Kalman Tiboldi - CTO & Founder at GemOne-TVH - Simplify or Die: Why Complexity Is the Real IT Challenge
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Belgium 28-8-25 Country Members Physical english
A special celebration marking 20 years of CIONET—two decades of empowering digital leaders and driving innovation in the technology landscape. This exclusive event will bring together our members to reflect on the incredible journey we've shared and look ahead to the future of digital leadership.Featuring keynote presentations from visionary CIOs, industry pioneers, and founding members, we’ll explore how far we’ve come and what lies ahead in the ever-evolving world of technology. Together, we will honour the contributions of our members who have shaped CIONET’s legacy while offering insights into how the community will continue to lead in the years to come.This is more than a celebration—it’s an opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and recharge with your fellow digital leaders. Don't miss this exclusive experience packed with inspiring talks, networking opportunities, and special recognitions that highlight the best of CIONET’s history and future.Let’s celebrate the past, present, and future of the digital community you helped build.
Read MoreBelgium 28-8-25 Country Members Physical english
A special celebration marking 20 years of CIONET—two decades of empowering digital leaders and driving innovation in the technology landscape. This exclusive event will bring together our members to reflect on the incredible journey we've shared and look ahead to the future of digital leadership. Featuring keynote presentations from visionary CIOs, industry pioneers, and founding members, we’ll explore how far we’ve come and what lies ahead in the ever-evolving world of technology. Together, we will honour the contributions of our members who have shaped CIONET’s legacy while offering insights into how the community will continue to lead in the years to come.
Read MoreBelgium 2-9-25 All TRIBERS Virtual english
You’ve been asked a simple question: “What does it cost to host this application?” But the answer is anything but simple. The platform sits across multiple data centres. The app spans a few VMs, shares a backup system, uses licensed monitoring, and touches five different teams. Your CMDB should help, but it’s rigid, outdated, or incomplete. And yet, you still need to provide a number, clear, explainable, and grounded in reality.
Read MoreBelgium 9-9-25 Squad Only Physical english
As Belgium navigates the complexities of GDPR and various data sovereignty regulations, organizations across multiple industries face both challenges and opportunities in managing their data across borders. The quest for compliance often intersects with the need for business growth, raising questions about the balance between protection and progress. How can companies effectively own and safeguard their data while ensuring compliance without stifling innovation and expansion in a multi-industry landscape?
Read MoreBelgium 11-9-25 Squad Only Virtual english
You’ve built the portal. Added the chatbot. Rolled out self-service. But your support lines are still ringing. And your frontline teams are still improvising. If you want digital services to feel seamless, not just look polished, this session brings you back to where value is felt: at the frontline.
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 Oct 16, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
AI isn’t just another tool. It changes how we work, how we think, how we organise ourselves.Yet most organisations still approach it like a digital upgrade, deploying assistants, automating workflows, testing use cases inisolation.The results are predictable. Short-term wins. Long-term confusion.Effort spent. Value unclear.Many companies can’t connect AI to their actual strategic goals,and the promised ROI never materialises.At the same time, something deeper is shifting.AI can now reason, decide, adapt. Not just mimic processes butcontribute to them.The technology is evolving, but the way we implement it hasn’tcaught up.If your AI still fits inside a single department, you’re likely solvingthe wrong problem.If it works only for individuals, you're missing how your teamsactually deliver value.If it replaces people instead of supporting them, you're buildingfor today, not tomorrow.The next step isn’t more AI. It’s the right AI.Built for your business, your teams, your way of working.Not a tool to add but a structure to build around.Are we ready to treat AI as a shared capability, not a scatteredexperiment?Can we move beyond individual efficiency and build systems thatcollaborate, learn and adapt with us?Those are the questions we’ll explore at the round table.
Read MoreGermany Oct 28, 2025 Country Members Physical german
Am 28. Oktober lädt CIONET CIOs und Digital Leaders nach Köln ein: hier stellen wir reale Anwendungsfälle vor, in denen KI-Agenten Aufgaben autonom übernehmen, Prozesse beschleunigen und Entscheidungen vorbereiten – mit messbarem Nutzen für das Business.
