The appointment, announced on Tuesday in Dubai, will see ElOuazzani lead the company’s regional growth strategy, including revenue, partnerships and market expansion.

She will also oversee efforts to strengthen Censys’ presence with governments and enterprises across the region.

Sarah Ashburn, chief revenue officer at Censys, said:

“We are delighted to welcome Meriam ElOuazzani as Vice President for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa. This deepens our investment in a region where Censys has established strong momentum and is strategically positioned for accelerated growth. 

“Meriam’s proven track record of scaling cybersecurity markets across META, combined with her deep regional insight, makes her the right leader to grow our market presence and meet rising demand for trusted internet intelligence.”

ElOuazzani has more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and enterprise technology. She previously served as Senior Regional Director at SentinelOne, where she built the company’s regional go-to-market operations.

Before that, she held several leadership roles at VMware across the Middle East and North Africa. She also led regional product sales for mobility in the Middle East at Cisco Systems.

In her new role, she will focus on building strategic partnerships. These include government bodies, enterprise customers, managed security service providers and hyperscale cloud partners.

She will work with Rajaee Al-Dalgamouni, appointed Regional Sales Director for META, and Ahmed Ehlayel, named Solutions Engineering, META.

ElOuazzani said:

“The META region is at an inflection point in cybersecurity maturity. Across the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa, governments and commercial organisations are moving beyond perimeter defence and demanding real-time threat detection and operational visibility into their digital footprint. 

“Over the past two decades in this region, I’ve witnessed firsthand how the right intelligence transforms the security operations entirely. 

“Censys’s internet intelligence platform equips security teams with authoritative, real-time insight into exposure and adversary activity, replacing assumptions with actionable confidence. My mission is to establish Censys as a trusted partner across META, enabling the shift from reactive defence to proactive intelligence.”

Censys provides internet intelligence tools that help organisations identify exposed assets, monitor changes and detect threats. The platform, which continuously maps internet-facing systems and infrastructure, is used by governments, large companies and security providers.

The company says it scans all 65,535 internet ports and supports more than 26 industrial protocols, including Modbus, DNP3, Siemens S7 and BACnet. It also provides historical data on internet-connected assets to help track long-term exposure.

Censys has partnered in the Middle East with Rilian Technologies to deliver its capabilities to sovereign and critical infrastructure organisations. With this appointment, the company is increasing its focus on the region and expanding its local leadership team.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) has seen significant changes recently, especially with VMware Horizon being sold to Omnissa.

This shift has raised many questions among customers, leading many to reconsider their VDI strategy and look for alternatives.

As businesses evaluate their options, Citrix has emerged as a strong contender for customers seeking more flexible, secure, and scalable solutions.

This is highlighted in the latest Gartner Critical Capabilities for Desktop as a Service (DaaS) report where Citrix has been ranked highest across all four use cases, solidifying its position as the top choice for organisations seeking robust VDI solutions.

The comprehensive capabilities of Citrix’s VDI solutions offer unparalleled flexibility, security, and scalability for businesses whether operating on-premise or in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

Gartner’s recognition underscores Citrix’s commitment to providing a seamless, secure, and highly efficient virtual desktop experience, which is a key factor in why so many customers are transitioning away from Omnissa Horizon, in favour of Citrix’s advanced solutions.

Let’s delve into why so many customers are making the switch to Citrix VDI, specifically Citrix DaaS and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops (CVAD), as their preferred VDI solution.

Hybrid and multi-cloud flexibility

One of the most compelling reasons customers are turning to Citrix is the platform’s unparalleled flexibility in hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Citrix Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) is a trusted platform, designed from the ground up to integrate seamlessly with on-premise and public cloud platforms, including Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Nutanix NC2, and VMware vSphere, among others.

This gives businesses the freedom to choose the infrastructure that best suits their regulatory, financial, and performance needs. Whilst Omnissa is attempting to make strides in improving their compatibility with other hyperscalers, VMware’s legacy platform limitations, historically being tied to the vSphere platform, will take some time to overcome.

Simplicity and ease-of-use

Managing a VDI environment should not be a complex task, and Citrix is continuously improving and simplifying its platform for administrators. Citrix’s DaaS and CVAD solutions come with a streamlined, user-friendly interface that reduces the learning curve for admins and users alike.

A major focus has been to modernise and simplify the admin experience, with easy-to-use wizards, quick-deployment options, and straightforward deployment processes all from a single pane of glass.

In contrast, since the acquisition, Omnissa has started to introduced additional complexity into its setup. Customers looking to integrate Horizon on-premise with Horizon Cloud must use the Horizon Edge Gateway, leading to more infrastructure overhead and administrative tasks.

Moreover, VMware’s historical reliance on its vSphere platform limits deployment options and complicates scaling across multiple cloud and on-prem environments.

