The "Cloud: The Ultimate Digital Enabler" event, held on May 16th in Rome by CIONET, brought together industry experts to discuss the latest trends and advancements in cloud computing. Moderated by Maurizio Stumbo, Managing Director, Public Sector at SOGEI, the event featured a series of presentations and panel discussions that covered a wide range of topics, including:

• The benefits of Cloud adoption for businesses of all sizes
• The latest Cloud technologies and solutions
• Strategies for successfully migrating to the Cloud
• The use of Cloud computing for innovation and growth
• Transformative Power of Artificial Intelligence & Automation in Cloud Operations

Demystifying Cloud Adoption

Marco Frontini, CIDO at Cerba Healthcare differentiated between true Cloud adoption (utilizing serverless functions and FaaS) and simply transferring existing infrastructure (lift and shift) to a provider. He emphasized the need for cultural change and organizational restructuring to fully leverage the Cloud's potential.

Ugo Venditti, Head of Sistemi Informativi, Facility & Cost Management from ANIA focused on the human factor in Cloud adoption. He discussed the importance of change management, building strong relationships with Cloud providers, and effectively managing costs to ensure a successful transition.

Security Concerns in the Cloud

Vittorio Ranucci, Territory Account Manager at Bitdefender highlighted the growing importance of Cloud security, particularly in areas like misconfiguration identification, access control, and compliance with regulations like GDPR. He presented Bitdefender's solutions for securing various Cloud environments, including hybrid, workload, SaaS, and containerized deployments

Cybersecurity and Data Sovereignty

Nicla Ivana Diomede, Direttore del Dipartimento di Cybersecurity e Sicurezza Urbana at Roma Capitale explored the changing roles of CIOs and CISOs with the adoption of new technologies. She discussed the connections between sustainability, innovation, and cybersecurity. A key point was the question of data sovereignty in the Cloud, emphasizing the need for robust frameworks to manage data residency and security.

Public Sector Cloud Migration Challenges

Claudia Curci, Dirigente UOC Sistemi e Tecnologie Informatiche e di Comunicazione at ASL ROMA 1 addressed the challenges faced by public healthcare institutions migrating to the Cloud. She outlined the multi-phased approach, including assessment, planning, contract finalization, infrastructure migration, and service validation. Emphasizing the importance of future-proofing, she advocated for exploring green data centers and fostering competition beyond the major Cloud providers.

Cloud Adoption in Education

Davide D’Amico, Direttore generale per l’innovazione digitale, la semplificazione e la statistica at MIUR outlined government initiatives encouraging schools to migrate their services to the Cloud, leveraging the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan). He also discussed the Ministry's efforts to leverage AI in education transformation.

AI and Industry-Specific Applications

Flavio Desandre’, Responsabile ICT at Cogne Acciai Speciali S.p.A. presented a case study of how Cogne Acciai Speciali, a steel manufacturer, adopted the Cloud and developed AI-powered applications. Their Cloud infrastructure enables centralized service delivery to global subsidiaries, while AI is used for tasks like optimizing logistics and pre-diagnostic processes.

Innovation Through Private AI and Application Modernization

Diego Maria Ricci, Enterprise Solution Manager at Aruba S.p.A. discussed Aruba's focus on private AI solutions, ensuring data privacy and security through private RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) for information updates and custom LLM (Large Language Model) instances. He also addressed application modernization, offering a three-phase consulting approach to help clients transition from monolithic applications to microservices architecture.

Security and Scalability in the Cloud

Salvatore Giannetto, Presidente ReeVo S.p.A.presented ReeVo's perspective on Cloud security, emphasizing the importance of secure Cloud architectures and platforms for delivering cyber and Cloud services. He discussed the challenges of managing increasingly complex Cloud deployments and the evolution of Cloud-native and legacy systems.

Leveraging AI and Data Analytics in Public Sector

Ivana D’Errico, Head of Public Sector at Google Cloud showcased Google Cloud's solutions for helping public administration entities leverage AI and data analytics for improved efficiency, citizen services, and data-driven decision making. She emphasized security and provided use case examples demonstrating Google Cloud's support in this area.

Unlocking Data Value and Multi-Cloud Strategies

Mauro Bonfanti, Regional Vice President Nordics Spain & Italy at Snowflake highlighted the importance of breaking down data silos and building Cloud data platforms to unlock the true value of data across organizations. He discussed the benefits of multi-Cloud strategies to avoid vendor lock-in and foster collaboration.

Antimo Musone, Executive Director at EY explored the synergy between Cloud, data, and AI. He emphasized how Cloud computing can democratize AI by making it more accessible and promoting responsible use. 

Conclusions:
The Cloud is not just a technological advancement, it's a catalyst for cultural and operational transformation. By prioritizing security, embracing new paradigms, and fostering responsible innovation, businesses and organizations of all sizes can leverage the Cloud to unlock a future of efficiency, agility, and groundbreaking possibilities.

The panel discussion culminated with an exclusive Networking Cocktail, reserved solely for event participants. Held on the picturesque terrace of The Rome Edition, this event offered a unique opportunity to connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting.

Our sincere gratitude extends to Mauro Bonfanti, Claudia Curci, Davide D’amico, Flavio Desandre', Ivana D’Errico, Nicla Ivana Diomede, Marco Frontini, Salvatore Giannetto, Antimo Musone, Vittorio Ranucci, Diego Maria Ricci, Maurizio Stumbo, Ugo Venditti and all participating Digital Leaders for their invaluable insights at this event! 

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