Read MoreFrance Nov 4, 2025 Country Members Physical french
À l’ère des mutations géopolitiques et réglementaires, l’établissement d’une souveraineté numérique est devenu un élément stratégique essentiel pour les entreprises. Ce dialogue stratégique mettra en lumière le rôle fondamental du réseau dans la mise en place du contrôle, de la confiance et de la résilience. Nous explorerons comment une infrastructure moderne et résiliente permet d’appliquer des politiques de gestion des données et d’assurer la continuité opérationnelle. Ce dialogue stratégique, réservé à un groupe restreint de pairs, est conçu pour permettre aux leaders du numérique d’échanger sur l’un des enjeux les plus urgents aujourd’hui. Nous discuterons des réseaux « sovereign-ready » et débattrons des préoccupations croissantes autour de la souveraineté des données, qui motivent l’adoption de politiques de confidentialité et de protection des données de plus en plus strictes à l’échelle mondiale.
Read MoreNetherlands Nov 10, 2025 Public Physical english
CIONET Nederland vertrekt met een groep Nederlandse CIO's en digital leaders 10 t/m 12 november 2025 voor de geheel verzorgde CIO Innovation Trip naar de Web Summit in Lissabon, Portugal. Reis jij mee of neem je collega(s) mee!
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 Oct 16, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english
AI isn’t just another tool. It changes how we work, how we think, how we organise ourselves.Yet most organisations still approach it like a digital upgrade, deploying assistants, automating workflows, testing use cases inisolation.The results are predictable. Short-term wins. Long-term confusion.Effort spent. Value unclear.Many companies can’t connect AI to their actual strategic goals,and the promised ROI never materialises.At the same time, something deeper is shifting.AI can now reason, decide, adapt. Not just mimic processes butcontribute to them.The technology is evolving, but the way we implement it hasn’tcaught up.If your AI still fits inside a single department, you’re likely solvingthe wrong problem.If it works only for individuals, you're missing how your teamsactually deliver value.If it replaces people instead of supporting them, you're buildingfor today, not tomorrow.The next step isn’t more AI. It’s the right AI.Built for your business, your teams, your way of working.Not a tool to add but a structure to build around.Are we ready to treat AI as a shared capability, not a scatteredexperiment?Can we move beyond individual efficiency and build systems thatcollaborate, learn and adapt with us?Those are the questions we’ll explore at the round table.
Read MoreGermany Oct 28, 2025 Country Members Physical german
Am 28. Oktober lädt CIONET CIOs und Digital Leaders nach Köln ein: hier stellen wir reale Anwendungsfälle vor, in denen KI-Agenten Aufgaben autonom übernehmen, Prozesse beschleunigen und Entscheidungen vorbereiten – mit messbarem Nutzen für das Business.
Read MoreFrance Nov 4, 2025 Country Members Physical french
À l’ère des mutations géopolitiques et réglementaires, l’établissement d’une souveraineté numérique est devenu un élément stratégique essentiel pour les entreprises. Ce dialogue stratégique mettra en lumière le rôle fondamental du réseau dans la mise en place du contrôle, de la confiance et de la résilience. Nous explorerons comment une infrastructure moderne et résiliente permet d’appliquer des politiques de gestion des données et d’assurer la continuité opérationnelle. Ce dialogue stratégique, réservé à un groupe restreint de pairs, est conçu pour permettre aux leaders du numérique d’échanger sur l’un des enjeux les plus urgents aujourd’hui. Nous discuterons des réseaux « sovereign-ready » et débattrons des préoccupations croissantes autour de la souveraineté des données, qui motivent l’adoption de politiques de confidentialité et de protection des données de plus en plus strictes à l’échelle mondiale.
Read MoreNetherlands Nov 10, 2025 Public Physical english
CIONET Nederland vertrekt met een groep Nederlandse CIO's en digital leaders 10 t/m 12 november 2025 voor de geheel verzorgde CIO Innovation Trip naar de Web Summit in Lissabon, Portugal. Reis jij mee of neem je collega(s) mee!
Read MoreIn order to keep up with the pace and level of complexity while staying ahead of evolving industry standards, travelbasys needed to revolutionize its systems. The company now relies on Software AG’s webMethods and API Gateway to do the job. They enable the integration of all data silos and are establishing a central data source for real-time data processing, which travelbasys’ customers can access. webMethods provides a standardized gateway for the travelbasys systems to communicate with other systems.
Pushing the boundaries
RBS now is the most important product for travelbasys, which is based in Mühlheim an der Ruhr. RBS was developed with Software AG’s Adabas & Natural and is a market-leading back-office and management system for travel agencies in Germany and Europe. The software integrates all systems and data into one seamless, automated process—from process management to reporting, bookkeeping, and archiving. Many tour operators and travel agencies throughout Europe use it.
