As the saying goes, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” With so many changes hitting the business landscape in the last three years, we see the shift towards new ways of networking among C-level executives where an increasing number of top managers prefer virtual and hybrid formats of consuming content and building new connections.
1. THROUGH INSIGHT-GENERATING WEBINARS
As in-person events became impossible in early 2020, we saw C-level executives massively turn to webinars and various forms of online events. Today, CxOs still enjoy the benefits of online video content. For example, members of Aurora Live Executive Business Network find the virtual insights sessions useful with an average rating of 4/5. Some of the functions that make webinars appealing are:
The possibility to join from anywhere, anytime, or watch the recording later.
The chat function to make instant connections with a larger audience than a typical in-person event would allow.
The option to engage with speakers through live Q&A sessions, and upvote the most interesting questions from the audience making sure only the most interesting topics are covered.
2. JOINING VIRTUAL BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS
The need to exchange insights with a circle of peers hasn’t decreased, and the virtual spin-off on panel discussions, round tables, and moderated group discussions have gained massive popularity due to their efficiency and convenience. Also, studies show that 40% of executives network more online than in person as there’s less pressure and more flexibility (Fit Small Business). According to our data, 80% of C-level executives find moderated peer-to-peer discussions useful.
Jumping into a quick moderated discussion in between work meetings allows you to:
Quickly and efficiently connect with peers from different industries and countries.
Exchange ideas, experiences, and solutions on pressing topics affecting your industry in the time it takes to finish your morning coffee.
Today’s CxOs are prioritizing personal development as much as professional growth. Not only do they want to gain new skills but develop new mindsets to become better leaders. Therefore, many C-levels find joining inspirational keynotes by world-renowned speakers valuable, especially in the hybrid world because:
It’s convenient and more accessible as more talks are hosted online.
They can connect with other attendees who share the same challenges.
Our data shows that 400 CxOs attended our event featuring inspiring talks from Duncan Wardle and Mel Robbins and gave a speaker rating of 4.9/5.
4. CONNECTING VIA IN-PERSON GATHERINGS AND ACTIVITIES
Although virtual networking elements have many advantages, CxOs prefer to socialize with their peers in person. Studies also show that 97% of attendees prefer in-person meetings of below 10 people (Forbes). Networking in non-business settings has gained popularity among C-levels such as wine tastings, cooking classes, and fine dining. Social get-togethers present:
Opportunities to form a closer bond with your peers over a shared interest or hobby.
A fun way to strengthen and maintain business relationships.
5. MEETING VIRTUALLY WITH POTENTIAL VENDORS
Another innovation introduced by the pandemic is virtual sales meetings. Here’s why they’re here to stay:
Many CxOs prefer initial meetings with solution providers to be online as it helps them swiftly identify if the solution offered has any relevance to their business.
85% of C-levels are more eager to join a 30-minute virtual meeting rather than an in-person meeting (LinkedIn).
The digital evolution brought along automation which enabled transformations of economies and businesses on a large scale. What does the rise of artificial intelligence tools and machine learning in the digital landscape mean for cybersecurity and how can humans evolve together alongside these technologies?
We caught up with Sarah Armstrong Smith, Microsoft’s European Chief Security Advisor about the impact of AI on cybersecurity and what the future of cybersecurity could look like.
1. Digital Acceleration Brings Evolved Threats
It’s estimated in the next five years that over half of the world’s data will live in the cloud. With that comes huge computational power that is available on demand and at scale, giving us the agility and flexibility to innovate.
A clear effect of this is the accelerated development and use of smart technology in recent years. For example, more companies are investing in digital twins which enables them to try different things and run diagnostics without having to do it in a physical environment.
However, this comes with concerns about security, particularly in high-tech areas that deal with intellectual property and other sensitive data.
The global spending on cybersecurity is estimated to grow to about 1 trillion in just a few years.
