Kalman Tiboldi - CTO & Founder at GemOne-TVH - Simplify or Die: Why Complexity Is the Real IT Challenge
Find out more:
Belgium 25-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english
As AI shapes our future, the time is now to address and correct its inherent biases. Join leading female voices in tech as we explore how to undo past mistakes, champion neutrality, and feed AI systems with inclusive, unbiased data. This conference is a call to action for female leaders in AI and tech to ensure the next generation of intelligent systems reflects fairness, diversity, and equity. Together, let’s set things right and redefine the future of AI.
Read MoreBelgium 25-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english
On 25th September, during the Red Hat Summit: Connect 2025 in Brussels, CIONET is hosting an exclusive, invitation-only round table for leading CIOs, CTOs, and digital leaders. While the Summit offers a broad programme, this CIONET session is a separate, distinct event, conducted in its own dedicated room with private catering, ensuring a focused and confidential peer-to-peer discussion. This round table will delve into why certain cloud-native techniques offer undeniable benefits, irrespective of where your applications are deployed, be it on-premise, in a hyperscale cloud, or a hybrid environment. Even outside public clouds, these modern, modular architectures consistently deliver increased agility, enhanced scalability, and quicker time-to-market. The real power behind these advantages lies in automation. When done properly, automation significantly boosts team efficiency, improves system quality, and drastically cuts risks from slow systems or downtime. However, achieving truly effective automation comes with its own set of challenges, which we'll address head-on. Key Discussion Points Include: "No-Regret" Cloud-Native Pillars: We'll try to pinpoint essential techniques every organisation should adopt, such as microservices architecture, containerisation (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), API-first design, stateless application design, and immutable infrastructure. Why are these crucial for modern applications, no matter the deployment location? Strategic Vendor Lock-in: How to judiciously manage vendor lock-in. For new innovations and applications with a relatively short life expectancy, leveraging the latest unique features of a hyperscale cloud might be beneficial. For long-lived applications (expected to be live for decades), the focus might shift to limiting exposure by utilising generally available technologies. Automation Anywhere: How can organisations effectively implement automation strategies to unlock the full potential of cloud-native initiatives across diverse infrastructures? What are the biggest hurdles, and how are leaders overcoming them? This CIONET round table offers a unique and intimate setting for digital leaders to gain critical insights, exchange perspectives, and shape the strategic path towards application modernisation that truly offers no regrets.
Read MoreItaly 25-9-25 Invitation Only Physical italian
Nel percorso verso l’AI e la trasformazione digitale, dati e automazione sono gli elementi centrali di ogni strategia tecnologica. Ma senza una governance chiara, rischiano di diventare non solo fonte di inefficienza, ma anche di rischi e incoerenza. Come garantire che i dati siano completi, accessibili e affidabili? Come automatizzare le operation IT e i processi aziendali mantenendo controllo, compliance e sicurezza? Durante questa roundtable esclusiva, organizzata da CIONET Italia e IBM, affronteremo: La governance come abilitatore di dati affidabili e automazione sicura. Come prepararsi a un’adozione dell’AI realmente scalabile. Il ruolo di controllo, resilienza e gestione del rischio nell’innovazione.
Read MorePoland 25-9-25 Physical
Tribes Leadership Circle to cykliczne, wysokopoziomowe spotkania wyłącznie dla dyrektorów obszarowych, posiadających dostęp w ramach wykupionego członkostwa.
Read MoreBelgium 30-9-25 Squad Only Virtual english
Everyone has technical debt. The question is what to do with it. Refactor now? Wait for the next feature? Build on it and hope it holds? If you’re tired of debating whether to clean up or move on, this session helps you frame the debt conversation in a way that supports both speed and stability.
Read MorePoland 30-9-25 Physical
Zespoły i ludzie w dobie zmiany w sposobie dostarczania usług. Jak przechodzimy przez złożone zmiany technologiczne i organizacyjne? Czy transformacje w obszarach infrastruktury zmieniają wymagania na przywództwo i kompetencje zespołów.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 24, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
As smart devices proliferate across operational environments — from sensors on factory lines and GPS trackers in logistics fleets to wearables in healthcare and connected systems in smart cities — the integration of Managed IoT (MiOT) is accelerating. But with it comes a surge in cybersecurity risks. No longer isolated or air-gapped, OT systems are becoming fully networked, remotely accessible, and deeply entwined with IT. This creates a vulnerable, highly complex digital mesh, one where a single compromised device can trigger physical, financial, and reputational consequences.
