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Belgium 01-10-2026 Squad Only Virtual english

Letting Teams Build Safely with Low-Code, No-Code, and AI Tools. ; How to enable business-led development while keeping security, architecture, and support under control.

Low-code, no-code, and AI tools are giving business teams more ability to build solutions themselves. The challenge is setting the right boundaries before fast local solutions become important operational assets. Three pressure points need attention. - Boundaries must be clear: teams need to know what they can build alone and what requires IT, security, or architecture review. - Supportability matters when a quick solution becomes business-critical. - Risk control remains necessary around data access, compliance, security, process dependency, and maintenance. The working question is simple: how do we enable business-led development while keeping security, ownership, and support under control? If you are trying to enable this safely, let’s compare approaches with others facing the same balance.

Belgium 06-10-2026 All Members Physical english

The Token Trap: Reclaiming Control of Enterprise AI

As enterprise AI transitions from experimental Proofs of Concept (POCs) into real implementations, digital leaders are encountering a shared challenge: consumption-based public cloud token billing models do not fit neatly into traditional IT budgeting. Daily token consumption can rise unexpectedly, pushing expenses through the roof while arbitrary caps quickly kill momentum for innovation. For many CIOs, this raises an open strategic question: How do we keep costs under control while further stimulating innovation? During this interactive CIONET roundtable, we will explore among peers how to navigate AI tokenomics. Rather than treating public cloud LLMs as the default path, we will investigate how different execution environments, ranging from hybrid cloud setups and targeted on-premise models to specialised edge hardware, can help balance cost with performance. This session is intentionally designed as an open peer-to-peer exchange; a space to compare notes, challenge current ways of working and architectural setups, and discuss practical approaches to building predictable, scalable AI models.

Belgium 08-10-2026 All Members Physical english

The Permanent (R)evolution

Every large organisation has been through a major transformation, and most through several. The word transformation is misleading because it suggests a beginning and an end. But organisations that do well are the ones that have given up on the idea of arriving and realise that constant change has become the new norm, and missing a single cycle leaves you permanently behind. This evening, two leaders will share how they think about this, coming from opposite directions. John Porter led Telenet through a sustained period of reinvention spanning the pandemic, a full reorganisation into tribes, M&A, and a shift to a performance driven culture. Along the way, the IT department was dissolved and technology was embedded inside autonomous tribes that run as small businesses. There is no CIO at Telenet. It is Telenet Group’s purpose to become a digital-first, customer-centric organisation. To deliver on this ambition, it has embarked on a transformation journey built on three pillars: (i) the implementation of a scaled-agile operating model (organisation), (ii) the acceleration of digitisation and automation underpinned by optimised IT systems, platforms, and strategic technology partnerships (digitisation), and (iii) a performance leadership culture focused on accountability, ownership, and a change mindset (culture). Kris Vervaet, on the other hand, has just become CIO at KBC, the bank whose mobile app has been ranked best in the world three times and whose AI assistant Kate now handles 70% of customer queries on its own. But Kris is no ordinary CIO: he ran DPG Media Belgium as CEO, and KBC went looking for someone who has led transformation rather than someone who manages technology. So while one organisation got rid of the CIO role, the other reinvented it, and both are thriving. The conversation will range across organisational and IT redesign, the rise of digital-first customer experience, the impact of AI on how every business is run, and the harder questions of culture, talent and leadership. The question for every leader in the room is what that tells you about your own role, your own operating model, and the pace at which you are prepared to keep evolving.

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WESTPOLE chooses Trend Micro to secure its systems and those of its customers

Chooses Trend Micro to secure its systems and those of its customers

OVERVIEW

WESTPOLE Italia is the Italian chapter of WESTPOLE Europe, an IT services and solutions provider. With over 40 years of experience in technology management and innovation, WESTPOLE’s primary goal is to scale up digital transformation and “go to cloud” in order to enable the creation of secure, scalable, and cutting-edge innovations.

