Latest news with #CIO
The Australian
21 hours ago
- Business
- The Australian
Smarter strategies to tackle tech's biggest questions
Technological advancements are happening at pace, but organisations can make the biggest impact by focusing investment in the right areas. NTT DATA has partnered with The Australian to show how businesses can make strategic technology decisions for their future. Organisations of all sizes, across a range of industries are battling with the same big technology questions: How can we safely incorporate AI at scale? And how can we strengthen our cybersecurity resilience? They're questions that should be at the top of any CEO's agenda, according to NTT DATA ANZ CEO David McKeering. He said that while businesses were facing other challenges – such as global economic volatility and a tight labour market – the importance of technology has drastically changed in the past two years. This is due to the widespread adoption of AI, where technology can now be an organisation's competitive differentiator. 'The unprecedented rate of change means that the role of the CIO is critical – they need to lay out a technology strategy that enables long-term organisational success, as well as protect a business against a cybersecurity breach, which can have a long-lasting impact on the business,' Mr McKeering said. 'Many clients that we're working with today – whether government or private enterprise – are trying to navigate the board's expectation to move at speed by leveraging the benefits of AI, especially agentic AI. 'They are doing this while being challenged by the limitations of existing technology infrastructure that, unless upgraded, does not allow them to fully realise the cost and value outcomes from AI.' Mr McKeering explained that in cybersecurity the question the board wanted to know was 'Could this happen to us?' He said having the right processes and cyber resiliency in place is critical to be able to answer that. He added that the key to a successful technology strategy today was to plan and invest in good technology foundations. This is often around core platform infrastructure that can then be the engine for long-term innovation, and allow the speed of adoption of new technology and resilience from emerging risks. In most cases this will involve a critical review of the end-to-end technology 'stack', and stress-testing where the possible limitations or pain points are. 'When we do this, we often see a long-term underinvestment in infrastructure provides the most risk in enabling innovation. For example, legacy infrastructure may be the constraint to moving from innovative proof-of-concept AI projects to large-scale AI deployments,' Mr McKeering said. TRUST IS KEY No matter the industry, or size of an organisation, its ongoing success is built on a level of trust, Mr McKeering said. 'For any organisation that provides a service to a community or to another business, as soon as the trust piece has gone, their value to that client starts to erode,' he said. To bolster this vital sense of trust, cybersecurity needs to be at the forefront of all systems.' Cybersecurity is not just a point in time,' Mr McKeering said. 'It's continuous across everything that we do in business.' He said that by focusing on protecting data and intellectual property, an organisation is safeguarding themselves from the fallout of a cyber attack. 'For every CEO or anybody in any sort of position in a company where you're managing not only the data, but the intellectual property, you're focused on customer trust. 'No one is exempt from this, from the biggest enterprises, to the government, to the small and medium enterprises as well. Cyber security is a critical part of showing you are a safe business to partner with.' WHY AI WILL NEVER BE SET AND FORGET AI – and now more specifically agentic AI – is being embraced globally as a new way to bring value through competitive differentiation and cost efficiencies. But Mr McKeering warned that a successful AI strategy would always involve people. '(It's important) that ideas generated by AI are vetted, refined, and then guided by human review, and that ethical consideration is taken around what's appropriate.' He said that if organisations did this well, there were incredible opportunities – and not just for efficiency gains. 'We are seeing clients starting to use AI in the development of new services or products, which has introduced new revenue streams,' he added. But Mr McKeering warned that while using AI in this way might be tempting for a lot of organisations, it was always crucial to keep the end user in mind. He said that by partnering with NTT DATA – an organisation with global expertise, strong local presence and extensive research in the best ways to use AI – business leaders could get support when making these critical decisions. 'We can use predictive analytics, so clients can anticipate outcomes about any new services before they hit the market.' These insights are drawn from global learnings, as well as extensive investments in research and development, enabling NTT DATA to provide effective technology strategies for each organisation they partner with. 'We focus on the business outcome that our clients are trying to achieve, and work with them to use technology as an enabler to get that outcome,' Mr McKeering said. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ NTT DATA is a trusted global innovator of business and technology services and is committed to helping clients innovate, optimise and transform for long-term success. Register to attend the Ignite Roadshow now or visit NTT DATA. Read our policy on commercial content here. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular adventure playground at risk of closure over lack of funds