Read MoreUK Sep 24, 2025 Country Members Physical english
Join us for our community event on 24th September in London. Join us for our community event on 21st May in London. Sponsored by Business Partners Cognizant, Orange Business, Entelect, Strategy, Stefanini & Thoughtworks.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
On 25th September, during the Red Hat Summit: Connect 2025 in Brussels, CIONET is hosting an exclusive, invitation-only round table for leading CIOs, CTOs, and digital leaders. While the Summit offers a broad programme, this CIONET session is a separate, distinct event, conducted in its own dedicated room with private catering, ensuring a focused and confidential peer-to-peer discussion. This round table will delve into why certain cloud-native techniques offer undeniable benefits, irrespective of where your applications are deployed, be it on-premise, in a hyperscale cloud, or a hybrid environment. Even outside public clouds, these modern, modular architectures consistently deliver increased agility, enhanced scalability, and quicker time-to-market. The real power behind these advantages lies in automation. When done properly, automation significantly boosts team efficiency, improves system quality, and drastically cuts risks from slow systems or downtime. However, achieving truly effective automation comes with its own set of challenges, which we'll address head-on. Key Discussion Points Include: "No-Regret" Cloud-Native Pillars: We'll try to pinpoint essential techniques every organisation should adopt, such as microservices architecture, containerisation (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), API-first design, stateless application design, and immutable infrastructure. Why are these crucial for modern applications, no matter the deployment location? Strategic Vendor Lock-in: How to judiciously manage vendor lock-in. For new innovations and applications with a relatively short life expectancy, leveraging the latest unique features of a hyperscale cloud might be beneficial. For long-lived applications (expected to be live for decades), the focus might shift to limiting exposure by utilising generally available technologies. Automation Anywhere: How can organisations effectively implement automation strategies to unlock the full potential of cloud-native initiatives across diverse infrastructures? What are the biggest hurdles, and how are leaders overcoming them? This CIONET round table offers a unique and intimate setting for digital leaders to gain critical insights, exchange perspectives, and shape the strategic path towards application modernisation that truly offers no regrets.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
As AI shapes our future, the time is now to address and correct its inherent biases. Join leading female voices in tech as we explore how to undo past mistakes, champion neutrality, and feed AI systems with inclusive, unbiased data. This conference is a call to action for female leaders in AI and tech to ensure the next generation of intelligent systems reflects fairness, diversity, and equity. Together, let’s set things right and redefine the future of AI.
Read MorePoland Sep 25, 2025 All Members Physical Polish
Agenci AI to przyszłość, która wyniesie organizacje na inny poziom dostarczania wartości biznesowej. Już teraz wiadomo, że nowa generacja inteligentnych agentów zmienia sposób, w jaki firmy działają, podejmują decyzje i się rozwijają. Podczas siódmego Community Eventu wraz z ekspertami AI sprawdzimy: możliwości, które dają agenci; jak wprowadzić governance i umiejscowić w organizacji tysiące sztucznych pracowników; jak zapewnić bezpieczeństwo, gdy każdy z agentów może wykonywać inne operacje; jaki jest wpływ wykorzystania agentów na koszty i środowisko; jak zmienia się pozycja firmy na rynku. Omówimy, jak liderzy IT i cyfrowi mogą i muszą strategicznie dostosować się do tej nowej rzeczywistości. Zarejestruj się już teraz i zapewnij sobie miejsce!
Read MoreItaly Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical italian
Nel percorso verso l’AI e la trasformazione digitale, dati e automazione sono gli elementi centrali di ogni strategia tecnologica. Ma senza una governance chiara, rischiano di diventare non solo fonte di inefficienza, ma anche di rischi e incoerenza. Come garantire che i dati siano completi, accessibili e affidabili? Come automatizzare le operation IT e i processi aziendali mantenendo controllo, compliance e sicurezza? Durante questa roundtable esclusiva, organizzata da CIONET Italia e IBM, affronteremo: La governance come abilitatore di dati affidabili e automazione sicura. Come prepararsi a un’adozione dell’AI realmente scalabile. Il ruolo di controllo, resilienza e gestione del rischio nell’innovazione.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 24, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
As smart devices proliferate across operational environments — from sensors on factory lines and GPS trackers in logistics fleets to wearables in healthcare and connected systems in smart cities — the integration of Managed IoT (MiOT) is accelerating. But with it comes a surge in cybersecurity risks. No longer isolated or air-gapped, OT systems are becoming fully networked, remotely accessible, and deeply entwined with IT. This creates a vulnerable, highly complex digital mesh, one where a single compromised device can trigger physical, financial, and reputational consequences.