What does this mean for security? Multiple factors must be considered to ensure privacy, security, and compliance with regulations. Beyond that, there’s also the defensive side of anticipating and managing evolving threats. Not only do we need to obtain information, but we also need to know how to act on it efficiently in real-time. This is where AI comes into play.
2. Security is in Transformation
The early discourse on AI verged on alarmist with warnings that the technology would eradicate jobs and leave millions of workers out of an income. In fact, the World Economic Forum projected that AI and automation would displace over 5 million jobs by 2020. However, the open market now has about 6 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs alone. In fact, there is a huge demand for talent in robotics, machine learning, IoT, big data, and AI.
The mass migration of businesses to the cloud at different levels of maturity has shifted expectations on the type of connectivity provided, devices used, and trustworthiness of those devices. Most enterprises are running a hybrid business model due to challenges with the legacy estate. This complicates cyber security efforts. Security leaders are compelled to understand the integration between the IT, IoT and cloud environments in order to ensure a connected ecosystem that is smart, reliable and safe.
With all that combined, there is an increased attack surface and multiple blind spots. Particularly, organizations are still deeply fragmented when it comes to their approaches. At the same time, cyberattacks are rising exponentially.
Moreover, attackers are becoming more sophisticated. They can move very quickly and outmaneuver security operations and technologies of even larger organizations because they are not constrained by regulatory requirements. Attackers are also investing heavily in automation and scripting.
Every time attackers bring out new malware or new attacks, we learn those, we counteract them, we have detections, we’re automatically blocking the malware, and different attempts that they’re trying. However, we know that resources are at a premium and we can’t just add and throw more money at it.
“We have to think of ways in which we can increase the attacker’s cost and reduce our cost with our ability to act and respond as quickly as possible.”
3. What Can CISOs Do?
A. Prevention of threats
The first imperative is we need to prevent as many threats as possible with automation. We have to detect, we have to respond quickly and we have to continually learn. As much as the attackers are learning our defenses, they’re learning about the technologies that we have, they’re learning how to counteract that. When they’re counteracting that, the whole cycle starts again. We’re seeing this perpetual cycle of prevention, detection and response.
B. Understand human attacker decision cycle
With human operator attacks, particularly ransomware operators and nation-state actors, part of their attack profile is really their ability to observe. They have to sit, watch and learn about your environment.
We know that attackers understand IT infrastructure very well. What they don’t understand is how you specifically deployed technologies in your environment or other technologies you are utilizing. They have to learn and orient across your environment, and potentially keep elevating privilege. They have to get access to different parts of the infrastructure to learn what to do and what attack is going to work best in this environment.
This is the kind of cycle we’re really looking at when it comes to that human attacker decision cycle. From a security operations perspective, our job is really to understand this cycle. Irrespective of the fact that they probably have been in that network for weeks or months, it’s really at the point where they have triggered some kind of action that we respond.
We need to get better. We need to be proactive and preempt. We need to understand how the attacker is operating, understand this cycle, and get into the mind of the attacker for us to be able to make some decisions.
Where this comes to is our ability to defend and act quicker across that entire cycle, meaning we need to maximize the visibility of our network. We need diversity of threat intelligence, and we need that from different sources. Importantly, we need that real-time information.
C. Automation + humans in threat detection and response
The other thing that we need to do is reduce the number of manual steps or potential errors that may occur. Part of this is about the ability to automate that detection and response. From security operations, we don’t want to be pivoting across different technologies because that decreases the time that we have to act. It potentially means there are going to be more errors because we’ve got conflicting or duplication of information.
With that, we have to maximize human impact. We’ve got to get this information and intelligence in front of our humans because it’s humans that understand the context, it’s humans that understand the business risk, and it’s humans that understand consequences.
“We’ve got to get the human and automation layer right. This is about continuous learning.“
We need automation, we need those evasion techniques. However, we also can’t stop every single attack now because attackers are evolving at pace. Instead, we have to assume a compromise mindset.
What the Future Looks Like in AI & Cybersecurity?