A city adventure playground is at risk of closure just two years before its 50th anniversary. Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground CIO provides after school and holiday provisions for eight to 13-year-olds. In a letter shared with this newspaper, the CIO stated it will have to temporarily close from September 1 due to a lack of funds. A meeting will be held on Friday, August 8 at 4pm to discuss ideas on how to keep it open. In the meantime, a fundraising page has been set up with a target of £3,000. In the letter, it said: "We are writing to inform you about a very difficult decision regarding Blackbird Leys Adventure Playground (BLAP). Starting September 1, BLAP will be temporarily closing. READ MORE: 10 criminals jailed at Oxford Crown Court during July A youngster enjoying the adventure playground (Image: Jon Lewis) "We are aware of the impact this will have on many families. We hope, but cannot guarantee, to be reopen by Christmas. "We are inviting you to a meeting at BLAP on Friday, August 8 at 4pm. A bouncy castle will be available (already paid for as part of the play-scheme) so your children can play while we meet. "We will listen to ideas you may have to help BLAP reopen as soon as possible." It added: "This decision has not been taken lightly. Unfortunately, our current financial situation leaves us with no other choice. "Rising operational costs, funding cuts, and the challenging economic climate have created a shortfall that we cannot immediately overcome. "During this temporary closure, two important things will happen. We are seeking funds for essential renovation work to take place. "We are working together within this time to apply for major grants and funding, so that BLAP can return stronger and more sustainable." On its upcoming anniversary, the letter said: "BLAP will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027, and we are determined to keep our gates open so that all children - past, present, and future - can enjoy this special place. "We now turn to you, our wonderful parents and supporters, for help. "If you can, please consider making a voluntary donation to help us through this crisis. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a real difference. "Please share with family and friends and workplace who might be able to donate or share through their social media platforms. "The cost of running BLAP has increased including a 25 per cent in staff costs in the last three years." It added: "Every pound donated goes directly towards keeping BLAP alive for the children in our community. "Thank you for your continued support over the years. "Together, we can ensure that BLAP reopens, thrives, and celebrates its 50th birthday with all of you by our side." For more on the fundraiser, visit:
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
BlackRock's Rick Rieder: I Think Rates Can Come Down
BlackRock CIO of Global Fixed Income Rick Rieder sees a resilient US economy driven by a strong service sector, robust equity market techniclas, and moderating inflation. He warns, however, that the long end of the yield curve faces headwinds from rising debt issuance. Still, Rieder is bullish on transformative innovation, particularly AI, automation, and data-driven business models, which he believes mark the most exciting investment period in decades. (Source: Bloomberg)
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Oracle (ORCL) Upgraded to ‘Overweight' and Price Target Raised to $270 at Piper Sandler
Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the growth stocks that could double by 2027. On July 10, Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to 'Overweight' and hiked the price target to $270 from $190. The adjustments are in response to significant shifts in CIO spending priorities owing to artificial intelligence. Ken Wolter/ According to Piper Sandler, a recent CIO Survey has affirmed a significant spending backdrop for AI infrastructure, which heightens risks to the broader application category. Consequently, Oracle remains well-positioned to benefit from the new trend. 'CIOs planning a material increase in OCI spending shot up to 27% from 18%, 15%, and 4% in previous surveys,' the analysts noted. They also cited growing enterprise demand, which could 'add another layer of growth to the outsized OpenAI-Stargate opportunity.' Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) is a technology company that provides a wide range of products and services for enterprise software and cloud computing. It is best known for its database software, particularly the Oracle Database, and also offers a suite of cloud applications for various business functions. While we acknowledge the potential of ORCL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Declining Policy Uncertainty Will Drive Markets Higher, Standard Chartered Says
Steve Brice, Standard Chartered Wealth Solutions Group CIO, says "declining policy uncertainty" in the second half of the year, together with a weaker US dollar, will "drive markets higher." He shares his outlook for the financial markets on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)
