IDC Middle East CIO Summit 2024

Amid the ever-evolving digital transformation landscape and IT/OT convergence, modern organizations face challenges on multiple frontiers. Technological advancements in the Internet of Things (IoT) and data analytics are allowing the information technology world to influence the operational world. While IT/OT convergence provides new possibilities by merging business processes and insights, it also spawns new adversaries. At OPSWAT, we solve modern organizations' challenges and shut off major attack vectors by providing state-of-the-art, purpose-built Critical Infrastructure Protection technology, providing a single uniform platform that can address the risks that arise in an IT/OT convergence environment. Our products focus on threat prevention and process creation for secure data transfer and safe device access. The result is productive systems that minimize the risk of compromise.

Global economic shifts, evolving cyberthreats, and war for talent all intensify demands on IT & Security Operations to rapidly innovate and accelerate growth. CIOs have invested in digital transformation initiatives to counter these pressures. Digital Employee Experience (DEX), is one key area that positively impacts productivity, talent acquisition and retention, security, operational agility and ultimately business growth. In this session, we’ll focus on why it’s critical to prioritize DEX to unlock digital dividends and overall business outcomes.  

Enterprises across the world are focusing on implementing their digital strategy to thrive in this hyperconnected world and enhance the end user experience by simplifying the way they connect with their consumers, partners, and suppliers. However, the more we’ll rely on sophisticated technologies to upscale, the more we’ll be vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. And it’s crucial to know how we must manage the cybersecurity risk to survive & grow.

But navigating the landscape of enterprise AI services can be daunting. Vendors bombard you with promises, management consultants throw around acronyms, and you're left wondering: where do I even begin? This session cuts through the noise and delivers a practical roadmap for unlocking the power of AI in your organization. I'll shed a light into real-world case studies, provide a glimpse into the diverse range of available services, and equip you with some insights to help you identify the solutions that best fit your specific needs and challenges.

Leave with a clear vision for how to leverage AI to streamline operations, optimize productivity, and gain a competitive edge. This isn't about sci-fi fantasies; it's about tangible business results. Forget the hype, forget the buzzwords – this session is about empowering you to take control of your AI journey and unlock its transformative potential for your enterprise.

During this session Fortinet experts as they discuss the hype around AI and ML, how attackers are leveraging these technologies to further their goals, and how security teams and decision makers can protect against these techniques by leveraging AI and ML tools themselves.

Join us for a quick overview of what the change is and how organizations can prepare themselves for the new IT frontier.

To thrive in the evolving AI landscape, it is essential to steer clear of obstacles posed by outdated data-at-rest architectures. Instead, you should construct your contemporary AI framework on dynamic, real-time data.

Achieving real-time AI requires trustworthy, relevant data served at the moment for smarter, faster insights. This is why data streaming is emerging as the fundamental infrastructure for the modern AI stack, so you can build powerful AI applications.

• What is Gemini? Why is multimodal AI a game changer?

• How can you combine the best of commercial and open source GenAI?

• Why do you need an enterprise-ready platform?

• How can you democratize GenAI across the enterprise?

• What are the key applications and use cases for GenAI?

• How can you build your GenAI journey on a safe, secure, and reliable infrastructure?

Insights into how SecurityHQ as a global MSSP are leveraging AI and automation to scale their operations for customers worldwide.

Global economic shifts, evolving cyberthreats, and war for talent all intensify demands on IT & Security Operations to rapidly innovate and accelerate growth. CIOs have invested in digital transformation initiatives to counter these pressures. Digital Employee Experience (DEX), is one key area that positively impacts productivity, talent acquisition and retention, security, operational agility and ultimately business growth. In this session, we’ll focus on why it’s critical to prioritize DEX to unlock digital dividends and overall business outcomes.  

As IT teams across the globe are tasked with the challenge of doing more with less, GenAI has emerged as the undeniable force multiplier --- but not without its share of skepticism and concerns. Join Freshworks to delve deeper into GenAI’s potential, misconceptions, and the strategic vision required to build higher-performing teams.

Remember the days when "cloud computing" was a nebulous buzzword? Now, it's the backbone of modern business. Enterprise AI is about to follow suit. Forget flying cars and robot overlords; we're talking real-world, revenue-generating applications that transform how your business operates. From intelligent data analysis that fuels smarter decision-making to hyper-personalized customer experiences that drive loyalty, AI is no longer a futuristic gimmick – it's a strategic imperative.

