Boracay — Cloud, cybersecurity, people, and sustainability were just a few of the highlights that decision-makers recognize as key drivers of modernization within organizations. At the 5th edition of VST ECS CXO Innovation Summit which is ongoing until Nov. 25, C-level executives highlighted the technologies that will shape and reshape business transformation.

“We have seen a massive shift in IT prioritization requiring organizations to recalibrate technologies spending and speed up IT investment,” said Jimmy Go, president and CEO at VST ECS Phils. Inc. “As digital adoption takes a quantum leap, new opportunities emerge but it is also sad that we are exposed to (many) vulnerabilities.”

Keynotes emphasized how cloud and security meet at the intersection of modernization and business evolution. People and culture, industry skills, and sustainability are now key drivers in business transformation. Based on the talks, the cloud is poised to become the most indispensable technology as organizations sustain the digital transformation they jumpstarted — and accelerated — during the pandemic.

In a separate media briefing, Go said that digital and IT adoption continues at a pace where investments will pour into different verticals and that includes devices that are essential for hybrid work. He emphasized that IT will be at the center of innovation even during difficult times and most especially with the adoption of emerging technologies.”

“During tough times, some enterprises will be capping their annual budget,” Go explained. “However, there is a difference this time because, during these uncertain times, IT will no longer be considered an OpEx (operational expenditure). It will not be the one that will be cut but it will be considered a strategic investment for the survival and success of an enterprise.”

As economies ease into a post-global health crisis era, digitalization remains at an accelerated phase wherein agility is imperative and modernization will enable organizations to scale their businesses. The path of modernization varies and depends largely on organizations.

“Modernization can be in any of these areas like cybersecurity, data protection, storage, networking, cloud solutions, collaboration, process, automation, and many others,” Go said. “However, there is no one size fits all. Every enterprise and every company is different but ultimately, IT modernization initiatives should resolve into business transformation.”

VST ECS CXO Innovation Summit features enterprise vendors and partners all highlighting solutions that are essential in business transformation as the world eases into pre-pandemic levels of activity. Representatives from Adobe, APC, Aruba, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Fortinet, HPE, Huawei, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Oracle, Trend Micro, VMware, and YugabyteDB, discussed how the business operations landscape is perpetually changing. To future-proof operations and avoid disruptions, companies need to ensure that they have the right technology to serve customers better.