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Welcome to CIONET Belgium

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Upcoming Events

 
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Belgium 21-4-26 Invitation Only Physical english

From Victim to Victor: Cyber resilience is a means, providing Business Continuity the goal

In an era where every outage, audit, and cyberattack is a test of organisational survival, resilience has become the new currency of trust. While traditional perimeter security with: firewalls, intrusion detection, and scanners, remains essential, it is no longer a sufficient guarantee against modern threats that bypass these layers to penetrate your core systems. Today, enterprises require security and continuity that are built-in, not bolted-on. This CIONET roundtable focuses on the shift from reactive disaster recovery to proactive Business Continuity. Together with experts from HPE Zerto, we will explore how organisations can transform their recovery strategies into seamless continuity models.

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Belgium 23-4-26 Country Members Physical & Virtual english

CIOFEST BELGIUM: Leadership in the Agentic Era

AI is no longer confined to supporting human tasks. We are entering the agentic era, where autonomous systems act on behalf of people and organisations. These agents can gather information, make decisions, negotiate terms, and even complete transactions. The implications extend well beyond technology; they touch the very foundations of business models, governance, and leadership. For CIOs and their peers, the rise of “machine customers” and autonomous partners poses new questions: Market impact: How do you compete and create value when some customers and suppliers are machines? Governance: What trust, compliance, and accountability structures are needed when AI acts independently in financial, procurement, or customer-facing processes? Leadership: How should CIOs guide their organisations in redefining roles, responsibilities, and decision-making when agents take over parts of the value chain?Business strategy: What opportunities emerge for new revenue models, platforms, and ecosystems shaped by autonomous interaction? This session shifts the focus from the mechanics of AI agents to the decisions that will shape leadership in the next decade. It is a call for CIOs to prepare for a future where relationships, markets, and strategies are no longer limited to human-to-human interactions, but also extend to human-to-machine and machine-to-machine interactions.

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Belgium 29-4-26 Invitation Only Physical english

Building Future-Ready Application Ecosystems in the Age of Intelligent Automation

This CIONET workshop is a collaborative deep-dive into the practicalities of"rewiring the building" while it’s still occupied. Drawing onKyndryl’s deep heritage in mission-critical infrastructure and their latestresearch, we will dismantle the "hidden costs" of legacyenvironments. The conversation will focus on the transition from static,monolithic structures to composable architectures that allow intelligent agentsto operate seamlessly across hybrid landscapes.

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Upcoming TRIBE Events

 
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April 2, 2026 Squad Session Invitation Only Virtual english

Taming the SaaS Sprawl: Tracking spend, ownership, and usage before it slips out of control

SaaS gave business units freedom: quick onboarding, no infrastructure, and instant results. But over time, that freedom turned into fragmentation. Each team now buys, renews, and configures its own stack. HR has one platform, finance has another, and marketing probably has ten. The invoices keep coming, usage keeps dropping, and no one is sure who’s accountable for what.

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May 12, 2026 Squad Session Invitation Only Physical english

Product-Centric IT 2.0: Blending product and project thinking

Everyone says they’ve gone product-centric. In reality, most organisations live in a hybrid world where projects, products, and platforms overlap. Teams manage releases while still chasing deadlines, and governance still thinks in milestones rather than outcomes. The shift is underway, but the mindset hasn’t caught up.

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May 19, 2026 Squad Session Invitation Only Physical english

AI vs AI in Cybersecurity: When defenders and attackers both use AI

The game has changed, clearly. Attackers have AI, defenders have AI, and both sides are learning faster than anyone expected, or maybe the attackers are just a bit faster. What used to take hours now happens in seconds, and detection windows close before alerts even appear. It’s adaptation beyond automation, and no one gets to sit still.

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CIONET Partner Updates

CIONET Partner Updates

Recent Cases

Please Log In with your CIONET account first

Persistent Systems Ltd. protects endpoints and VMware environments with Trend Micro’s solutions

Protects endpoints and VMware environments with Trend Micro’s solutions

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1990, Persistent Systems Pvt. Ltd. is a global market leader in outsourced software product development services. The company builds software that drives the business of its customers which include enterprises and software product companies with software at the core of their digital transformation. With an operational presence in USA, Europe, India, and Singapore, the company has contributed to more than 3,000 product releases for its customers in the last five years. Persistent’s clients include companies in Infrastructure and Systems, Telecom and Wireless, Life Sciences and Healthcare, and Financial Services.