In terms of the future, we’re going to see more use of virtual reality and mixed reality. We’ve already talked about how AI and automation are going to really shift our ability to get deep insight. Looking at how attacks are evolving, it’s estimated that we’re going to see an IoT botnet, which is probably going to be able to launch one of the biggest DDoS attacks that we’ve ever seen. We will probably also see a cyber attack of such magnitude that one of the countries will be forced to carry out a physical attack against the nation state that targeted them.
We will also start to see not just digital buildings, but digital cities which increases the attack surface. We’re going to see the proliferation of cyber-attacks at scale, infiltrating the IT the IoT, and OT simultaneously. That’s going to drive the need for regulatory control and human oversight with regard to how these AI and ML machines are working, the decisions that they’re making, and the ability to cause a disruption at that scale.
AI & Humans Must Evolve Together
We’ve got to use AI and ML, but we have to also understand the behaviors of those humans and overlay these technologies with human expertise. We then have to increase our speed and quality of detection and response to be dynamic in real-time to threats as it happens. We have to keep speeding up the response with our orchestration and automation.
As we’re moving farther into that mixed augmented reality, the real value for security operators is to actually visualize that infrastructure. When they can see the attackers coming through the network, they can see them literally moving across the estate, it means they can start to take action at scale.
“Ultimately, we are not going to take any humans out of the equation. In fact, the reality is we’re going to have more augmentation between the AI and the human combined.“
As a B2B sales professional, your network is one of your most significant assets. Not only is networking essential in building professional relationships, but it’s also a gateway to long-term partnership opportunities. With a variety of B2B networking events today, it’s important to know what to do for successful networking in different settings.
Here’s how to make every second count at in-person and virtual B2B networking events.
IN-PERSON EVENTS
From small casual networking events to large summits, in-person B2B events bring hundreds of C-levels from different industries under one roof. These events provide opportunities to network with your target audience in one place. Keep the following tips in mind to make a great and lasting first impression:
DO YOUR RESEARCH
If possible, request a list of attendees before the event, especially if you are a partner or sponsor of the event.
Do some research on the attendees and shortlist 5 to 10 decision-makers you would like to meet.
Connect with them on LinkedIn and introduce yourself prior to the event.
Having an online connection gives you a reason to approach them at the event and is a good way to break the ice.
Try your best to scout people in the crowd and be the first to start a conversation.
Find a common interest by joining events that revolve around a specific event or experience such as golf or fine dining.
It’s easier to start a conversation with someone when both of you have something in common that is not work-related. People are more relaxed and are more likely to remember you as a natural connection has been established.
GET FAMILIAR WITH THE EVENT AGENDA
Check out the full event schedule and:
Take note of interesting panel discussions, presentations, and keynote speeches you want to attend – especially if they relate to the product you’re offering.
After a session, try to start casual chats with decision-maker attendees about a specific topic or speaker. Ask them about their opinion on the topic and whether it’s a challenge for their organization. Learn what kind of solutions they are using or looking to invest in to solve those challenges.
If the conversation goes well, offer to keep in touch and add them on LinkedIn.Send them a message thanking them for their time and that it was good to meet them.
PRACTICE ACTIVE LISTENING
Do the opposite of selling – listen and try to understand the pain points of the decision-maker.
Be fully present and be genuinely curious about what they have to say.
With that information, relate it back to how your product or service can help them.
Settle on a few key points on how your product or service benefits your customers. Know them by heart so you’re always prepared when you need them.
VIRTUAL EVENTS
Although they are not networking events at first glance, virtual events gather like-minded decision-makers in one place and offer significant networking opportunities. The most popular types of virtual events are webinars or insight-sharing sessions. Here are a few tips for effective virtual networking:
JOIN RELEVANT WEBINARS
For example, if your company develops cloud software, try to join cloud-related virtual insights-sharing sessions.
Register for the webinar and add it to your calendar immediately so you don’t forget it.
