FutureIT Toronto 2025: AI, Data and Tech Leadership
Stay tuned for the forthcoming agenda! Meanwhile, here’s a reflection of 2024 FutureIT Toronto program to give you a glimpse of the high-quality sessions and insights you can expect in 2025.
All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.
Tuesday, September 24
Join us to kick-off FutureIT Toronto’s fall edition, hear about the top trends in the industry and meet your host.
You’ve spent the past year dreaming of, experimenting with, and piloting GenAI projects. One year later, you’ve likely run 33 GenAI POCs that resulted in 4 production roll outs; and it is becoming clear that a lack of skills, concerns about data protection, and GenAI costs are getting in the way of scaled rollout. How do you build to the AI vision of productivity gains, improved customer engagement, and revenue growth when there are so many obstacles? Join Rick Villars, IDC’s Group Vice President, World Wide Research, as he offers practical guidance on architecting the AI-fueled business, building the AI tech foundation, securing and governing the AI enterprise, and creating business value. Rick will share IDC’s most recent research from your peers on use case prioritization, data and model management, governance practices, and expected ROIs.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the future holds transformative potential for businesses across all sectors. In this session, we will explore key areas of AI technology that could reshape the business landscape in the coming years. The session will focus on the impact of AI Agents on business interactions with customers and employees, examine how AI workloads will redefine the design of core IT infrastructure from data centers to remote edge locations. We will also discuss how these technologies will influence workforce dynamics and will transform our interaction with technology in the years to come.
In an era where cyber threats are escalating in both frequency and sophistication, the disparity between organizations that are resilient to these threats and those that are not, is widening at an alarming rate. This panel will delve into the factors contributing to this growing divide, such as budgetary constraints, skill shortages, and the rapid evolution of AI-driven cyber threats. With a majority of cybersecurity and business leaders expressing concern that generative AI will benefit attackers more than defenders, we will explore whether AI can still be a game-changer for defense strategies. Join us as we discuss how organizations can leverage AI to enhance their cybersecurity posture and feel more secure in their adoption of AI technologies.
The power of AI to convert data’s potential to realize business goals and make critical decisions across an enterprise is immense. With the proliferation of data and its many sources, it’s essential that organizations have confidence in their data. Learn how AI agents or co-pilots can act as intelligent assistants for ensuring trustworthy results for various job functions.
- YASH – Your Right Sized Partner of Choice, presented by YASH Technologies
- Build AI Success on Trusted Data, presented by Informatica
- Are you Ready for Business AI?, presented by SAP
Pull up a chair and enjoy lunch with your new contacts, meet our sponsors and learn how their solutions can help you overcome your latest challenges.
Cloudflare’s extensive network, spanning over 330 cities worldwide, serves as a powerful threat intelligence platform, offering real-time insights into the latest attack patterns, emerging vulnerabilities, and evolving adversary tactics. In this session, we’ll analyze the most pressing threats, from DDoS and bot assaults to sophisticated application-layer attacks, and examine their potential impacts on businesses. We’ll also explore how organizations can navigate the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape by adopting adaptive and resilient security strategies, ensuring they stay one step ahead in the ongoing battle against cyber threats.
The only constant is change, as the saying goes – though the frequency of shifting markets and corporate objectives is at an all-time high. Moving from fixed IT costs to variable cloud spend, adjusting to fluctuating workforces, and moving from project to product development processes all require a new way of doing things. So, how do we move from the static to the dynamic and successfully navigate this new landscape? Moreover, how do we justify our decisions with data while balancing costs with investment and innovation? It requires a strategic transformation that begins with a single view across operational and financial data. In this session you will learn how to leverage organizational data for richer insights, track and monitor spend across IT, workforce, and development and ensure alignment between corporate objectives and resource investments.
The digital landscape is shifting rapidly, replacing traditional B2B and B2C models with a B2Ecosystem approach. In this new paradigm, hyper-personalized services and products are delivered via interconnected digital platforms. Businesses must embrace this transformation, where AI is embedded everywhere, and voice-assisted interactions replace conventional interfaces. Low-code/no-code development, coupled with AI and automation, will permeate the entire software development lifecycle, slashing development cycles by 50-70%. These advancements enable unprecedented agility and speed, allowing organizations to innovate rapidly and adapt to changing market demands. This session will explore how these technological shifts are reshaping industries and offer insights into how businesses can position themselves for success in this evolving ecosystem.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has grown rapidly in recent years, significantly impacting various industries, including cybersecurity. This presentation will move beyond sensationalized and dystopian views of AI. Instead, we’ll focus on its practical contributions and risks in cybersecurity. We’ll explore how AI is driving revolutionary advancements in cybersecurity and how bad actors are using it to enhance their attack techniques. Additionally, we’ll discuss why human interaction remains crucial at this stage of AI evolution.
Join in on one of our thematic table topics hosted by industry experts, and have a deep dive discussion with fellow peers and professionals and participate in interactive discussions tailored to your interests. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your knowledge and connect with experts.
AI Resiliency: Securing the Future, hosted by Dell Technologies
Cybersecurity Insights, hosted by BDO
Governance and Risk of GenAI, hosted by Informatica
Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Sustainable Business Growth, hosted by YASH
Leveraging Emerging Technologies, hosted by Iron Mountain
Leveraging Emerging Technologies, hosted by SAS
Mixing technology & intelligence to combat threats, hosted by ESET
Next Gen Cloud Strategies, hosted by Cloudflare
Ransomware Readiness, hosted by Veeam
Ransomware Readiness, hosted by 11:11 Systems
Transparency into IT investments, hosted by Appito
Core AI Use Cases & Blockers to Success for Enterprise Customers, hosted by Lenovo
Are you ready for business AI?, hosted by SAP
Enhance Workplace Productivity Using AI Companion, hosted by Zoom
Step into the evolving world of IT leadership, where innovation meets operational demands. This talk uncovers how IT leaders can navigate today’s challenges, from aligning strategy with business goals to harnessing AI’s potential. It also offers insights into the current landscape of GenAI and its implications for technology and business.
There is powerful potential locked up in your data, holding the key to driving innovation, enhancing decision-making, and streamlining operations. As organizations scale AI capabilities, the focus shifts from merely accessing data to leveraging it effectively and securely. This session explores how AI PCs empower your teams to unlock critical AI use cases—from predictive analytics to creative automation—redefining the role of personal computing in the enterprise AI ecosystem. Discover how embracing AI PCs can transform your organization’s AI deployment, making it more personal, productive, and protected.
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, AI presents a wealth of opportunities for IT leaders to drive both innovation and profitability. This panel will explore the critical steps to overcoming barriers to AI adoption, focusing on cost-effective strategies that align with C-suite priorities like revenue growth and operational efficiency. Our expert speakers will discuss how businesses can leverage AI to optimize cloud costs, scale operations, and enhance productivity. Additionally, we’ll highlight the importance of having robust data as the foundation for a successful AI strategy and provide insights into creating an internal and external customer roadmap that directly impacts revenue. Join us to learn how to craft a strategic, cost-effective AI roadmap that delivers tangible business results.
Join us for an exciting session where top IT leaders and CIOs from across Canada take center stage to showcase their award-winning projects. These leaders have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to driving digital transformation, operational excellence, and innovative solutions within their organizations. In this panel, they will share insights into the challenges they faced, the strategies they employed, and the measurable impacts their projects have had on business outcomes. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best and gain inspiration for your own initiatives.
Wrap up the day with refreshments while making some final connections to complete your event experience.
Sponsored by Dell Technologies.