With two data centers in Milan and Rome, the company designs services for about 500 clients, including government entities, financial institutions, and private companies. WESTPOLE changes the very concept of technological transformation and does so with a pioneering spirit, passion, and empathy.

CHALLENGES

WESTPOLE’s strategy in choosing a security vendor was aimed at consolidation—one vendor that could secure the organization and its customers. WESTPOLE was looking for a single partner that would provide reliable, innovative, and affordable security.

“We began by analyzing our infrastructure, starting to lock down the endpoint,” recalls Michele Onorato, security office manager of WESTPOLE. “Later, we moved to the data center, which had to be safe for both our protection and that of customers who use our cloud.” But the WESTPOLE project did not end there, it needed security solutions that could protect the slice of customers hosted in its data centers.

"One of the greatest benefits we experienced was the consolidation Trend Micro provided, it is very nice to have a single platform to manage everything."

Michele Onorato

Security Office Manager, WESTPOLE

SOLUTIONS AND WHY TREND

After evaluating multiple vendors based on technology and flexibility, WESTPOLE chose to protect its endpoint deployments with Trend Micro Apex One™, and its data centers with Trend Micro™ Deep Security™ software, which also secures customers hosted within its own cloud. For customers outside the data center, WESTPOLE chose Trend Micro™ TippingPoint™ and Trend Micro™ Deep Discovery™ Inspector for network protection.

Apex One is an all-in-one solution that automates detection and response, providing complete visibility to IT and security teams. Compared to previous traditional antimalware solutions, Apex One is a unified platform for the management of different services, redefining endpoint security with vast capabilities offered through a single agent for SaaS and on-premises environments.

Deep Security and Trend Micro Cloud One™ – Workload Security are integrated and modular platforms that provide comprehensive protection of data centers that include physical, virtual, and cloud servers, as well as virtual desktops. Designed to defend the data center from breaches and business disruptions, Deep Security is the first and only agentless security platform that helps simplify security management and accelerate return on IT investments.

Deep Discovery Inspector is a network device that allows 360-degree control over all traffic, to detect any aspect of a targeted attack. And with TippingPoint, WESTPOLE experiences the best intrusion prevention to remain protected against all types of threats traveling at great speed anywhere on the network.

"Trend Micro solutions allow us to easily control security from a centralized console, which is essential from an operations point of view."

Michele Onorato

Security Office Manager, WESTPOLE

RESULTS

WESTPOLE adopted Trend Micro solutions to protect its infrastructure and its customers. “One of the greatest benefits we experienced was the consolidation Trend Micro provided, it is very nice to have a single platform to manage everything,” says Onorato. “As for the internal WESTPOLE side, the usability and lightness of the products were fundamental in removing the need to allocate additional resources.” Onorato went one to say that, “Customers are pleasantly surprised when they become aware of threats that were never detected by the solutions they used to have installed.”

The WESTPOLE data centers now house around a thousand machines and all customers using the WESTPOLE cloud are protected by Deep Security. “Customers can take advantage of all the features of this product, according to individual needs,” says Onorato.

As for the offer to customers outside of the data centers, “WESTPOLE is able to offer managed service solutions. Trend Micro solutions allow us to easily control security from a centralized console, which is essential from an operations point of view,” says Onorato. “Trend Micro virtual patching is also a great feature, as it allows us to secure legacy infrastructures, while avoiding significant costs for the renewal of the entire machine park,” continues Onorato.

WHAT'S NEXT

“We recently migrated to Office 365®, and the next step is to protect it with Trend Micro solutions. This protection will also be extended to the emails of all our customers and also to those who use advanced suites,” concludes Onorato.

Technologies

Apex One™ Cloud One – Workload Security Trend Micro TippingPoint Trend Micro™ Deep Security™ Trend Micro™Deep Discovery™

CIONET Business Circles

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.

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.

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 !

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.