Google Next ’25 Recap: Rolling Up Our Sleeves for What’s Next

Another Google Next is in the books. We came back from Vegas with sunburns (despite never seeing the sun), long Slack threads of new ideas, and a shared clarity on where this ecosystem is headed—and where Detroit Labs fits into it.

From packed sessions on Gemini and Vertex AI to quiet hallway conversations about Recaptcha Enterprise, Mandiant, and Chronicle Security, it’s clear that the perimeter is gone, the center is fluid, and the expectations of development partners like us are higher than ever.

From Builders to Strategic Partners

Let’s be real—software development firms like Detroit Labs used to be called in to build apps. Clean UI. Tight backend. Get it over the finish line.

Today? Our clients aren’t just asking for apps. They’re asking much bigger, more exciting questions:

• “How can we use AI to reshape the customer experience—and what data do we need to make that happen?”
• “If we embed our internal team with yours, how fast can we get to MVP and learn in-market?”
• “Can we migrate to the cloud and improve security, reliability, and velocity at the same time?”
• “What’s the smartest way to prototype in a hybrid dev environment where we’re co-building with multiple teams?”
• “Should we even build this, or is there a better way?”

That’s where we come in—not just to code, but to advise. Not just to design, but to architect. Our role is expanding: strategy, security posture assessments, cloud migration roadmaps, AI integration points. The work is becoming more agentic, more composable, and more reliant on architectural decisions that used to live far upstream from developers.

What We Saw at Next

Three big themes we’re taking seriously:

1. Cloud-native security isn’t optional anymore.
   Google’s newly unified approach to security—particularly Chronicle Security Operations, Mandiant’s real-time threat intelligence, and AI-powered policy enforcement frameworks—makes one thing clear: security now lives at the intersection of visibility, automation, and AI. Protecting agentic workflows, multi-agent orchestration systems, and real-time cloud-native applications is no longer a side conversation—it’s central to success. That lines up with what we’re seeing across our client work, where security posture is often tied directly to product viability.
2. Managed services are on the rise—for good reason.
   Everyone wants velocity, but not everyone wants to be in the business of managing Kubernetes clusters. That’s where our growing managed services capability comes in: we handle the infrastructure, SLAs, observability, and edge-case chaos so our clients can focus on what matters—building their product and growing their business.
3. AI is here, but it needs context and constraint.
   There’s a rush to integrate generative tools, but what’s often missing is a practical implementation path. We’re focused on helping clients ask the right questions—What’s the business goal? Where does fine-tuning make sense? How do you secure the inputs and outputs? AI without guardrails is just noise. With Google tools like Gemini Code Assist and the Agent Development Kit (ADK), there’s a new wave of AI-native development tools. But making them work inside real businesses—safely and effectively—is the difference between a demo and a launch.

Our Edge: Partnership, Not Just Product

Detroit Labs isn’t the shop you hire to “just build a thing.” We roll up our sleeves and become part of your internal team. That means understanding your business model, your bottlenecks, your customers, and how your tech stack needs to evolve.

As a Google Cloud Partner, we’re uniquely positioned to bring that to life—whether it’s through smart mobile app development, secure cloud migration strategies, Recaptcha integrations to fight fraud, or managed services that make your life easier.

We’re craftsmen, yes. But more and more, we’re also architects, advisors, and stewards of technical strategy.

What’s New from Google Cloud Next ’25

Google Cloud Next ’25 introduced several innovations that align with our commitment to delivering strategic value:

Agentic AI and Multi-Agent Systems
Google unveiled tools like the Agent Development Kit (ADK) and the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol, enabling the creation of sophisticated multi-agent systems. These tools allow for precise control over agent behavior and seamless communication between agents—regardless of the framework. For us, this means we can help clients build intelligent systems that act with intention, coordination, and guardrails.

Unified Security with AI Integration
With Chronicle Security Operations, Mandiant, and new AI-driven compliance tools, Google’s security stack has never been more consolidated—or more powerful. These tools provide real-time visibility, threat mitigation, and automated policy enforcement. In the age of agentic tech and continuous delivery, we’re helping clients shift from reactive security to proactive posture.

Advancements in AI Infrastructure
Ironwood TPUs, GKE Inferencing, and the AI Hypercomputer stack are unlocking new possibilities. We’re talking massive speed gains and cost reductions—critical for clients looking to deploy production-ready AI without burning down their budgets. With these tools, we can scale AI workloads from prototype to enterprise-wide deployments seamlessly.

Enhanced Developer Tools
Gemini Code Assist and Agentspace streamline everything from code generation to agent orchestration. For our team, that means tighter delivery cycles, cleaner integrations, and more time spent solving real business problems instead of fighting complexity.

Looking Ahead

As we integrate these innovations into our offerings, we’re doubling down on:

• Cloud Migrations for companies outgrowing legacy infrastructure
• Security Audits tied to real product needs—not just compliance checkboxes
• AI-powered user experiences grounded in human-centered design
• Managed services that take the load off internal teams so they can move faster
• Custom apps that don’t just look good, but scale and secure like they should

If that sounds like the kind of partner you’ve been looking for, let’s talk. We’re not here to sell you something shiny—we’re here to build with you, plan with you, and grow with you.