Attending webinars related to what your company does gives you a broad picture of the interest areas and challenges of your target audience without having to ask them directly.
UTILIZE THE CHAT BOX
Be an active participant and use the chatbox to ask questions and engage with other participants.
Check if the list of participants is available in the chat box or online platform – they may contain valuable information such as names and contact details.
Strike up a conversation during and after the session has ended. You can bond over the session topic and tie it back to your company.
SEND A FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE OR EMAIL
Take the opportunity to move the conversation elsewhere after connecting with participants through the chat function.
Send them a follow-up email or message on LinkedIn and book an online call if you feel there is potential for business.
B2B marketers need to update their strategies to find new leads considering the increased competition and changing customer habits. They also face a number of challenges, with 43% of B2B marketers having difficulty collecting quality data (MarketingProfs), affecting lead generation efforts.
If you have exhausted all marketing tactics to find high-quality leads, it’s time to invest in a B2B lead generation tool like ME Matchmaking. Here are four reasons why:
1. SAVE TIME AND COST FINDING PROSPECTS
60% of B2B marketers report wasted time and resources from unsuccessful lead generation campaigns (MarketingProfs). ME Matchmaking can help save valuable time in the initial phase of finding leads.
This leaves the sales team more time to focus on the important stuff – pitching the product and following up with prospects.
Sales professionals only spend 34% of their time on actual selling (HubSpot).
The rest of their time is taken up by research, writing emails, updating data, and scheduling client calls.
2. IMPROVE THE LEAD QUALIFICATION PROCESS
47% of B2B marketers cite lead quality as one of the main challenges among sales professionals (MarketingProfs). Generating a targeted list of B2B leads manually is time-consuming and prone to error. The same goes for the shortcut of buying leads or databases.
They may have outdated or incorrect information on job titles, company size, and email addresses, among others.
ME Matchmaking can help you reach the right decision-makers who are experiencing pain points your product can solve.
The prospects are tailored to your organization’s target group and buyer persona.
3. BUILD LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH PROSPECTS
ME Matchmaking offers meeting packages that allow sales professionals to have virtual meetings with new prospects throughout the year.
The meeting details and information on prospects can all be accessed on the ME Matchmaking platform.
The ME Matchmaking platform can help B2B marketers overcome the challenges of tracking offline conversions (31%) and improving ROI (31%) [Ruler Analytics].
Sales professionals can also create more touchpoints with prospects and share important updates, bringing them one step closer to closing a deal.
The ME Matchmaking meeting packages provide opportunities for sales professionals to network with decision-makers at in-person events and casual social gatherings.
4. INCREASE BRAND VISIBILITY AT VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS
Reach thousands of European decision-makers via online and offline branding opportunities offered by ME Matchmaking.
Online
Via the Aurora Live Network Platform
At virtual insights sessions
In monthly Aurora Live Member Newsletters going out to over 7,000 C-level decision-makers
Offline
At ME Flagship Events, get branding opportunities and access to our in-person events connecting hundreds of top CxOs in the region.
Join our exclusive social gatherings to connect with prospective clients and expand your network in a more casual setting.
With customer satisfaction being the number one measure of sales success (Salesforce), sales professionals are having to constantly step up their game to stand out and close deals. This is increasingly difficult at a time when you must fight for people’s attention which is being pulled in every direction by compelling pitches.
So, once you have secured that 1-to-1 virtual meeting with a C-level prospect, you need to not only be interesting and engaging, but you must also be efficient – the people you are meeting do not have time to waste, after all.
So, how do you maximize a virtual meeting, especially if it is only 15 minutes or less? How can you get the most out of your limited time with a prospect? How can you set yourself up for success in a meeting room?
You excite. You impress. You follow up.
Here are some tips to help elevate your performance in a 1-to-1 virtual meeting with a CxO:
1. Know your prospect, know your product
Alexander Graham Bell once said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success”.