Read MoreUK Sep 24, 2025 Country Members Physical english
Join us for our community event on 24th September in London. Join us for our community event on 21st May in London. Sponsored by Business Partners Cognizant, Orange Business, Entelect, Strategy, Stefanini & Thoughtworks.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
On 25th September, during the Red Hat Summit: Connect 2025 in Brussels, CIONET is hosting an exclusive, invitation-only round table for leading CIOs, CTOs, and digital leaders. While the Summit offers a broad programme, this CIONET session is a separate, distinct event, conducted in its own dedicated room with private catering, ensuring a focused and confidential peer-to-peer discussion. This round table will delve into why certain cloud-native techniques offer undeniable benefits, irrespective of where your applications are deployed, be it on-premise, in a hyperscale cloud, or a hybrid environment. Even outside public clouds, these modern, modular architectures consistently deliver increased agility, enhanced scalability, and quicker time-to-market. The real power behind these advantages lies in automation. When done properly, automation significantly boosts team efficiency, improves system quality, and drastically cuts risks from slow systems or downtime. However, achieving truly effective automation comes with its own set of challenges, which we'll address head-on. Key Discussion Points Include: "No-Regret" Cloud-Native Pillars: We'll try to pinpoint essential techniques every organisation should adopt, such as microservices architecture, containerisation (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), API-first design, stateless application design, and immutable infrastructure. Why are these crucial for modern applications, no matter the deployment location? Strategic Vendor Lock-in: How to judiciously manage vendor lock-in. For new innovations and applications with a relatively short life expectancy, leveraging the latest unique features of a hyperscale cloud might be beneficial. For long-lived applications (expected to be live for decades), the focus might shift to limiting exposure by utilising generally available technologies. Automation Anywhere: How can organisations effectively implement automation strategies to unlock the full potential of cloud-native initiatives across diverse infrastructures? What are the biggest hurdles, and how are leaders overcoming them? This CIONET round table offers a unique and intimate setting for digital leaders to gain critical insights, exchange perspectives, and shape the strategic path towards application modernisation that truly offers no regrets.
Read MoreBelgium Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
As AI shapes our future, the time is now to address and correct its inherent biases. Join leading female voices in tech as we explore how to undo past mistakes, champion neutrality, and feed AI systems with inclusive, unbiased data. This conference is a call to action for female leaders in AI and tech to ensure the next generation of intelligent systems reflects fairness, diversity, and equity. Together, let’s set things right and redefine the future of AI.
Read MorePoland Sep 25, 2025 All Members Physical Polish
Agenci AI to przyszłość, która wyniesie organizacje na inny poziom dostarczania wartości biznesowej. Już teraz wiadomo, że nowa generacja inteligentnych agentów zmienia sposób, w jaki firmy działają, podejmują decyzje i się rozwijają. Podczas siódmego Community Eventu wraz z ekspertami AI sprawdzimy: możliwości, które dają agenci; jak wprowadzić governance i umiejscowić w organizacji tysiące sztucznych pracowników; jak zapewnić bezpieczeństwo, gdy każdy z agentów może wykonywać inne operacje; jaki jest wpływ wykorzystania agentów na koszty i środowisko; jak zmienia się pozycja firmy na rynku. Omówimy, jak liderzy IT i cyfrowi mogą i muszą strategicznie dostosować się do tej nowej rzeczywistości. Zarejestruj się już teraz i zapewnij sobie miejsce!
Read MoreItaly Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical italian
Nel percorso verso l’AI e la trasformazione digitale, dati e automazione sono gli elementi centrali di ogni strategia tecnologica. Ma senza una governance chiara, rischiano di diventare non solo fonte di inefficienza, ma anche di rischi e incoerenza. Come garantire che i dati siano completi, accessibili e affidabili? Come automatizzare le operation IT e i processi aziendali mantenendo controllo, compliance e sicurezza? Durante questa roundtable esclusiva, organizzata da CIONET Italia e IBM, affronteremo: La governance come abilitatore di dati affidabili e automazione sicura. Come prepararsi a un’adozione dell’AI realmente scalabile. Il ruolo di controllo, resilienza e gestione del rischio nell’innovazione.
Read MoreBT Group helps customers connect “for good” seamlessly and safely with Microsoft Entra ID
BT Group foresees an evolution from a traditional telecommunications company to a so-called "tech-co". To realize its vision, BT Group created its single authentication platform based on Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Security solutions and Microsoft Azure technologies.