But navigating the landscape of enterprise AI services can be daunting. Vendors bombard you with promises, management consultants throw around acronyms, and you're left wondering: where do I even begin? This session cuts through the noise and delivers a practical roadmap for unlocking the power of AI in your organization. I'll shed a light into real-world case studies, provide a glimpse into the diverse range of available services, and equip you with some insights to help you identify the solutions that best fit your specific needs and challenges.

Leave with a clear vision for how to leverage AI to streamline operations, optimize productivity, and gain a competitive edge. This isn't about sci-fi fantasies; it's about tangible business results. Forget the hype, forget the buzzwords – this session is about empowering you to take control of your AI journey and unlock its transformative potential for your enterprise.

In this enlightening keynote address, we will delve into how the fastest-growing companies in the world are transforming their businesses by architecing their development & data-science workflows around Kubernetes & Generative AI. With this approach, we will highlight how companies in the financial services, healthcare, digital industries and government services are unlocking a new era of efficiency, scalability, and innovation, delivering new capabilities to their customers faster than ever before. Be prepared to gain insights into the strategic deployment of these technologies, paving the way for a future where organizations seamlessly navigate the complexities of the cloud with agility and intelligence.

During this session Fortinet experts as they discuss the hype around AI and ML, how attackers are leveraging these technologies to further their goals, and how security teams and decision makers can protect against these techniques by leveraging AI and ML tools themselves.

AI is becoming an essential component in IT management, particularly in enhancing the security posture. Ensuring robust cybersecurity is as crucial as leveraging AI for business longevity. In this session, we will discuss the pivotal role of AI in tackling IT security challenges, offering insights into how AI impacts comprehensive IT strategies - from advanced threat detection to improved security response. We will also delve into effective ways to integrate these AI technologies to fortify cybersecurity defenses. Join us to navigate the future of AI in IT, where security is at the forefront of technological advancement and business success.

At the same time, ERP systems are significant IT investments with long-term roadmaps. IT leaders need to be able to adapt to new technologies while maximizing value from existing ERP investments.

This session will delve into creating an AI roadmap for your ERP system that maximizes business ROI. We will explore how to identify high-value use cases for AI, risks and common pitfalls, and strategies for maintaining agility in an ever-changing landscape.

Join us for a quick overview of what the change is and how organizations can prepare themselves for the new IT frontier.

To thrive in the evolving AI landscape, it is essential to steer clear of obstacles posed by outdated data-at-rest architectures. Instead, you should construct your contemporary AI framework on dynamic, real-time data.

Achieving real-time AI requires trustworthy, relevant data served at the moment for smarter, faster insights. This is why data streaming is emerging as the fundamental infrastructure for the modern AI stack, so you can build powerful AI applications.

IT organizations are having to transform themselves to meet the evolving needs of the future enterprise, and CIOs are increasingly being tasked with leading this transformation as IT becomes the enterprise operating system. As the world of work continues to evolve and organizations shift to hybrid work models, new challenges and opportunities present themselves.

Organizations are in a state of perpetual evolution toward everything digital, with the IT function evolving with it. CIOs must keep up and stay ahead, implementing models that enable high-velocity change, consistent governance, and a comprehensive talent strategy. If implemented correctly, organizations can reap massive rewards from maximized IT performance, including increased efficiency, improved risk management, clearly defined roles, and improved cost effectiveness. However, change management involves significant risk, and a failed IT transformation can be highly detrimental to the entire organization, making a clearly defined IT operating model vital to helping the organization remain agile moving forward.

Since building a digital business is now an imperative for success, the role of IT and CIOs in business transformation strategies and initiatives has become more critical than ever before. They are responsible for putting together a technology mesh that fits the exact needs of their organizations, creating an infrastructure that delivers optimal business value. However, this can only be realized by aligning with LOBs on the business impact of technology initiatives and establishing KPIs/metrics for business outcomes from digital transformation projects that show the real value and contribution of IT to business transformation initiatives.

IT sourcing and procurement professionals working with demanding workloads and deadlines have little time for an in-depth review of technology markets and vendors, sourcing best practices, and specific IT investment opportunities and partnerships. Given the rapid pace of change we have come to expect from the technology market, IT leaders face key sourcing challenges related to digital transformation and the evolving role of vendor management within the enterprise, requiring actionable intelligence on best practices for driving better deals and reducing costs while continuously growing vendor relationships.