It is always good practice to brush up on your prospect’s organization and needs, as well as what you can offer them specifically. Think about what makes your offer better than any others and design your pitch around that.
If the option is available, you may also want to prepare an agenda and send it over before the meeting, along with instructions on the video conferencing platform and schedule. This will allow attendees to be prepared for the virtual meeting and be as productive as possible throughout the session.
Even if you do not send an agenda to your prospect before the meeting, it is good for you to have one for yourself – a game plan for the structure of the conversation based on the goal you are trying to achieve.
Agenda Example: HR Software Pitch Meeting
In this meeting, you are pitching your company’s HR employee management software to a potential client who is looking to upgrade their legacy systems.
Meeting goal: Explain HR Software packages to a CHRO of Big Company
Warm-up and introductions. Run through meeting agenda.
Clarify what the prospect is looking for.
Explain how your product works and how it can benefit your prospect.
Q&A about your product, if any.
Discuss the next steps – what does your prospect need to do next?
Set up a follow-up meeting.
Wrap up & summarize actions required.
Having an agenda sends the message that you know exactly what you are there for and that you value your prospect’s time. Before you even meet them, you are making a good first impression by exercising efficiency and professionalism.
2. Do a pre-meeting technical check
With a virtual meeting, technical difficulties are inevitable. To mitigate any problems and ensure that the meeting is as smooth as possible – and that you are not wasting precious minutes trying to solve a glitch – do a pre-meeting technical check.
An hour before your meeting, check that you:
Have a stable internet connection
Have a functioning microphone and camera
Have a charger that is connected (if using a laptop)
Have access to the meeting platform
Know how to present your slides/materials
You should also consider where you are setting up for the meeting – are there background noises? Will there be people walking in and out of the room? You should pick a space that will allow you to have a smooth meeting with little to no disruptions.
These are things you should do at least an hour before your meeting so that you have time to sort out any bugs or find a different space to set up, if necessary. Starting out a meeting with technical difficulties on your end will not breed confidence.
3. Enter the room early
It’s a no-brainer that punctuality makes a good impression, both online and offline. In a virtual meeting, it is even better etiquette to be early so you have time to sort out any kinks that may crop up at the last minute on either end. Despite your pre-meeting technical check, you may encounter unforeseen issues. Being early in the room will give you time to fix any issues.
Being the first one in the virtual meeting room also conveys preparedness and reliability. After all, it is a long-established belief that most people make a first impression within 7 seconds of meeting someone – and you want to make the most of that by putting your best foot forward.
4. Warm things up
When you start out your meeting, do not jump straight into business. Take a minute to break the ice. Get everyone comfortable and warmed up. It will work to your advantage if both sides are relaxed and engaged.
This is also when you can go over the meeting structure and expectations.
What are your agenda and expectations?
What are the prospects’ agenda and expectations?
How long will this meeting be?
What is the intended outcome?
It is important to swiftly go through these points to ensure that everyone knows what to expect from each other. It will also help both sides stay focused on the agenda throughout the meeting.
5. Keep it concise
When you are meeting with C-level prospects, a great meeting is a concise one. Do not waste time on overly detailed background information about your company or yourself. You are there to tell the prospect how you can improve their business.
One way to do this is to keep your presentations to just one slide with the most relevant and specific information. You may also include a useful case study. Avoid a multiple-slide deck that is packed with every bit of information you can find. Instead, focus on your prospect and what you can offer them.
There are several formulas for creating a winning pitch but one example by Forbes is the three-part pitch:
A powerful step you can add to this formula is to talk about the decisions that need to be made after this meeting. This is your push for action. Whom does your prospect have to talk to in their organization about your product? What other information do they need from you?
6. Wrap up with actions, decisions & conclusions
Once your meeting is over, do a quick wrap-up. Mention any future actions and decisions that need to be taken following this meeting, on both sides. Include soft deadlines for these because it will things keep moving forward. A lack of a timeline for the next step can end up stalling your discussions altogether.