Context-aware security and conditional access

Security is a critical consideration for organisations adopting VDI. Citrix stands out for its advanced context-aware security and conditional access features, which allow IT admins to define security policies based on the user’s device, location, or security posture.

These capabilities are available when the NetScaler Gateway is integrated into your Citrix deployment.

With over 100 session policies and the ability to enforce security measures like screenshot protection, watermarking and dynamic session recording, Citrix ensures that users have secure access without compromising on user experience.

With Citrix’s new bundled Universal Hybrid Multi Cloud (UHMC) licensing, customers gain access to a range of extensive security features like WAF, DDoS Protection, Cross-Site Scripting and SQL Injection.

While Omnissa Horizon provides some basic security controls, such as session recording and screenshot protection, its security features are less mature and more limited in scope.

Operational efficiency with minimal infrastructure

Another area where Citrix shines is in its ability to minimise the infrastructure requirements for complex, multi-site environments.

For example, in a hybrid cloud setup spanning two Azure regions and an on-prem data centre, Citrix DaaS requires only a pair of Cloud Connectors in each site and the Virtual Delivery Agent (VDA) on each desktop and or application to be delivered.

This streamlined approach drastically reduces the complexity and infrastructure footprint, making it easier to deploy and scale.

On the other hand, Omnissa Horizon requires multiple infrastructure components and management consoles, both on-prem and in the cloud. For businesses with multi-location setups, this translates to more moving parts, additional hardware, and increased operational complexity, especially when integrating Horizon Cloud with on-prem Horizon environments.

Flexibility in operating systems

As organisations increasingly adopt Linux, macOS, and other non-Windows operating systems for secure app delivery, Citrix offers greater flexibility than Omnissa Horizon. Citrix DaaS and CVAD support a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, enabling businesses to deploy virtual desktops that meet diverse user needs.

In comparison, Omnissa Horizon offers Linux VDI support for various distributions, but the range of supported distributions and features may not be as comprehensive as its Windows offerings.

It is suitable for organisations that need to virtualise Linux desktops but may not be ideal for complex use cases requiring extensive customisation.

Citrix, on the other hand, offers superior support for Linux workloads, including the ability to deploy multiple Linux virtual desktops in mixed environments alongside Windows and macOS.

Improved User Experience

A standout reason why customers consistently choose Citrix VDI over Omnissa Horizon is the superior user experience delivered by Citrix’s advanced technologies.

Citrix has consistently prioritised the end-user experience, ensuring seamless interactions regardless of device, location, or network conditions. This commitment translates into a platform that empowers employees with a productive and frustration-free digital workspace, boosting engagement and efficiency.

Citrix employs cutting-edge High-Definition User Experience (HDX) technology to optimise performance, providing fast and reliable access to virtual desktops and applications.

Features like adaptive display technology, multimedia redirection, and GPU acceleration ensure smooth operation even under challenging network conditions.

Whether handling complex 3D graphics, multimedia workloads, or unified communications tools like Microsoft Teams, Citrix delivers high-quality experiences with minimal lag and crisp visuals, no matter the endpoint or connection.

As showcased in the 2024 Gartner report on the critical capabilities of available DaaS solutions, Citrix outperforms all other vendors in high performance use cases, thus delivering a superior user experience.

Simpler migration from Omnissa Horizon

For organisations currently using Omnissa Horizon, migrating to Citrix may seem daunting, but Citrix has extensive resources and proven methodologies to ease the transition.

Citrix’s migration tools and partners like Troye make it easier for businesses to switch from Omnissa Horizon to Citrix DaaS and CVAD, offering better ROI and a smoother overall experience.

As Omnissa Horizon undergoes significant changes, many organisations are finding Citrix’s flexible, secure, and user-friendly solutions to be a compelling alternative.

Citrix’s deep integration with multi-cloud environments, ease of use, advanced security features, and unmatched flexibility across operating systems make it a strong choice for businesses looking to modernise their VDI infrastructure.

For companies currently using Omnissa Horizon, the transition to Citrix might require some planning, but the long-term benefits, including improved scalability, security, and simplified management, make it a worthwhile investment.

The history of the internet is awash with cautionary tales. Stories of catastrophe that never came to pass – like the millennium bug – to widely lauded, future-altering innovations that have faded to become a mere stitch in the tapestry of the world’s digital footprint.

The nature of technology and its cycle of self-perpetuating betterment means that there will always be ‘the next big thing’. In this regard, step forward ChatGPT and its subsequent updates such as GPT4.

The claxon of caution

Since the tail end of 2022, ChatGPT has been that thing. The white knight to solve the ills of modern society. Depending on which news source you read, it will improve; how we study, write, research, code, work, create and evolve in the workplace. There is more, of course, because the potential use cases are endless, but there are also grounds to sound the klaxon of caution.

