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 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 MoreSeptember 30, 2025 Squad Session 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 MoreOctober 2, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english
Architecture doesn’t happen in diagrams. It happens in minds, seasoned, curious, sharp minds that understand how the pieces fit. But who’s shaping these minds? Who’s growing the next generation of digital architects? If you’re responsible for complex systems, and for the people designing them, this session is for you.
Read MoreOctober 14, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english
Agile delivery often collides with inflexible infrastructures. One team wants to release weekly. Another is waiting six months for a new test environment. Sounds familiar? If your infra team is tired of being the bottleneck, and your devs are tired of waiting, this session opens a path forward.
Read MoreAs part of its drive to reduce on-premises infrastructure, E.ON chose Windows 365 to replace an existing on-premises virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). The business simplified management with Microsoft Intune and supports Windows 11 on all Cloud PCs for a harmonized environment.
Now that we have Windows 365 introduced, we see how easy it can be to operate Cloud PCs. - Thomas Schäfer: Service Owner, E.ON Digital Technology
E.ON, one of Europe’s largest energy companies, operates a vast network of energy infrastructure and boasts some 48 million international customers. As the business continues to evolve, adopting leading-edge technology is an important aspect of the company’s drive to become more agile and scalable, a goal that is aimed at offering both customers and employees exceptional experiences. For Tobias Radzio, Head of Workplace Services End-User Computing at E.ON Digital Technology, adopting a cloud-first and native approach to new technology is one way the business is bringing its future vision to life. “In the past, E.ON invested quite heavily in on-premises data centers,” he recalls. “It’s no secret that doesn’t scale well.”
The company’s approach to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) offers a test case in its new methodology. In the past, E.ON used an on-premises VDI solution that added complexity for the IT team, did not scale well, and was costly to maintain. Today, the business has moved predominantly to Windows 365. “We see the benefit of simplicity,” says Thomas Schäfer, Service Owner at E.ON Digital Technology. “Now that we have Windows 365 introduced, we see how easy it can be to operate Cloud PCs.”
In the past, not every E.ON employee who wanted to experience virtualized workloads could, because the business occasionally had to turn away requests for fear of overwhelming on-premises hardware. And, when making updates to physical devices, the virtual counterparts often lagged behind. “There was a mismatch between the virtual world and the physical world,” says Radzio. When employees chose to work remotely, the demand over-extended the company’s existing infrastructure, and employees often had to use physical devices as an alternative.
Similarly, external contractors waited to receive test devices from E.ON in order to carry out their work. The result was a working experience that was less harmonious and less agile than the company’s IT team would have liked. The need to quickly onboard contractors was a big motivation for exploring new options, and finally, for selecting Windows 365 Cloud PCs. “Windows 365 was the scalable solution we were looking for, and we rolled it out incredibly quickly,” says Radzio. “With nearly 50 million customers, we need to be able to scale our support functions and promote seamless hybrid work,” adds Radzio.
The evolution of E.ON’s geographic information system, a system that E.ON employees use to track the location of powerlines and underground cables, exemplifies the company’s renewed focus on a cloud-first approach that embraces Cloud PCs from Microsoft. “We have one of the largest geographic information systems in Europe,” notes Radzio. “In the past, we built our own data centers along with our own VDI solution to run it,” he explains. While the set-up ensured low latency, the cost of maintaining the solution ballooned, scaling was difficult, and issues were time-consuming to resolve. “It got more complicated and expensive to maintain every day,” says Radzio. “When we were discussing how to rebuild this in the cloud, we had to guarantee a low latency to match what the business was used to,” he adds.
To deliver the seamless, consistent user experience that employees expected, E.ON chose Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Today, E.ON has onboarded 7,000 users in six months, with more to follow. “It required very little effort,” says Schäfer. “We do not have to worry about a lot of backend details and configurations like we did in the past.”
The move to Windows 365 also provided an opportunity to standardize operating systems across the organization by adopting Windows 11 Enterprise across the board. Due to a recent merger, and the disparity between virtual and physical environments, E.ON employees across the company worked on disparate operating systems. “It created a disconnect culturally to have people working in different environments,” says Radzio. “They had data in different systems, processes were different, and patch management happened on different days. We used the move to Windows 11 as a vehicle for change.”