Among the awards and recognition received by Persistent Systems include; named a leader in the 2017 Zinnov Zones for Digital Services Report, BPM Service Providers by The Forrester Wave™ Q4 2016 Report, and winner of the Golden Peacock National Training Award in 2018. Dr. Anand Deshpande, founder and CEO of Persistent Systems, was also featured in India’s “Best CEO List” by Business Today.

 

CHALLENGES

Persistent Systems required multilayered security on its endpoints, located in facilities across 17 countries, to defend against the advanced and ever-changing threat landscape. It further required securing its VMware infrastructure with a robust protection system that can be automated to prevent attacks. Persistent Systems’ high sensitivity to their security landscape required them to choose a solution provider who could also deliver premium support designed to elevate their security posture.

 

"We were looking for a tool, which will reduce operational efforts, be cost effective and help us protect virtual machines, and be agentless as much as possible. Trend Micro Deep Security really worked for us and allowed us to reduce operational efforts, and protect virtual machines from malware."

Parag Karhadkar - Senior General Manager, Service Excellence

 
 

WHY TREND

Persistent Systems was extremely satisfied with Trend Micro™ Endpoint Security™ solution, which the company used to protect its more than 11,000 global endpoints for the past eight to ten years. The company chose Trend Micro™ Deep Security™ protection for its VMware infrastructure because it was purpose-built to support VMware deployments. Trend Micro also provided a Premium Support Program (PSP), which offered expert guidance for urgent issues and met Persistent Systems’ need for maintaining high sensitivity in their security environment.

Trend Micro’s position as a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Endpoint Protection Platforms since 2002, and in The Forrester Wave™ Endpoint Security Suites Q2 2018 Report, along with earning the rank of “most effective recommended breach detection system” for two years running by NSS Labs, prompted Persistent Systems to choose Trend Micro over other solutions.

 

"We were on the lookout for an agentless virus protection solution for our VMware virtualized environment. Trend Micro’s Deep Security solution helped us to protect all the VMs from advanced threats/virus attacks without compromising VM performance. The product has also helped us to significantly reduce the admin overheads without compromising on VM security."

Sandeep Deshmukh - Senior General Manager, Technology Excellence

 
 

SOLUTION

Trend Micro Endpoint Security was successfully deployed across 11,000+ endpoints and Trend Micro Deep Security—with the anti-malware module—was implemented in Persistent Systems’ VMware infrastructure. Endpoint Security provides Persistent Systems with a unified approach to geographically-distributed endpoints. The company’s endpoints are protected against threats and malware, with advanced techniques like high-fidelity machine learning, behavioral analysis, exploit protection, intrusion prevention, sandbox integration, and more. With layers of advanced protection, the solution safeguards against unwanted and unknown threats and ensures data privacy by encrypting data stored on endpoints.

Deep Security is purpose-built for VMware environments and provides multilayered security in one solution to eliminate security gaps and performance impacts. The solution uses a comprehensive set of policy-enforced security controls to automatically shield virtual machines (VMs) from network attacks and vulnerabilities, stop malware and ransomware attacks, and detect unauthorized system changes. The anti-malware with web reputation integrates with VMware vShield Endpoint™ APIs to protect VMware virtual machines against viruses, spyware, Trojans, and other malware with zero in-guest footprints. As a result, security operations are optimized and protection from sophisticated endpoints in virtual environments is enhanced.

Persistent Systems also added Trend Micro’s Premium Support Program to provide it with a dedicated Customer Service Manager, who assists with urgent issues and facilitates expert guidance designed to elevate the company’s overall security posture.

 
 

RESULTS

Trend Micro’s solutions, implemented across endpoints in multiple countries and in the VMware infrastructure, addressed Persistent Systems’ need for high-sensitivity security. The Premium Support Program enhanced Persistent Systems’ security posture, leading to minimized issue escalations.

Persistent Systems continues to benefit from Trend Micro solutions in several ways. The solution maximizes protection for the company’s VMware environment with automatic shielding of VMs from malware and ransomware attacks, along with detection of unauthorized system changes. With advanced shielding from vulnerabilities, the company also reduced downtime, which contributes to the overall operational efficiencies.

The solution’s agentless security, managed through VMware APIs that interact with an appliance managed by the host, eases administration, reduces overall license costs, enhances performance, and helps the company meet compliance requirements. With integrated modules systematized from a single dashboard, Persistent Systems can easily manage all security operations.