For a start, we’ve been here before. People of a certain age will recall the fanfare to which Wikipedia arrived. That too was going to revolutionise how we learn and research. That too was going to change the world. And did it? I’m afraid not quite.

What happened is what is almost certain to happen to ChatGPT and the innovations that follow after it. That it evolved to become a tool, albeit an incredibly useful one.

A tool in the box that helps our day-to-day lives alongside the other incredible tools that have been developed in recent years, like Alexa or next-day delivery.

On its own, will it change how we operate? Almost certainly. Will it change the world? Almost certainly not.  Like Wikipedia, we will grow to learn its limits.

An AI-infused world

Perhaps the key question is, where and how far will it catapult society? The excitement around ChatGPT stems from what it is, not necessarily what it does. By consumerising an artificial intelligence (AI) product into something everyone can use it has opened our eyes to the realities of an AI-infused world. The fact is, that this is happening already in sectors such as healthcare (for early detection, image scanning and analysis and predictive care to name a few examples) and manufacturing (for instance, to increase production capabilities and cut emissions) but those applications are limited only to a select few, hence the massive disparity in reaction.

The reality is, we are already in an AI-infused world of which ChatGPT is simply the next chapter and it won’t be the last. It is, however, a very clear signpost as to where we go from here. The Genie is out of the bottle as far as the positive impacts AI can have but beyond the excitement and appetite to use it as a digital travelator to get to the next point more quickly, society needs to harness it appropriately.

This means starting at an education-level. We’re already seeing reports of it being used in exams. In a recent test, it passed law exams in four courses at the University of Minnesota and another exam at University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, according to this story on CNN.

Unsurprisingly, we’re also seeing tools being developed to detect and prevent its usage. This creates a developmental cat and mouse whereby students will want to use it both because they can’t, and because they shouldn’t. But this sends out a wrong message and arguably fuels the fire of scepticism around AI. Knowing that they’re here to stay, we should accept ChatGPT and other AI tools into education and encourage people on how to best engage with them. Essentially, to use every tool in the box to get the job done better and quicker because this is the world of work they will walk into.

Embrace AI to do something better

The same message applies to businesses. It is far too linear to suggest that these types of AI advances alone will kill job X or Y while that, in and of itself, isn’t the end of the chain anyway.

Just because ChatGPT can create job adverts, brand copy or legal letters does not mean businesses ought to dismiss their HR, marketing and legal teams. Far from it.

These teams are more vital than ever because their years of experience, diverse backgrounds, soft human skills and unique personalities are not only what is required to get a job done today, they’re the foundation of society tomorrow.

The cleverest businesses and the ones who will come out on top in the end will be the ones who get to grips with these types of innovation. To learn them, incorporate them into day-to-day operations and evolve the skills of their teams accordingly and in lockstep with any new development. Microsoft’s new 365 Copilot is just another example of such tech rapidly being integrated into existing business tools. The leaders will be the companies that embrace AI to do something better than they are doing today without jettisoning the people and skills required to adapt to our ever-changing world.

Another way to look at it is that early machine code developers didn’t disappear because we invented compilers – what in fact happened was that more and more people could access the power of computing as coding became progressively easier and easier with each generation; with generative AI such as GPT4 now generating code and creating websites from sketches it will just enable even more people to engage and create.

Understanding limitations

We will, of course, reach a point where enough is enough as far as AI is concerned. Perhaps in years to come we’ll reach that moment and identify this period as the start of that journey, but it is a long way from now. What it will look like is an age-old question. A moral and societal issue far too deep to cover here, though Professor Stuart Russell did so expertly in his 2021 Reith Lectures.

All we have now is a new technology, no more, no less. ChatGPT is a computer system taking big steps forward in communication and generation, and that is an amazing advancement, but using this tool and combining it with other tools alongside the scientific method and human intelligence is where the real excitement is. In short order we are already discovering its flaws and limits.

Thinking critically about combinations and application is how and where we can realise the potential of AI to change lives for the better.

Once again we should look at how technology augments humans and advances us all. In order to do that, we first have to understand limitations and that we’re always in the middle of history, never the end.

When talking about a move to the cloud, the words subscription and consumption are used as key differentiators, but they are also used as interchangeable verbs that seemingly describe the same thing when in fact, they are, by their nature, completely different offerings.

The primary differences between a subscription and consumption-based model are ownership, relationship, and commercial engagement. And critically, consumptive services are the only ones that transact on the pay-for-only-what-you-use model – which is where the primary confusion comes in.

The subscription model

Let’s rewind a bit to help paint the picture. In the past, you bought your software disks, got a license key, and bought the right to use the software until it reached the end of life.