We need to bring customers on this security journey with us. With Microsoft technologies like Entra ID , we’ve put our customers first with authentication that is both frictionless and secure.Roy Corneloues: Enterprise Architect: Identity & Access Management - BT Group
United Kingdom-based global telecommunications and digital services provider BT Group believes that connections hold the key to doing good, whether helping a neighbor or solving the most pressing problems on the planet. Its founders couldn’t have imagined that the telegraph company they started in 1846 would grow into one of today’s leading global telcos. Today, BT Group provides cutting-edge communications technologies in about 180 countries around the world, serving millions of consumers and organizations every day. In addition to the communications services it provides to business customers as BT and the UK telco market via its Openreach, its fiber business, BT Group is the parent company for its consumer-facing brands: EE, newly announced as its primary brand, as well as Plusnet and BT.
It was EE, the BT Group flagship consumer-facing brand, that sparked a program to reimagine the customer authentication experience. A provider of broadband, landline, mobile, gaming, TV, and entertainment services, BT’s consumer brands serve about 25 million customers. As the gateway to more than 100 consumer services, EE typified the registration experience for popular offerings like TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) and a range of TV and radio channels. But the need to repeat the process for every new service dampened customer enthusiasm, resulting in abandoned registrations.
The company envisioned a seamless experience that would welcome, not deter, its customers. “We aim to treat every customer as an individual. Building and nurturing that relationship is crucial to the way we do business,” says Roy Corneloues, Enterprise Architect at BT Group. “Asking for a lot of information up front discourages engagement. We needed to simplify the customer experience.” Each line of business at BT Group had its own way of capturing customer information and authenticating them into services. “Our vision was to build a next-generation customer registration experience that could be adopted by every one of our lines of business, yet provide world-class security and modern authentication using open industry standards,” continues Corneloues. “And the technology we chose needed to have a clear path toward distributed, verified identities.”
Realizing that vision was as essential to the BT Group commitment to customer service as it was to the company’s goal of continued growth and innovation. The company is evolving from a “telco” to a “tech-co,” a provider of identity solutions to other businesses and agencies. “Using the same credentials to log in anywhere is part of our strategy and the future of identity,” asserts Corneloues. “Why stop at our own brands?”
BT Group embarked on a company-wide rework of its customer registration experience that would launch at EE. First, Corneloues and his team brought multiple internal teams to the table to collaborate with the DevOps team that BT Group created to minimize its need for external development teams. A longtime Microsoft Azure customer, BT Group based its design on Azure technologies. Next, Corneloues engaged with Microsoft partner Kocho, a United Kingdom–based provider of managed services and an authority on Microsoft cloud technology, identity, and cybersecurity, to upskill his team. BT Group and Kocho also collaborated with their local Microsoft team.
The BT Group customer registration vision coalesced in the solution Corneloues and his team dubbed “single authentication framework” (SAF). Based on Microsoft Entra ID, a family of identity products under the Microsoft Security solutions umbrella, the solution hinges on the Microsoft Entra single sign-on (SSO). Thanks to SSO, EE customers no longer need to keep multiple credentials and passwords. SAF also uses several Azure services, notably Azure Front Door, a modern cloud content delivery service that heightens security for applications while providing scalable, high performance.
With the SAF front end defined, Corneloues and the team focused on the supporting technology: a matrix of other Microsoft Security solutions, including more Microsoft Entra ID products like Conditional Access, which bases access decisions on a comparison of signals from the enterprise to organizational policies. It deepens protection against account takeovers with Microsoft Entra ID Protection, which uses AI to identify and block suspicious sign-ins. The SAF solution is a major user of P2, the most advanced Entra ID Protection tier. The same Microsoft Entra ID components that speed authentication when a customer signs in to a service with the same device, billing information, location, and other details come together when a suspicious attempt occurs. “When a customer’s usual authentication details change, we introduce friction so that our teams can assess the situation before allowing a transaction to complete,” explains Corneloues. “We orchestrate the authentication experience with Microsoft Entra ID to let valid customers seamlessly enter our services, while keeping malicious actors out.”
BT Group simplifies administration and security by consolidating its customer identities and access policies in one place. Corneloues and his team gain overall visibility into their estate with Microsoft Sentinel, a cloud-based security information and event management (SIEM) system. “We get so much telemetry from Microsoft Sentinel about user behavior that we can resolve those situations in real time. We react faster to those alerts faster than ever before.”
The resulting SAF solution combines the ease and elegance customers appreciate with a sophisticated underlying layer of security-enhancing tools that can be tailored to the branding and business needs of any BT Group product.
Talk may be cheap. But for Corneloues, hard numbers tell a compelling story. “We went from 6 million to 10 million IDs in a couple of months after implementing our SAF solution based on Microsoft Entra ID and Azure technologies,” he recalls. “Our monthly active users went from two and a half million to three and a half million.” EE customers—and the legion of customers of the other BT Group brands soon to enjoy SAF—will be largely oblivious to the state-of-the-art technologies behind their seamless experience. But the drop in registration abandonments speaks volumes. “We need to bring customers on this security journey with us,” Corneloues emphasizes. “With Microsoft technologies like Entra ID, we’ve put our customers first with authentication that is both frictionless and highly secure.”