A summary is crucial to ensure that your presentation is clearly understood and that everyone is on the same page about what they need to do next. This is also the point in the meeting when you will have the chance to confirm potential follow-up meetings.
7. Follow up!
Your job is not done when you leave the virtual meeting room. Rocking your meeting also means putting in effort afterward to follow up with the person you spoke to. Particularly in B2B sales, this is something that should take place within 24 hours of your meeting. It can be something as simple as a note or an email. You will want to thank them for the conversation, provide a short recap of what was discussed, and book follow-up meetings if needed.
Be careful not to make the email or note too casual and with a lack of focus. Consider the client’s needs and be as concise as possible.
Pro Tip: Connect on LinkedIn as well! This will allow you to further strengthen your professional relationship.
Today’s B2B customers are using a mix of virtual and in-person channels to connect with suppliers. Therefore, a hybrid sales strategy is the way to go, with McKinsey predicting that it will be the most dominant way of selling by 2024.
B2B sales professionals need to come up with hybrid sales tactics such as leveraging B2B lead generation services like ME Matchmaking. Here are three reasons why:
1. SAVE TIME FINDING NEW PROSPECTS
Sales professionals only spend 34% of their time on actual selling (HubSpot). The rest of their time is taken up by research, writing emails, updating data, and scheduling client calls.
ME Matchmaking can save valuable time in the initial phase of finding leads – especially when it comes to targeting high-level decision-makers from top companies.
This leaves sales professionals more time to focus on the important stuff – pitching your product and following up with prospects.
This also means less time chasing potential leads for a response, fewer rejections, and reduced stress.
2. CONNECT WITH QUALIFIED LEADS IMMEDIATELY
54% of sales reps report having insufficient data insights into buyer intent (Salesforce). ME Matchmaking offers a solution by matching you with prospects that have interest and investment plans in your area of expertise.
With ME Matchmaking, sales professionals can have conversations with the right decision-makers through pre-matched 1-to-1 meetings.
The meetings are all virtual and pre-scheduled, making it more convenient for sales professionals and prospects.
The meetings are short, allowing sales professionals can skip the small talk and go straight to explaining the benefits of their product.
3. PITCH TO NEW PROSPECTS ALL YEAR LONG
B2B lead generation services help sales reps reach their lead pipeline targets. However, not all services provide a wide range of offerings. While most services stop at generating leads, ME Matchmaking provides sales reps opportunities to:
Have meetings with new prospects throughout the year.
And engage with prospects in-person at social get-togethers and events.
ME Matchmaking helps sales reps create more touchpoints with prospects in digital and physical spaces, bringing them one step closer to closing a deal.
As cloud takes over as the mainframe of business with more and more tools and applications being transferred over, questions of security, reliability and privacy arise. Currently, there are three major cloud service providers, and they are all US-based. For European companies, how does this affect business? How can leaders ensure that their data is safe in the hands of these organizations and that they comply with EU regulations?
We tackle these questions and more with Antonietta Mastroianni, Chief Digital and IT Officer at Proximus and Vice Chair of Finance at GAIA-X. GAIA-X is a project that is part of the broader strategy under the von der Leyen Commission of European Strategic Autonomy to develop a federation of data infrastructure and service providers in Europe to ensure European digital sovereignty.
Antonietta Mastroianni is the Chief Digital and IT Officer at Proximus and Vice Chair of Finance at GAIA-X. She is an influential IT leader with over two decades of experience within the telco industry and was recently named the Telco Woman of the Year 2022.
Tell us more about your role at GAIA-X and Proximus. What do these roles have in common?
Both roles are linked, and they are both very interesting. At Proximus, I’m the Chief Digital and IT Officer, meaning I am responsible for all aspects of planning, building, and running IT and digital functions. This includes rollout in production, digital strategy, and application. These are particularly important in Proximus as we are expanding our offerings into an ecosystem, moving beyond just telco services and products. Beyond that, I’m also responsible for the data architecture because it’s not only about having all businesses running, but also about innovation and transformation, exploring different ecosystems for B2C and B2B customers. The role of data in digital transformation and acceleration is extremely important as it drives automation and AI.