This evolved into a subscription model where you bought the software, downloaded it or installed it, and got the license key to use, which would be valid until the subscription expired.

The costs of this model are typically carried out upfront. Yes, a user gets all the support, upgrades and bonus extra depending on the nature of their subscription.

Notably, in a subscription model, the user never really owns the software they subscribe to using it for the duration of their subscription, and it can get turned off if the client opts not to renew their license.

While it’s not an ownership model per se, it does lock the user into a renewal cycle that perpetuates if they opt to continue using the software.

The benefits to the customer? It’s relatively easy to discover and try new products, and there’s a low upfront cost without a long-term commitment and lower shelfware risk.

The consumption model

To date, there has been a fair amount of confusion around subscription and consumption. You don’t have to subscribe to software to consume it.

In a consumption model, users are billed post usage based on the amount of a service they have used, and that is the number one differentiator.

A consumption pricing model defines the service’s cost and is applied to how much a user has used a service at the end of the month.

It is pay-as-you-go and pay-as-you-grow via a metred billing methodology. In this instance, the client is given the license key for the software/service upfront without a subscription requirement

Now the benefits here are reduced upfront capital costs and risks, consolidated costs for hardware, software, and services, and a user can offload maintenance and management functions to their provider, which is most commonly a cloud provider or cloud builder.

The consumptive cloud service

It’s easy to see why there is confusion between the two in the modern cloud world, but the two models are fundamentally different. They are used to fulfil different needs by both customers and IT (cloud) resellers and partners.

In the case of a consumption model, the relationship with the customer rests with the partner and the partner’s relationship is with the vendor.

So, in our case, when offering a consumption-based service as VMware, we provide access to our software and services to the partner (consumptively) who sell it to their customers on a consumptive basis.

This model gives the partner control of the billing model to the end customer based on the services they wrap around the offering, and it also gives the customer control of their budgets as they pay for only what they consume.

Think of it this way, if you were to only pay for the programmes you watch on Netflix, that would be consumptive, but you don’t. You subscribe to the service and pay a flat fee per month regardless of whether you watch one show or one thousand shows. That’s a subscription.

Another key difference is that the customer doesn’t own the license and doesn’t sit with a perpetual license on their books. On the other hand, the partner can use the commercial model of consumption-based services to build their business at a speed they are comfortable with and with the scalability needed should they suddenly experience massive growth or customer demand.

It’s perfect for partners delivering a hosted cloud service as it doesn’t require a huge Capex outlay to get started, which helps significantly reduce risk as they don’t sit with the software on their books that they have to try and move in a fixed period.

You grow, you pay more, you need more, you switch on more. You don’t have to add users and change your billing model as you would traditionally with a subscription model.

There is also another layer to this for the partner. It’s a model whereby they can deliver virtual data centres to those clients who still want to run assets on-premises and take advantage of a dedicated service via a consumption model but on their own infrastructure. In short, this is what is seen as a dedicated private cloud as a service.

Perfect synergy

Many vendors have a consumptive-based program. For VMware, our program is specific to our partner ecosystem and enables them to package cloud services to end customers. The more the partner grows, the more the vendor grows, regardless of whether the partner uses one product or ten. Vendors only see new revenue when partners sell or consume services.

The partner also isn’t selling VMware. They are selling cloud services wrapped around support, management, and even hardware; the actual ingredients are invisible.

This means that the customer will often have no clue what the underlying software is, and to be fair, they don’t need to if the service works and they know what resources they are paying for and are only paying for what they use.

Article Written By Laurent Allard, Head of Sovereign Cloud, VMware EMEA Data is immensely valuable to all organisations, a significant resource for the digital economy and the ‘cornerstone of our EU industrial competitiveness,’ says the European Commission. But its value is determined by how it can be protected and used by those who own it.

The challenges of managing and storing sensitive and critical data are growing. The volume of highly sensitive data now hosted in the cloud is on an upward trajectory.

Sixty four percent of EMEA organisations have actually increased their volume of sensitive data, and 63% have already stored confidential and secret data in the public cloud, according to IDC.

Managing this exposure of highly sensitive data, which could be financial, personal, national or critical information, is driving the need for data sovereignty – where this intelligence is bound by the privacy laws and governance structures within a nation, industry sector or organisation.

This exposure of such data in the public cloud should be influencing every organisation’s future cloud strategy and the imperative of sovereign clouds.

Yet challenges exist. To date, there is no standard definition, nor European certification, to assess a cloud as ‘sovereign cloud’, and not even common terminology ‘sovereign cloud vs. trusted cloud’. But what is crystal clear is the set of key requirements associated with confidential and sensitive data, such as data and metadata control, residency and exposure to external jurisdiction.

Agreements on data sovereignty must come first, so organisations understand how to keep control of their data and to choose the appropriate platform to host their data and innovate in a secured way.