The idea was to deliver the latest operating system to employees, regardless of if they worked on a Cloud PC or on a local operating system. “Windows 365 was the first thing that came into our mind to be able to deliver Windows 11 virtually to employees and create a more cohesive experience,” says Schäfer. By introducing a standardized environment across physical and Cloud PCs, E.ON has created a more consistent, easier to manage environment. “By transforming our existing VDI to Windows 365 Cloud PCs running Windows 11 Enterprise, we have ensured less complexity,” says Schäfer.
That simplicity is also reinforced by the use of Microsoft Intune for management. “The Windows 365 Cloud PCs give almost the same user experience and features as physical devices, because they are based on the same Intune management environment and have nearly the same policies and software,” says Schäfer. “The use of Intune had a big impact on reducing the complexity of our Cloud PC introduction.” And maintaining that environment is now easier for IT teams. “Intune simplified basic device management efforts drastically,” says Schäfer. E.ON found that Windows 365 provided the same highly secure experience as other Microsoft services already in use at the company, a scenario that offered peace of mind. “It was quite easy to get the service approved by Security, Data Privacy and Works Council,” notes Schäfer.
Today, more E.ON employees are empowered to work from anywhere using Windows 365 Cloud PCs. Employees can even work from their personal devices with no need for a company-owned device. “Anyone who wants to work from home can, without having to carry a company-owned device back and forth,” says Schäfer. So far, word of the new Cloud PCs has spread organically at E.ON. "We do not limit the service,” says Radzio. “Colleagues are talking, and more and more people are requesting Cloud PCs. Employee feedback about Windows 365 has been positive. Availability, stability, and performance are all reported as being better than the previous environment.”
Windows 365 is helping to improve user experiences out in the field as well. “For all those employees who use Windows 365 Cloud PCs on their devices in the field to access the geographic information system, they are reporting better performance compared to the previous, on-premises solution,” says Schäfer.
After the initial success of Windows 365 at E.ON, the business is evaluating other ways to utilize the benefits of Cloud PCs. Particularly for frontline workers and call center employees, E.ON will soon begin piloting Windows 365 Frontline as a potential next step on its Cloud PC journey. “The Windows 365 Frontline model could be very beneficial from a cost and flexibility perspective,” says Schäfer. And, like many businesses, E.ON is currently evaluating the benefits of AI using Microsoft Copilot. “I was one of the lucky few who got to access Microsoft Copilot early and I can see there is a lot of potential to use the tool to streamline meetings and summarize action items,” says Radzio. With the combination of Windows 365, Windows 11, Intune, and now Copilot, E.ON is energized to embrace a new way of working.
By transforming our existing VDI to Windows 365 Cloud PCs running Windows 11 Enterprise, we have ensured less complexity. - Thomas Schäfer: Service Owner, E.ON Digital Technology
361 Views 0 Likes Read More
Digital Transformation is redefining the future of health care and health delivery. All stakeholders are convinced that these innovations will create value for patients, healthcare practitioners, hospitals, and governments along the patient pathway. The benefits are starting from prevention and awareness to diagnosis, treatment, short- and long-term follow-up, and ultimately survival. But how do you make sure that your working towards an architecturally sound, secure and interoperable health IT ecosystem for your hospital and avoid implementing a hodgepodge of spot solutions? How does your IT department work together with the other stakeholders, such as the doctors and other healthcare practitioners, Life Sciences companies, Tech companies, regulators and your internal governance and administrative bodies?
Read MoreThe Telenet Business Leadership Circle powered by CIONET, offers a platform where IT executives and thought leaders can meet to inspire each other and share best practices. We want to be a facilitator who helps you optimise the performance of your IT function and your business by embracing the endless opportunities that digital change brings.
Read MoreDécouvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !
Read MoreCIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.
Read MoreWould you like to know more about CIONET Belgium, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!
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!