And malicious attacks fell sharply along with EE’s increased customer registrations. “We stopped 33,000 challenges to the antibot system during our first six weeks of using Conditional Access policies in Microsoft Entra ID,” reports Corneloues. “We also stopped 96,000 brute force attacks.”
The economics of the solution sweeten the deal. “One of the reasons we chose Microsoft Entra ID is that we’re only charged for monthly active users,” says Corneloues. “Microsoft cloud-native solutions help us reduce costs by only paying for what we consume.”
The final validation of the system played out during the 2023 broadcast of the Champions League final and the Europa League final, for which BT Group owns the exclusive rights. It was early days for SAF, and Corneloues and his local Microsoft contacts assembled a top-notch team to resolve any issues for the high-stakes event. At a minimum, Corneloues expected that he might have to turn off authentication temporarily. “We processed over a million IDs in about four minutes,” he recalls. “It just worked brilliantly, proving that our cloud-native Microsoft-based technologies scale exactly as we want them to.”
Corneloues looks forward to coming identity and security innovations that will advance BT Group’s tech-co evolution. “We’re introducing multifactor authentication and encouraging customers to strengthen their own authentication with whatever processes make them comfortable,” says Corneloues. “Microsoft Entra ID aligns with the direction we advocate: people will carry their identity with them as they would a passport.” BT Group’s plan to accelerate its vision needs a technology partner that’s on the same page. “Microsoft is working hard to innovate and evolve, just as we are at BT Group,” concludes Corneloues. “We both want to be best in class to help everyone achieve the most and connect for good. A rising tide lifts all boats.”
We get so much telemetry from Microsoft Sentinel about user behavior that we can resolve those situations in real time. We react faster to those alerts faster than ever before.Roy Corneloues: Enterprise Architect: Identity & Access Management - BT Group
355 Views 0 Likes Read More
Embark on a culinary journey through the ever-evolving world of digital leadership with our third edition of the CIONET Cookbook: Recipes for Digital Success. Unveiling the intricate trilemma faced by today’s Master Chefs, our trailblazing European CIOs address a challenge at the nexus of customer interests, digital transformation strategies, and IT modernisation. Their secret? Synchronising the gearing between customer, business, and technology to create a frictionless movement through the digital landscape.
The CIONET Cookbook uses the analogy of a five-star restaurant to explain the importance of optimally integrated technology, with the CIO as Master Chef. In order to provide the best service to its customers, a top restaurant must have the right atmosphere, an inviting menu, a well-equipped kitchen, talented and committed front-of-house and kitchen staff and smooth-running processes that ensure an enjoyable experience for diners.
As AI transitions from a specialised tool to an all-pervasive force, understanding its profound implications for our human lives is no longer merely academic but an urgent imperative for social well-being and strategic preparedness.
Geopolitical tensions have dominated the headlines for over two years now. In this context, the cyber threat landscape is also evolving rapidly. The protection and security of critical infrastructure – both physical and digital – is becoming increasingly important.
In our new app, our members connect with other digital leaders from around the world to find better solutions to their challenges.
Connect with digital leaders like you
Share ideas, best practices, and new resources
Experience inspiring and thought-provoking content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else
Make better, more well-informed decisions about the topics that are most important to you
Head of IT Germany and Regional Office Lead Munich, Microsoft
IT Director, IT Thinker
Vice president IT & Compliance, VisionaryRCM (A Carlyle Grp Company)
CIONET’s mission is to help IT executives become more at ease and above all more successful in their jobs. So they can do more than just keep up with change but ultimately define it. CIONET opens up a whole new universe of opportunities in IT management.
With the largest membership of corporate digital leaders across Europe, Latin America, US and Australia, CIONET has the expertise and pioneering vision to solve or address any IT management challenge.
From our local and global events, from our publications and research to our executive education programmes, everything we do is aimed at making sure digital leaders maximise their potential.
with digital leaders who share your interests, who face the same challenges, who care about the same topics.
stories, experiences, and ideas around our shared mission.
from our exclusive events, publications and research.
inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, expert perspectives and exclusive first-hand content each and every day
and make better, more well-informed decisions on how to lead your digital business.
your potential. Realise your ambitions.
You can either send us a registered handwritten letter explaining why you'd like to become a member or you can simply talk to us right here!
Would you like to know more about CIONET, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!