However, this is not always understood outside of technical teams. If your organisation’s management has its head in the clouds when it comes to data sovereignty, here are five key messages to help you demonstrate the value of a secure data strategy, and explain why there is no data sovereignty without cloud sovereignty:

1. Data classification determines choice of cloud

The days of customer information sitting in a single, monolithic database are well and truly dead. It is now essential for organisations to manage their data and applications in a multi-cloud environment, with the application, workload and data type determining the cloud used.

Our research shows that nearly half (47%) of organisations understand that using multiple clouds will help them address security and privacy concerns, while better enabling them to monetise their data. And ultimately, organisations that fail to embrace this will inevitably get left behind.

So, while it is now common for organisations to use several clouds to secure and manage their data and applications, with the drive for sovereignty, we’re seeing a review of usage to allow a mix of clouds with different levels of control and certification.

This boils down to the type of data, for example its volume, sensitivity, criticality and exploitability; the data owner’s priorities in regard to it, such as its privacy or economic advantage; and regulations.

Data sovereignty therefore needs to start with the classification of data, to ensure specific assurances and capabilities on data residency, data protection, interoperability and portability.

Organisations can then choose the best clouds for the job, from sovereign private clouds to sovereign public clouds to trusted public clouds – ensuring they comply with sovereignty and jurisdictional rules.

Until now much of this has been conducted with the confidence that cloud providers are upholding their promises of data sovereignty. Unfortunately, recent closer scrutiny by regulators suggests that not all providers are equal, with some being very publicly examined to ensure they’re not missing the mark.

One provider is under investigation in Germany to ensure it’s meeting GDPR compliance, while another has just launched a new digital sovereignty pledge, leaving some customers questioning their track record up until now.

It’s therefore also essential that decision makers aren’t tripping themselves up by automatically assuming all global hyperscale cloud providers will support data sovereignty because the portfolio, data and applications will be limited to only what can be run in a region.

The physical location of data isn’t enough to give the sovereignty stamp of approval. Almost all require jurisdictional control, which cannot be assumed to be met with a data resident cloud, particularly for U.S. or global cloud providers subject to the CLOUD Act and FISA ruling.

The flow and management of the data is also crucially important, as are the consumer rights within the country you’re collecting that data from. It can be an incredibly confusing web to unweave and make sense of.

2. Secure data drives success

Data is undoubtably the driver of success and decision makers know this. A shining example is McDonald’s, where the company successfully used visitor data to assess the effectiveness of its iconic Piccadilly Circus billboards, and redirected marketing spend towards smaller, personalised adverts instead. This increased footfall to desired locations, and ultimately, drove up sales.

Research we conducted earlier this year shows that by 2024, 95% of organisations across EMEA will be looking to their data as a key revenue driver, with 46% recognising it as a significant source of revenue – up from 29% today.

And with the data monetisation market already at $2.9 billion, and another $4+ billion to be captured by 2027, it’s no wonder that more business leaders want to tap in. According to the European Commission, the data economy in Europe is expected to grow GDP from 2.6% to 4.2% by 2025.

At the same time, companies are highly aware that their data strategies must be handled with care to ensure customer privacy.

Concerns amongst consumers are increasing and getting louder in this growing discussion. There are plenty of fresh rules and regulations on the way, like DORA, which will help harmonise hard-to-reconcile regulations and reporting standards in banking across EMEA. Even with simplification like this on the horizon, meeting these regulations can be a complex journey for companies that operate across international borders.

3. Local laws don’t need to be a minefield

Whilst the value of data is clear to see, there are often understandable reservations about regulations. Data sovereignty laws differ from one country to the next, with over 100 countries having their own standards on how data should be treated and stored within their sovereign borders. They also rarely stand still and change constantly.

Organisations that fall foul of these can end up paying fines of hundreds of millions of dollars and be seen as unreliable and untrustworthy in the eyes of the consumer.

Meta, for instance, is currently facing a €390 million fine from The Irish Data Protection Commission, after its Facebook and Instagram privacy breaches.

Most people (87%) are willing to walk away from a company if some kind of data breach happens. Their trust is just as valuable as hard currency. So, how can organisations perform this delicate dance in a way that allows them to mine customer data without betraying their customers’ trust? The answer lies in the ability to share, monetise and protect data that resides across multiple clouds.

4. Forge relationships with a network

Those looking to run without being tripped up should form relationships with one of the newly formed global networks of sovereign cloud providers who have specifically joined forces to ensure that data is protected, compliant and resident within a national territory.

Working with an entity that has both national and local partners guarantees an organisation will be meeting niche requirements across the board. It also gives decision makers the ability to choose the right cloud for a specific data classification, with better governance around data mobility.

