September 18, 2024 – The first day of Info-Tech LIVE 2024 kicked off with an exceptional lineup of sessions focused on empowering IT leaders to navigate the fast-paced world of Exponential IT. With over 2,000 IT executives and thought leaders in attendance, day one delivered strategic insights on the future of IT leadership, generative AI, and emerging trends for 2025.
Key Highlights from Day 1 Featured Keynotes:
1. Exponential IT in Motion: Transform Your Organization by Transforming IT
Speaker: Dr. Tom Zehren, CEO, Info-Tech Research Group
In the opening keynote, Dr. Tom Zehren emphasized the need for IT leaders to not only keep up with the pace of technological change but also to transform their departments into strategic drivers of innovation. He provided a clear roadmap for leveraging Exponential IT to ensure business value, setting a dynamic tone for the rest of the conference.
Key Takeaways:
- Being a CIO is one of the most challenging C-suite roles. Constant change, driven by rapid technological advancements every 18 months, is forcing CIOs to adapt to shifting fundamentals while managing under-resourced teams, talent shortages, rising project complexity, vendor risk, and cybersecurity threats.
- The Era of Digitalization has concluded, marking the beginning of the Era of Autonomization. In this new phase, technologies like AI will enable organizational capabilities to operate autonomously, reducing or eliminating the need for human decision-making.
2. Bending the Exponential IT Curve: Exciting Advancements in IT Process Improvement
Speaker: Aaron Shum, VP of Research & Advisory, Info-Tech Research Group
Aaron Shum presented a compelling session on how IT leaders can optimize their processes to capitalize on advancements in Exponential IT. Shum highlighted how organizations can use process improvements to stay ahead in an environment where technology is advancing faster than ever before.
Key Takeaways:
- 57% of IT leaders believe AI will disrupt their organizations within the next 12 months, while 35% predict disruption from other emerging technologies.
- Charting the Exponential IT journey requires focusing on achievable milestones that lead toward an Exponential IT future.
- Urgency should be established based on disruptive technologies within the industry. Purpose-built innovations are already delivering value, and further advancements are expected as industry-specific applications gain traction.
- Value can be delivered through process improvements, exceeding stakeholder expectations by implementing technologies that generate exponential returns.
3. Tech Trends 2025: What’s Coming and What to Do About It
Speaker: Rob Meikle, Executive Counselor, Info-Tech Research Group
Rob Meikle delivered a forward-looking analysis based on Info-Tech’s Tech Trends 2025 report, highlighting critical technology shifts such as AI, cybersecurity, and quantum computing. Meikle provided clear steps IT leaders can take now to capitalize on these trends and ensure long-term success.
The Tech Trends 2025 report was officially released during the keynote, offering a deeper dive into these emerging technologies and strategic recommendations to navigate the most pressing trends expected to shape IT. For more details on the report, view the Tech Trends 2025 report press release.
Brian Jackson, lead author of the Tech Trends 2025 report, is available for media interviews and questions during LIVE 2024. To schedule an interview or request further insights, please reach out to pr@infotech.com.
Key Takeaways:
- According to Info-Tech Research Group’s Future of IT survey, AI-powered cyberattacks are the top concern for IT leaders, rated 5 out of 5. Specifically, deepfake phishing attacks across audio and video channels were rated 4 out of 5, making them a more pressing issue than risks such as encryption vulnerabilities or securing IoT devices.
- 27% of surveyed organizations have yet to invest in AI but plan to do so in 2025.
- Over 90% of organizations are expected to deploy chatbot agents for employees by the end of 2026.
- 31% of the most mature IT organizations plan to invest in post-quantum cryptography by the end of 2025, compared to only 15% of average maturity organizations.
4. IT Talent Trends 2025: Prepare for the Year Ahead
Speaker: Amanda Mathieson, Principal Research Director, Info-Tech Research Group
Amanda Mathieson delivered valuable insights into the IT talent landscape of 2025, focusing on how to address upcoming challenges, including talent shortages and integrating AI skills. Mathieson’s session offered practical advice for IT leaders to prepare their teams for the future, ensuring organizational agility and resilience.
While the full IT Talent Trends 2025 report is set to be released in December 2024, Mathieson’s session offered an early look into the critical trends shaping the future of IT talent management. The comprehensive report will provide IT leaders with the insights they need to address these challenges and drive long-term success.
For media inquiries regarding the upcoming IT Talent Trends 2025 report or to request an interview with Info-Tech’s experts on the topic, including Amanda Mathieson, please contact pr@infotech.com.
Key Takeaways:
- The top three IT talent risks identified by over 50% of respondents are cost (e.g., salary expectations), ranked #1; capability (e.g., skills), ranked #2; and capacity (e.g., sufficient resources), ranked #3.
- The traditional IT structure must be reimagined to align with the future of technology. According to McLean & Company data, a division of Info-Tech Research Group specializing in HR research and advisory, 86% of IT leaders agree or strongly agree that improving the employee experience is a top priority.
- 27% of CIOs believe that all current skills within their teams need to change to support the future of IT. In comparison, 54% of individual contributors believe all managerial skills must evolve to meet the demands of IT in 2030.
5. GenAI Applied: How IT will be Impacted by Technology Advancement
Speaker: Rory Richardson, Director of GenAI at Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Rory Richardson, Director of GenAI at Amazon Web Services (AWS), provided a deep dive into the impact of generative AI on IT. Richardson’s session illustrated how GenAI is reshaping business functions and offered real-world examples of how IT departments can leverage this technology to drive efficiency, improve decision-making, and unlock new opportunities for innovation.
Key Takeaways:
- Generative AI is enabling developers and businesses to automate routine tasks, improving efficiency and allowing for more strategic focus.
- AI-driven tools are fostering a democratization of development, empowering more people to create and innovate with technology.
- The evolution of GenAI is advancing human cognitive potential, pushing organizations towards a more data-driven culture and deeper integration of AI into everyday business processes.
Looking Ahead to Day 2 at Info-Tech LIVE 2024
With the first day of the conference delivering in-depth discussions on IT transformation, process optimization, and the future of AI, attendees gained actionable strategies to drive immediate impact within their organizations. The insights shared by industry leaders set a strong foundation for the rest of the conference, as day two of Info-Tech LIVE 2024 dives into critical topics like cybersecurity, AI governance, and the evolving role of IT leadership, with featured speakers such as Daniel Pink, Bill Wong, Geoff Neilson, Jack Hakimian, and Johh Annand.
For media inquiries, including requests for on-site interviews with featured speakers and experts at LIVE 2024, or for access to session recordings and additional content, please contact pr@infotech.com. For conference-related press releases and images, please visit the online Info-Tech LIVE 2024 Media Kit.
Media Passes for Info-Tech LIVE 2024
Info-Tech LIVE 2024 is currently taking place September 17 to 19, 2024, at the iconic Bellagio in Las Vegas, offering journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest technology research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. Media passes are still available for both in-person and digital passes, which provide access to keynotes and media briefings. Interested media professionals can contact pr@infotech.com for additional details.
About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
To learn more about Info-Tech’s divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software-buying insights.
Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.
For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.
Media Contact
Sufyan Al-Hassan, Senior PR Manager
Info-Tech Research Group
salhassan@infotech.com | +1 (888) 670-8889 x2418