We just got back from FinOps X 2025 in sunny San Diego, and wow, this space is moving fast!
Compared to last year, the energy was different.
More focused.
More expansive.
And a lot more crowded (in the best way possible).
Between new vendors on the exhibit floor, the updated FinOps Framework, and deep conversations about AI workloads and MSP ecosystems, it’s clear: FinOps is growing up fast.
The Umbrella team – Ray Edwards, John Porter, and Ranjan Mehera – enjoying a meal with fellow FinOps enthusiasts.
Here are the top 7 takeaways from the event, straight from the Umbrella team that attended, who live and breathe this stuff every day:
1. FinOps Isn’t Just About Cloud Anymore
There’s a real shift happening: FinOps is no longer boxed into public cloud.
This year’s update to the FinOps Framework added “Scopes” that cover SaaS, private cloud, data centers, and licensing, and yes, even AI. That tells you everything you need to know.
This isn’t just about EC2 and S3 anymore. If you’re managing any kind of tech spend, chances are you’re going to need FinOps principles to do it well.
2. AI spend is getting real
AI and GenAI workloads were mentioned everywhere. But many companies still don’t know how to track or manage that spend.
Token-based pricing, new usage models, it’s complex stuff. But the demand is real. The models are complex, and the costs can sneak up fast. Teams need better visibility.
If you’re not building FinOps practices around AI yet, you’re already behind. (On that note, at Umbrella, we’re already ahead of the curve. We’ve baked natural language AI into our platform to help business leaders ask real questions and get real answers about spend.)
3. So many vendors, so little focus
Walking the expo floor, I saw more new vendors than I expected. That’s normal when a category starts to heat up. But it also makes it harder for buyers.
We’ve seen this before: the innovation trigger brings the gold rush, but then comes the shakeout. My advice to customers? Pick a vendor that’s stable and focused on this space. not one trying to bolt FinOps onto something else.
FinOps X 2025 – San Diego
4. MSPs Are Having a Moment
I had some solid talks with our MSP partners at the event. The opportunity for them is clear. Cloud providers are pushing MSP programs, and FinOps is the natural next step.
With hyperscalers like AWS and Azure rolling out new MSP programs, it presents a huge opportunity from them.
That’s also why I’m excited about our new Distributor Edition at Umbrella—it’s purpose-built for complex multi-tier MSPs and Distributors.
5. Unified cost data is picking up steam
The FOCUS 1.2 standard was getting a lot of attention at the event. And for good reason. It helps bring together billing data from across cloud and SaaS providers into one clean view. That means more reliable reports, easier comparisons, and faster answers. If you’ve ever tried to piece this stuff together manually, you know how big a deal that is.
6. Optimization and waste reduction are still king
Despite all the excitement around AI and SaaS, the basics haven’t changed. People still want to cut waste and tune their environments. What’s new is where they’re focusing. It’s not just VMs and storage anymore, it’s unused SaaS licenses and idle GPU clusters. Visibility is step one, but action is where the savings come from.
Ranjan Mehera and John Porter enjoying the views outside the conference center – FinOps X 2025
The Umbrella team – Ray Edwards, John Porter and Ranjan Mehera enjoying dinner with industry friends.
7. San Diego Wins
On a lighter note, props to the FinOps Foundation for choosing San Diego this year.
The weather was perfect, the food didn’t disappoint, and the two-day format was just the right length. There was less chaos, making meeting people and having real conversations easier. I’ll take that over Vegas or San Francisco any day.
FinOps X 2025 made one thing clear: we’re no longer in niche territory. This is an enterprise-scale, cross-domain solution, and it’s only getting bigger. I’m excited about where it’s headed—and proud to be part of the team at Umbrella that’s building for what’s next.
Want to save on cloud costs and bring more control to your spend? Talk to our experts and see what Umbrella can do for you.
