FEATURE : OUTLOOK 2023 is also essential and can increase the value of the products or services offered , enabling resiliency and business continuity .”
Prasad Ramakrishnan , CIO at Freshworks , said in 2022 , companies took high-efficiency measures , like layoffs , to financially safeguard business . Ramakrishnan noted that but in 2023 companies will need to replace this headcount because customer expectations remain high . “ Companies will deploy more bot workers in 2023 to reduce human dependence on mundane tasks . Bonus : it ’ ll also reduce costs and margin for human error . We ’ ve started to see this trend with understaffed retailers , but it ’ ll soon be mainstream ,” he said .
Andrew Rose , Resident CISO EMEA at Proofpoint
Crehan said in the digital era , gains in efficiency are made possible by data-backed decision making . “ The insight unlocked by the analysis of real-time data from across the enterprise will also help deliver a differentiating edge to businesses , which will be essential to their competitiveness .
“ This calls for enterprises to create a central nervous system that sets their data in motion . The continuous collection and delivery of data across the digital enterprise underpins all digital initiatives , be it the modernisation of IT , adoption of AI , utilisation of analytics , or migration to the cloud . For this reason , event streaming platforms are rapidly becoming a must-have component in the IT infrastructures of modern enterprises , and this is a trend that is only set to accelerate in 2023 .”
Given the positive upswing that the market is witnessing , CIOs and IT leaders are being urged to align themselves correctlt to benefit from a level of cautious optimism that is creeping back into the technology industry .
Walid Yehia , Senior Director and General Manager – UAE , Dell Technologies , said to be future-ready for this dynamic landscape , CIOs and IT leaders need to be ambitious in tapping into the opportunities presented by Digital Transformation . “ Enterprises are striving to stay ahead of the game , with disruption dramatically reshaping the competitive landscape for many industries . Updating their business models to adapt to change is essential in surviving the onslaught of disruptive technologies ,” he said . “ Moreover , understanding and analysing new trends will also allow CIOs to prepare for and grasp new opportunities . Instead of transforming by adopting multiple technologies , focusing on changes that align with business priorities will result in a real competitive advantage . Having customer-centric goals
Muhannad Khattab , Director of Digital Infrastructure Solutions at Gulf Business Machines ( GBM ), said : “ In the coming year , I believe CIOs will need to accelerate their efforts to bring digital resiliency to the heart of the Digital Transformation journey for regional organisations , with an increased focus on leveraging cloud services to become digitally resilient and subsequently business resilient .”
Over the last two years , remote working and security concerns have dominated the CISO narrative . This will continue in the new year and CISOs are expected to overcome these challenges and come up with robust cybersecurity plans for their organisations .
Andrew Rose , Resident CISO EMEA at Proofpoint , said long term hybrid work has made protecting data a top challenge for CISOs , with employees now forming the defensive perimeter wherever they work . Rose said key findings from the Proofpoint Voice of the CISO 2022 report highlight that 32 % of CISOs agree that they have seen an increase in targeted attacks in the last 12 months . “ More than one in three ( 37 %) say that increases in employee transitions mean that protecting data has become a greater challenge , and investment in information protection is top of the list of priorities for the next two years ,” he said . “ For example , UAE CISOs named malicious insiders as the most likely vector , where employees intentionally steal company information . CISOs will need to be wary of these concerns if they are to overcome challenges in 2023 .”
Werno Gevers , Cybersecurity Expert , Mimecast , added that attacks on remote workers and hybrid working environments will continue to increase in 2023 , challenging CIOs and security leaders to implement multi-layered security strategies and conduct ongoing cyber awareness initiatives among employees at all levels of the organisation .
Gevers said hybrid work environments rely heavily on email and collaboration technologies . “ Cloud
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