In an inflationary environment, smarter spending and cost-efficiency are more critical than ever. CIOs are said to be defunding technologies that no longer contribute to business strategy or growth. 

So how has IT and tech spend evolved, and what are the key technologies CIOs are spending on to drive efficiency across the business and which are no longer making the cut?

• Augmented intelligence: How human/AI partnerships can benefit business and humanity
• Managing and understanding the ethical implications of Generative AI innovation
• Increasing productivity and capability: knowledge workers and ChatGPT

 An overview of the European legislative landscape and Digital Realty’s leadership role therein

CIOs are working to develop new technology solutions, IT/digital infrastructure and build critical data platforms to drive sustainable business strategy.  In addition, business and IT leaders are increasingly citing ESG as part of their criteria in selecting vendors of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) solutions. As CIOs review their data center and cloud options, sustainability is now a crucial factor in this decision making process. 

But how can we as technology leaders, ensure that we are part of the solution and not the problem by effectively understanding and managing our carbon footprint? 

During this session Karl Brenner, CEO of Perform IT will be joined by James Harvey, CTO of Cisco AppDynamics to discuss how full-stack observability moves beyond domain monitoring into full-stack visibility, insights, and actions. Transform what was once siloed data into actionable insights, providing shared context for IT teams, and enabling your business to deliver exceptional digital experiences, optimise for cost and performance, and maximise digital business revenue.

Getting the right skills to deliver technology transformation and key projects remains a significant challenge. We are also seeing that given IT is not seen as a professionalised role, with no official ‘license to practice’, it is difficult to determine in the recruitment process, who has the right skills for your business needs.

In addition, the lack of representation of women in IT has been a major contributing factor in limiting the talent pool. So what can organisations do to move the dial? 

In the panel we will discuss the systemic challenges the sector faces around skills shortages, skill accreditation, talent retention and embedding  DE&I into recruitment and progression strategies. 

There are now a plethora of emerging  technologies that businesses can adopt to drive business value. 

With the emergence of Generative AI taking centre stage, it is important to take a step back and decide what technologies are the right ones to invest in, and how do you ensure that the organisation is ready for this change? 

In this panel we will explore the latest innovations available for organisations to leverage and the key steps to ensure transformation has maximum impact once implemented. 

We will also discuss how digital and technology leaders can focus strategy to ensure that they add maximum value to the top and bottom line. 

This case study will showcase how digital solutions have been leveraged to improve customer experience and how these technologies have been scaled across local authorities through the ‘Build to Share’ programme. Key themes to be explored include:

• The anatomy of a Build to Share model: from ideation to delivery of scalable applications
• Making transfomration accessible
• Maximising impact post-delivery through community

Cyber threats are continuously evolving and becoming more sophisticated. 

More so than ever, IT infrastructure is the critical defense mechanism through which security is managed. So how does this intersection impact the definition of what a CIO and CISO do. 

In this panel we will discuss why security remains a top priority for CIOs and how the CIO and CISO can work together to achieve the best possible security posture. 

As organisations get more sophisticated in their use of data, it is imperative to stop and think about the implications of how and why we use this data. 

With significant advancements in the space of generative AI, this topic has never been more pertinent. 

This panel will discuss how we as data leaders can ensure that we are operating in an ethical way, and within the boundaries of evolving regulations. 

In this session John Stone, Senior Consultant at Digital Realty talks to John O’Connor, Senior Partner, Technology at William Fry Solicitors about growing data risks that you need to know about. Including:

• Sovereignty
• Residency
• Transfers
• Liability – financial and reputational impact
• US/UK implications

In these small working group sessions you will be given the opportunity to deep dive on a topic of interest with an expert facilitator and peers. These chatham house rules discussions enable you to engage in open and frank dialogue about the challenges and opportunities these innovations present. 

(Max capacity 25 participants)

In this interactive session, leaders in data governance from the Empower Programme will share insights on to showcase best practice in governance, data sharing, open data and driving data value.

As CIOs and Digital Leaders remain under pressure to generate business value by accelerating innovation and digital transformation, during this roundtable, we will gather to discuss:

• Harnessing digital infrastructure to grow and scale your business – anywhere
• Maximising agility and flexibility to effectively respond to threats and opportunities – in minutes
• The ROI of a digital ecosystem – who you connect to matters
• The journey to sustainable IT: moving the needle on carbon reduction targets

Talent shortfalls are hindering digital adoption in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation. How can ABP and the School of Automation help organisations solve these shortfalls in a cost effective but socially responsible way?

ABP has  20 years of hands-on experience in the consulting and implementation of process automation solutions and enablement of digital transformation projects, but we realise to begin your Automation/AI journey and then scale you need;

• Access to the right people

• Right skills and knowledge

• At the right price

Mark O’Connor, Head of Public Sector will lead a discussion around how ABP and the School of Automation are creating a healthy talent pool of people to meet the growing demand while creating sustainable training and employment opportunities for individuals.