At GAIA-X, I am the Vice Chair of Finance. It’s an interesting project because, for the first time, Europe is getting together to set some standards that define not only the infrastructure but also the architecture, labeling, and rules for data. It is to make sure that we not only have the technology but also the governance in place for a fair exchange of data creation and storage in a secure way according to European guidelines. Both roles support each other.
Why do you think US-based hyper-scalers have managed to secure such a big market in data?
I think they’re extremely good at what they do. They had a very focused target and some of the technology has become part of our daily lives. Without the solutions they produce, our lives would be very different. Of course, if you provide a solution that helps people and you’re able to do it at a certain speed of innovation while maintaining a high-quality of product, then it is easy to scale. When it becomes a fundamental part of people’s lives, there is power as well.
Where does GAIA-X stand in terms of working with these hyper-scalers?
I think partnering is the right approach. For example, if you have a level two or three cloud, we have a strategy for partnering with a hyper-scaler. At the same time, being part of GAIA-X means being an active contributor to setting regulations. You cannot stop the technology and it’s important that the right level of partnership and transparency is established in terms of the “what, where, and when” of data usage.
“Technology is advancing fast and the key to the future is partnering.”
To what extent can Europe become independent from US-based hyper scalers? And does GAIA-X have a strategy for this?
There are well-defined levels of cloud. At levels three and four, of course, the data is stored in Europe and there are certain levels of confidential computing that guarantee you have control of your operation and privacy. At GAIA-X, we have worked out the labeling for level three. These are a set of regulations that should provide the highest security and protection. If everyone follows these rules, technology can evolve safely.
In terms of sovereign cloud offerings in Europe, I hope we can do that soon. Right now, we’re still behind compared to US providers. We must accept this and accelerate the evolution of European providers. However, it will take a while to reach that same level of performance and durability.
Why are Europe-based cloud providers running behind? And what can they do to catch up to their US counterparts?
In the past, we’ve focused less on this. Also, technology has evolved so fast, especially with the enormous digital acceleration due to COVID. I think we are behind because we did not expect such a rapid rate of adoption of these technologies, and we were unprepared.
Would you suggest that people should change from US providers to European ones, to aid in this growth?
No, I’m very much in favor of partnering. I think there is no point in taking a radical approach. We live in a connected world. Instead, I think it’s a question of following the right rules and choosing the right ways to implement solutions. This includes finding partners and ensuring that everyone’s interests are protected.
Legislation is often adaptive, a reaction to something that has already occurred. But Proximus and GAIA-X have a more proactive approach that emphasizes collaboration. Can you expand on that?
Different members of GAIA-X share solutions and we have been working on various projects that take in these various inputs to create more end-to-end cooperation. The project is still young, so it’ll be a while before we see any huge impact. However, it’s heading in the right direction.
I emphasize that it’s not a competition.
“We are working together to create an architecture and a standard that can be implemented to enable everyone to make the best use of technology.”
How can good data organization, ownership, and governance benefit society at large?
I’ll give the example of the flooding in Belgium last year. We have been building a solution to create an alert system to prevent people from getting caught or exposed to such conditions when it happens. This is an example of how data can be used for the good of society.
This technology can also be steered in different directions and GAIA-X is about helping ensure that it is going in the right direction.
What are the benefits of a Top 500 company in Europe working with GAIA-X?
There are benefits in terms of cloud infrastructure and data labeling. The future will be all about data more than software development, in my opinion, and GAIA-X will be able to steer innovation in this field. That’s a major benefit for companies that work with the project.
Beyond that, there is the benefit of interconnection with other companies – sharing information, creating partnerships, and exploring funding opportunities. The project is a collaboration of the best professionals in this space, so there is also the benefit of knowledge sharing and growth.