By definition, these specialised clouds are operated by a sovereign entity, so they’re exempt from foreign jurisdictional control. With a sovereign cloud, data is managed by national citizens with the relevant national security clearances.

As more organisations focus on monetising their data to capture revenue, sovereign clouds are becoming an integral part of a “cloud-smart” strategy, enabling organisations to run their business operations across multiple clouds to better serve their end customers and to gain strategic advantage.

If management doesn’t have a clue about data sovereignty, make it your new year’s resolution to ensure these five key messages are understood by all. In a world where trust is everything, both between B2C and B2B, don’t let your data strategy get tripped up by misplaced assumptions about data sovereignty.

5. Data sovereignty drives innovation

Ultimately, the reason why sovereignty is so important, is that it enables organisations to be innovative with their data and deliver new digital services. Historically, there has been a distinct lack of trust in the cloud, leading to a lack of innovation.

Some of the biggest and most important creators of data, such as finance and healthcare, continue to avoid use of public cloud because of privacy fears.

This significantly handicaps their ability to innovate, and means they are losing out on other benefits of cloud technology, such as cost-reduction, agility and scalability.

It is therefore paramount that moving forward we avoid the mistakes of the past and ensure sovereign data from the start. Today, sovereign cloud is more and more perceived as a key enabler for a ‘data-driven’ innovation.

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There’s no two ways about it – the last few years have been a bumpy ride for us all. 2022 especially will go down as one of the most tumultuous years in recent times, raising numerous issues that look set to fundamentally transform the landscape of business and society for years, if not decades to come.

Technology has been no exception to that disruption, encountering significant challenges of its own – from privacy and accountability concerns, to growing sustainability and regulatory mandates. But by and large, it continues to present huge promise at a time when certainty and reliability is otherwise in short supply.

Cloud and digital communications are powering its unfaltering growth, first and foremost. But with so much pressure to innovate, finite financial resources with rising costs and an increasing drive for more effective governance, IT leaders’ list of priorities shows no sign of shortening in 2023.

So, with that in mind, I’ve pulled together a list of the top ten areas I think IT leaders are likely to be drawn to – and that businesses need to prioritise – in 2023:

1. Even by accident, people will be more sustainable: 

Pressure to improve an organisation’s environmental sustainability continues to grow. With the acute rise in energy costs, everyone, consumers and businesses, are looking to reduce costs. For consumers this might be a hot water bottle and for businesses, this includes things such as running data centers on renewables.

However, with the impending Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the EU sensible decision makers are starting to prioritise reduced overall energy consumption, making use of tools that instill accuracy and accountability when it comes to achieving sustainability goals.

We along with our partners are helping our customers reduce energy costs and carbon emissions and recognise how important it is that progress can be measured. Here can you see how we are applying a ‘green score’ to do this.

2. Businesses will be defined by the way they work:

The battle between those who advocate ‘everyone in the office all of the time’ versus flexible working rages on.

It’s even more heightened in our digital world, where employees still hold much of the power; making it clear they’ll search for a new job if they can’t choose their own approach.

Whatever our personal stance, trying to force people to go one way or the other will define an organisation’s IT strategy, and therefore its future.

Business leaders must agree what’s next as there’s is no going backwards on the progress made in hybrid working. And these are pivotal times as company reputations will be defined by these decisions.

3. It will become unfashionable to be cloud-first:

But it will become fashionable to be cloud smart. According to our Multi-Cloud Maturity Index, cloud for many has become chaotic and complex, which is slowing them down.

The most successful leaders won’t build their strategy around the cloud, but instead on building powerful distributed apps (including to the edge) as these are what will drive differentiation in the market.

It’s then up to their IT infrastructure and architecture teams to establish which multi cloud approach will give them the capabilities they need to build and sustain those apps, the customer and employee experience.

4. AI will be used for better decision making:

The use of AI to support betterinformed decision making will undoubtedly continue to increase. But with growing regulationand governance, and a deeper understanding of AI-bias, its use will be tempered with caution around when and for what decisions it is being used and, importantly on what data sets.

No-one wants to end up like the major credit lender that was hauled over the coals a few years ago for its algorithm that was giving men significantly higher credit scores than women – due to outdated data.

However, there’s no doubt that hype will continue to grow as AI gets into the hands of more and more non-techie people with the release of exciting tools like ChatGPT.

5. Taking baby steps to ensure robots and humans can interact, safely:

On that same vein of technology meeting with humans, Robots have started to move out of the factory and are now interacting with humans, with mixed results and plenty of criticism.

Food delivery robots are being rolled out across the UK and Tesla is now almost 12 months into their Full Self-Driving beta programs in the US, it’s time to take a few deep breaths and take stock. While there have been a few crashes, let’s be honest…how many times have Deliveroo drivers run into someone on their mopeds?