 

CIONET Circles

CIONET Business Circles

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Cyber Circle

CIONET’s Cyber Circle: a new three-event programme exclusively focusing on the most urgent, complex, and high-impact challenges in cybersecurity today. Launched in 2026, this initiative brings together CISOs, CIOs, and senior IT executives with a strong interest in cybersecurity for three curated gatherings each year. As part of CIONET’s trusted executive community, the Cyber Circle provides a confidential, peer-driven environment to exchange insights, share real-world experiences, and address evolving cyber threats. Each session is designed to foster strategic dialogue, strengthen resilience, and elevate cybersecurity as a core driver of business value.

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Telenet Business Leadership Circle

The 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.

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Les Rencontres

Découvrez 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 !

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Female Leadership Circle

CIONET 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.

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Check out our latest news

Testimonials

Geert Goethals
Geert Goethals
CIO
Sibelga
Bahadir Samli
Bahadir Samli
CIO
ING Belgique
2-Feb-29-2024-11-35-00-9309-AM
Bart Kerkhofs
Director Digital Technology
Tata Steel Nederland
Untitled design (1)-Apr-01-2022-10-58-34-57-AM
Michał Paprocki
Group CIO
Euroclear
1-Feb-29-2024-11-34-59-8990-AM
Manfred Boudreaux-Dehmer
Chief Information Officer
NATO
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Annick Faes
Vice President IT and CIO Medical Devices EMEA
Johnson & Johnson
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Piet De Ceuleners
Global IT Director
Melexis
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Stef Schampaert
Country Managing Director BeLux
Red Hat
Kevin_Ledegen
Kevin Ledegen
Group IT director
SDWorx
Gunter-Van-Craen_Small
Gunter Van Craen
Chief Digital & Information Officer
Bekaert
Thomas Kessler
Thomas Kessler
Partner | CIO Programme Leader
Deloitte
Emmanuel Gob
Emmanuel Gob
CIO
DPD
pascal pauwels
Pascal Pauwels
CIO
Colruyt
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Koen Segers
Managing Director Belgium and Luxembourg
Dell Technologies
benoit dewaele
Benoît Dewaele
Group IT Director
Vandemoortele
Dirk Deridder-1
Dirk Deridder
CTO - Technology Services & Practices
SMALS
Untitled design-Sep-18-2023-11-59-29-7866-AM
Koen Vandaele
CIO
Delen Private Bank
Untitled design (4)-Jun-12-2023-01-23-11-7540-PM
Liesbet D'hoker
Managing Director
Kyndryl BeLux
steven-vermeulen
Steven Vermeulen
CIO
Digitaal Vlaanderen
Jack Hamande
Jack Hamande
Director General Digital Transformation
Federale Overheidsdienst Beleid en Ondersteuning
Tom Tomczak
Tom Tomczak
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
NRB
an swalens
An Swalens
Head Of IT (CIO)
National Bank of Belgium
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Elke Laeremans
Chief Technology & Transformation Officer
Krëfel
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Koen Van Loo
Koen Van Loo
CIO
Group S.
CIONET Belgium - Advisory Board Member - Steven De Haes
Steven De Haes
Dean
Antwerp Management School
Marleen Thorré
Marleen Thorré
christel-plessers
Christel Plessers
Head of IT European Markets
Mercedes-Benz Europe
bauduin cor
Baudouin Corlùy
Chief Market Development Officer
LCL Data Centers
Steven Soers b&w
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VP Marketing
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CIO
KU Leuven
bart van de walle b&w
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CIO Belux
DHL

Team

Luc Hendrikx
Luc Hendrikx
Partner - CEO
Inès De Bien
Inès De Bien
Partner - CCO
1-Feb-08-2022-10-22-08-68-AM
Daniel Eycken
Partner - COO
Hendrik Deckers
Hendrik Deckers
Partner - Founder
foto Herman
Herman Roelandts
Tribe Master
Joseph Antoun
Joseph Antoun
Senior Programme Director
1-Dec-16-2021-02-15-57-02-PM
Eman De Sutter
Programme Manager
4-Feb-08-2022-10-22-09-03-AM
Shelly Deracourt
Programme Manager
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Charlotte Coen
Partner Success Manager
Untitled design (1)-Nov-22-2023-08-56-42-6802-AM
Ivana Bradvica
Programme Manager
Vlera Berishaa (1)
Vlera Berisha
Community Manager
Stanislav Mosan
Stanislav Mosan
Financial Director

Contact us

Would you like to know more about CIONET Belgium, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!