The dynamic way the travel industry has changed since the advent of the internet has made that necessary. "Essentially, not a stone was left standing. The entire market has become extremely heterogenous and modular," states Tenbusch. For instance, in the past the entire industry in Germany used a single central reservation system. That has grown to five in the meantime, and more are coming. And while 30 years ago consumers generally went to a travel agency to book a flight, these days they can do that easily on their smartphone, either directly on the airline’s website or with any of the two dozen online travel providers.
"The airlines in turn maintain direct contact with customers, travel agencies, and sales channels to get out of the standardized price ranking," says Tenbusch. As a consequence, demand for online data availability in real time has risen enormously. There is a rapidly growing volume of information and a wide variety of data sources that need to be dynamically integrated with each other.
Data integration is key
In order to keep up with the pace and level of complexity while staying ahead of evolving industry standards, travelbasys needed to revolutionize its systems. The company now relies on Software AG’s webMethods and API Gateway to do the job. They enable the integration of all data silos and are establishing a central data source for real-time data processing, which travelbasys’ customers can access. webMethods provides a standardized gateway for the travelbasys systems to communicate with other systems. "It has given us a toolbox that we currently use to connect 100 different interfaces as well as import and export all possible data formats,” explains Tenbusch. "Thanks to this flexibility we can also connect customers with older systems by integrating their existing systems. And we’re up to date and ready for new customers with their new requirements and standards."
Openness and user-friendliness—it always comes down to these two maxims at travelbasys. Tenbusch elaborates: "Over time we have built up a large treasure trove of experience with normalizing and standardizing data from the travel industry and making it easily available to customers." Aside from the IT, the team's mindset is crucial: staying agile, interested, and open to new innovations and ideas. "We regularly have major projects where we need to adapt and adjust, but those are the projects where we learned and gained a great deal," he notes, adding: "That continues to make our business so interesting for me to this day."
All that remains is a request for a music tip. Mr. Tenbusch, can you name three progressive rock albums that warrant indulging in a deep dive?… Tenbusch: "There are so many, but here are four albums from recent years:
Pushing the boundaries
RBS now is the most important product for travelbasys, which is based in Mühlheim an der Ruhr. RBS was developed with Software AG’s Adabas & Natural and is a market-leading back-office and management system for travel agencies in Germany and Europe. The software integrates all systems and data into one seamless, automated process—from process management to reporting, bookkeeping, and archiving. Many tour operators and travel agencies throughout Europe use it.
The dynamic way the travel industry has changed since the advent of the internet has made that necessary. "Essentially, not a stone was left standing. The entire market has become extremely heterogenous and modular," states Tenbusch. For instance, in the past the entire industry in Germany used a single central reservation system. That has grown to five in the meantime, and more are coming. And while 30 years ago consumers generally went to a travel agency to book a flight, these days they can do that easily on their smartphone, either directly on the airline’s website or with any of the two dozen online travel providers.
"The airlines in turn maintain direct contact with customers, travel agencies, and sales channels to get out of the standardized price ranking," says Tenbusch. As a consequence, demand for online data availability in real time has risen enormously. There is a rapidly growing volume of information and a wide variety of data sources that need to be dynamically integrated with each other.
Data integration is key
In order to keep up with the pace and level of complexity while staying ahead of evolving industry standards, travelbasys needed to revolutionize its systems. The company now relies on Software AG’s webMethods and API Gateway to do the job. They enable the integration of all data silos and are establishing a central data source for real-time data processing, which travelbasys’ customers can access. webMethods provides a standardized gateway for the travelbasys systems to communicate with other systems. "It has given us a toolbox that we currently use to connect 100 different interfaces as well as import and export all possible data formats,” explains Tenbusch. "Thanks to this flexibility we can also connect customers with older systems by integrating their existing systems. And we’re up to date and ready for new customers with their new requirements and standards."
Openness and user-friendliness—it always comes down to these two maxims at travelbasys. Tenbusch elaborates: "Over time we have built up a large treasure trove of experience with normalizing and standardizing data from the travel industry and making it easily available to customers." Aside from the IT, the team's mindset is crucial: staying agile, interested, and open to new innovations and ideas. "We regularly have major projects where we need to adapt and adjust, but those are the projects where we learned and gained a great deal," he notes, adding: "That continues to make our business so interesting for me to this day."
All that remains is a request for a music tip. Mr. Tenbusch, can you name three progressive rock albums that warrant indulging in a deep dive?… Tenbusch: "There are so many, but here are four albums from recent years:
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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.
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.
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Head of IT Germany and Regional Office Lead Munich, Microsoft
IT Director, IT Thinker
Vice president IT & Compliance, VisionaryRCM (A Carlyle Grp Company)
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