Instead of rushing to turn robots into heroes or villains, 2023 will be the year we evaluate the huge amounts of data we are collating and apply lessons based on their initial machine-to-human interactions, to ensure they enter the human realm safely.

We are a long way from full robot – human integration but baby steps will be required for continued progress, without the alarmism that has become synonymous with robots.

6. Focusing on transferable tech skills to move at pace:

While there are constantly ‘new’ technologies, tools and programs entering the market, nothing is ‘absolutely new’.

It’s almost impossible to adapt skillsets to how fast the world is changing; Universities just aren’t pumping out multi-cloud architects, and security experts don’t automatically understand new threats. Rather than focusing on platform- or technology specific skillets and capabilities, there needs to be more focus on skills that are fundamentally transferable between existing and new technologies and build upon the years of experience we’ve already amassed.

If people have the basics down and their intentions are right, there can be more transference of skills to support the digital economy.

7. Still searching for that killer ‘metaverse’ app:

The Metaverse or some version of it has been on everyone’s trends list for the past decade with big brands promising to deliver a world changing virtual reality experience.

Unfortunately, it’s still not materialised and as such people are losing confidence. From where I sit, the potential to revolutionise is certainly there but we’re still yet to find that killer use case that will really engage and change people and hook them into repeated visits and experiences.

8. Death of the super-app dream:

Rather than the move towards a super-app, more fragmentation is happening in the market. Look what’s happening in social media with Twitter, and the rise of Instagram and now TikTok.

Until now many have been fixated on the rise of the super-app, which given consumer demand for smooth and seamless experiences is understandable. But EMEA isn’t China, and so a European version of WeChat is unlikely to take hold.

It’s pretty clear evidence that super-apps just won’t happen – people want apps that do specific jobs and do them well. So, if anything, we’re likely to see even more fragmentation in 2023.

9. Using commodity hardware to overcome supply chain issues:

In a world where things are changing hour to hour, waiting 6+ months for specialist equipment just isn’t an option. Some have already started finding their way around this issue by purchasing commodity hardware that‘s far more readily available, and then investing in specialist software to deliver what they need quickly and efficiently.  This focus on software-defined and enabled will continue.

10. Even blurrier lines between telco and cloud providers:

Telco companies have already been building clouds for years, but as the drive towards distributed applications, choice, and a highly flexible environment increases, we’ll start to see more cloud companies get into networking, infrastructure and customer-site management.

The already blurry lines between the two are only going to get even blurrier.

A battle is brewing…

In fact, such has the pervasiveness of technology and the cloud become, that CIOs can no longer lay claim to being the sole custodians of this responsibility.

In fact, a partnership between tech and finance is crucial if a company is to stay relevant. Think of it as sneakers meet suits for a brave new world led by innovative companies. 

If anything, CFOs must become digital leaders themselves as the finance role is reinvented given how rapidly artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation, and cloud have started to become integrated into every aspect of a business. And when you throw in the potential of real-time data analytics thanks to the high-performance compute capabilities of cloud, CFOs have a wealth of insights available to them to help shape the future business strategy. But if this is to yield maximum benefit for an organisation regardless of its size or industry sector, the partnership between CIO and CFO must be a smooth one.

Tech insights

The cloud is no longer something only the CIO needs to take responsibility for. Modern CFOs fulfil a critical role in helping get organisations cloud-ready. Their understanding of the business, its unique challenges, and where to focus efforts to enhance operations must be combined with a technology know-how and an awareness of where the evolution to the cloud can deliver the best returns.

If a CIO is seen as being driven by technology, it is the CFO that needs to take that and inject it with financial analysis and insights to understand where the best return for the investment can benefit the organisation the most.

So, moving beyond someone as just signs the cheques, the modern CFO takes their own technology understanding, combine it with input from the CIO, and then targets the best areas for the highest return on investment.

There is no getting around the fact that the CFO will always be guided by the numbers. But what is different for the modern, cloud-ready organisation, is that this role is now influenced by the potential of technology and an increased willingness to explore risks (within reason) that can transform into revenue-generating opportunities.

All about the cloud

As recently as 2018, Deloitte research highlighted how CFOs are sceptical when it comes to spendings based on the promise of savings especially as how it pertains to the transition to the cloud. However, the research at the time did highlight the importance of finance needing a seat at the table when it comes to this kind of technology decision-making.

Fast forward to the present and the disruption caused by events of the past two years have illustrated the need for ‘bean counters’ and ‘tech geeks’ to work together if the organisation had any hope of surviving.

Hybrid work, digital transformation, multi-and hybrid clouds, are just some of the ways in which things have evolved since the onset of the pandemic.

Perhaps more critically, companies have finally realised they can no longer afford to keep their data in siloes. If anything, it will be the CFOs and CIOs that become the stewards of that data as they work with the rest of the C-suite to bring improved agility into traditional environments.

