloud networkingThought leadershipRecent advances in how threat actors use AI toolsBeyond the hype: Analyzing new data on ROI of AI in securityHow vibe coding can help leaders move fasterCustomer storiesMattel’s game changer: How AI is turning customer feedback into real-time product updatesWaze keeps traffic flowing with 1M+ real-time reads per second on Memorystore

DecemberThe year is winding down, but we still have lots to say. Early returns show that you were interested in how to mitigate the React2Shell vulnerability, support for MCP across Google services, and the early access launch of AlphaEvolve. And let’s not forget Gemini 3 Flash, which is turning heads with its high-level reasoning, plus amazing speed and a flexible cost profile.What does this all mean for you and your future? It’s important to contextualize these technology developments, especially AI. For example, the DORA team put together a guide on how high-performing platform teams can integrate AI capabilities into their workflows, we discussed what it looks like to have an AI-ready workforce, and our Office of the CISO colleagues put out their 2026 cybersecurity predictions. More to the point (guard), you could do like Golden State Warrior Stephen Curry and turn to Gemini to analyze your game, to prepare for the year ahead. We’ll be watching on Christmas Day to see how Steph is faring with Gemini’s advice.Responding to React2Shell (CVE-2025-55182): Secure your React and Next.js workloadsAnnouncing Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for Google servicesAlphaEvolve on Google Cloud: AI for agentic discovery and optimizationIntroducing Gemini 3 Flash: Intelligence and speed for enterprisesThought leadershipFrom adoption to impact: Putting the DORA AI Capabilities Model to workIs AI fluency the ingredient or the result of an AI-ready workforce?Our 2026 Cybersecurity Forecast reportCustomer storiesWhat Stephen Curry learned about his game from a custom Gemini agent

The Curry sibling rivalry is going strong

And that’s a wrap on 2025! Thanks for reading, and see you next year!
Quelle: Google Cloud Platform