While nobody is advocating a rip-and-replace approach to legacy solutions and infrastructure, the CFO is no longer focused on ‘sweating the asset’.

Instead, they are looking at how to enhance what has been put in place through cloud-based solutions that can bridge the gap between the old and the new.

The proverbial secret sauce to this lies in a cloud adoption/operating model that goes beyond just technology but holistically looks at the business overall. Being willing to look beyond crunching the numbers and apply innovative technology where it makes business sense to do so will result in a new agility being introduced to the business.

Taking and improving what works and evolving what is not effective require the best efforts from both the CFO and the CIO.

The key to everything

There is no getting around the fact that the CFO is the critical cog in any successful cloud migration or adoption project. Having the finance department involved in all technology projects is no longer the challenge it was in the past.

Far from becoming a bottleneck, finance can be an enabler to drive efficiencies faster. This can only happen if the CFO gets involved on the ground floor and provide the necessary input that can help shape the direction of the cloud project.

And then when discussions turn to licensing, consumption costs, and the like, the CFO will be better able to make a more informed appraisal than if it is just something that drops in their lap when they need to sign off on a migration.

CFOs therefore need to dust off their own sneakers and start wearing them with their suits as they become more technologically-informed and partner with CIOs to transform their companies into cloud-forward businesses.

Top Findings:

• 75% of organizations are making digital employee experience (DEX) a higher or top priority.
• Only 25% of organizations currently implement a comprehensive DEX solution; Nearly 60% expect to implement one in the next 24 months.
• Two-thirds of organizations implement 3 or more solutions to address DEX versus a comprehensive, integrated solution.

The commissioned study, titled “Optimizing Digital Employee Experience for Anywhere Work” and conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of VMware, found digital employee experience (DEX) is a critical component of how companies are enabling today’s hybrid workforce and a superior employee experience requires four integral components – experience delivery, experience measurement, analysis and remediation.

Accelerating DEX investment and adoption has become essential as companies navigate hybrid workplace challenges. According to the study, 75% of respondents have made DEX a higher or top priority since the start of the pandemic. When asked about the top business priorities driving a need for improved DEX, 80% of respondents aim to increase employee productivity.

Seventy-five  per cent (75%) hopes that a DEX solution can improve overall employee experience and drive increased retention rates.

“In the hybrid workplace, organizations are prioritizing digital employee experience as an essential investment. Digital employee experience empowers employees and IT teams to make a positive impact and do their best work,” said Shankar Iyer, senior vice president and general manager, End User Computing, VMware. “A seamless digital experience is a competitive differentiator to companies focused on hiring and retaining top talent.”

DEX Assurance, Anywhere

Investment in DEX solutions continue to grow as companies strive to improve employee satisfaction. While only 25% of respondents indicated having a comprehensive DEX solution currently in place, a majority (nearly 60%) expect to implement one within 24 months.

In addition, 84% report their budget for DEX solutions will grow to 11-25% of their overall IT budget in the next three years, demonstrating the importance of finding a comprehensive solution that supports the needs of all employees.

Currently, two-thirds of respondents are using three or more vendors to support their DEX journey.

Using multiple vendors can amplify the challenges of DEX integration by hindering root-cause analysis and compounding the difficulties in assessing DEX return on investment.

This makes a holistic approach necessary for DEX improvement. Two-thirds of respondents prioritize comprehensive DEX solutions that can offer successful delivery, monitoring, analysis and remediation capabilities. It is important to integrate a DEX solution that covers all these components to create a seamless employee experience.

VMware Anywhere Workspace helps IT deliver a great employee experience by enabling employees with delivery, measurement, analysis, and remediation of experience issues, specifically:

• Unified Workspace with Single Sign-On: A one-stop-shop for employees to access all their apps without remembering passwords, helpful resources, communications and workflows enabling them to quickly act on business processes.
• Experience Measurement: A comprehensive view of a digital employee experience score that takes into account the users’ interactions with the workspace (mobile or desktop device, apps, OS, network, etc.) as well as employee sentiment, and is personalized based on organizational needs.
• Proactive Analysis: Observability into employee experience via dashboards and rich insights; including using machine learning models to detect anomalies and proactively surface critical experience detractors. Guided root cause analysis (RCA) with contextual dashboards, breadcrumbs visualization, and admin collaboration to quickly identify the root cause of an issue.
• Fast Remediation: Employee self-service with access to FAQs and corporate resources. IT can proactively remediate issues before they impact employee productivity with digital employee experience management (DEEM) or start a remote screen sharing session when interaction with IT is required.

The report also suggests that Support for BYO and Corporate Devices on a Single Platform provides consistent experiences across mobile and desktop, regardless of device management status