What CIOs need to consider in 2023 as APAC societies face a multi-cloud future dominated by edge computing, quantum computing, and digital twins for sustainable cities
At Dell Technologies’ recent “2023 Resolutions” Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) media briefing, Amit Midha, President, Asia-Pacific & Japan and Global Digital Cities, and John Roese, Global Chief Technology Officer, discussed some New Year resolutions that CIOs should commit to – to make the most of emerging technologies in 2023.
Underlining how digital solutions will shape the future of society in APJ, they also shared how 2022 has shown that digital transformation and innovation are more essential than ever.
Managing long-term costs of cloud and deciding nature of multi-cloud edge architecture among top CIO priorities for 2023
Roese outlined emerging technologies and where CIOs can take action on them this coming year. He highlighted that organizations can no longer afford to be over-budget due to an inefficient distribution of their IT capabilities on the cloud and that there is a need to understand long-term costs.
“It is crucial that modern companies adopt a multicloud approach that allows them to have ultimate control over their data and applications, residing wherever it makes the most sense for them. The approach should also be more cost-effective and reduce the overall complexity of the cloud,” Roese shared.
Roese also pointed out the importance of supporting customers and partners to decide what their multi-cloud edge architecture will look like in the long-term. “In 2023, more of our data and processing will be needed in the real world. The edge is now everywhere and the opportunities for edge computing are endless. If organizations do not make a decision about which edge architecture they want in the long-term, they may end up with multiple edges,” Roese said.
“We need to have a strategic view as we take charge of our architecture. Evaluating current models and identifying the architecture that will best allow us to manage and orchestrate data and workloads across clouds without added complexity and hidden costs is critical.”
Empower customers and partners to align their cybersecurity strategy across the data center, clouds and at the edge
Roese emphasized the importance of defining an organization’s Zero Trust control plane to achieve consistent identity, policy and threat management for the total enterprise. In a multicloud world that is highly distributed and connected, Zero Trust will become an essential cornerstone of data security and trust.
Midha noted that as the digital transformation of the global economy picks up pace, the number of potential attack surfaces will increase. According to Dell Technologies’ Global Data Protection Index 2022, 74% of respondents from APJ (excluding China) are concerned that they will experience a disruptive event in the next 12 months. “We are working with customers and partners to help simplify their security transformations, equipping them with the right strategies to better secure their data, wherever it may be,” Midha said.
Determine quantum-safe cryptography risks for the organisation and establish early skill sets to take advantage of quantum computing
“Quantum computing is getting real – in a few years, we will have access to large enough quantum systems that will pose significant risk to encrypted data across public networks. However, organizations now also have the tools to make their data quantum safe,” Roese commented.
Organizations need to first catalogue their cryptographic assets across the entire enterprise and identify threats that they face. They then need to invest in quantum simulation and enable their data science and AI teams to learn the new languages and capability of quantum to be ready to take on associated challenges.
Technology will continue to be pivotal to driving the future of society in APJ
“Technology remains at the forefront of transformation, digital unity and driving human progress. APJ’s continued growth is expected despite the uncertain macroeconomic climate, and the region’s population will continue to increase. We need to expand how we think about technology to better harness it. This will help us navigate and shape the future of society,” Midha shared.
“Digital solutions are essential to driving human progress, including accelerating sustainable cities of the future,” said Midha. Through technology such as digital twins, cities can build towards their sustainability and climate goals by modeling and better understanding energy consumption patterns and emissions.
Finally, Midha noted that technology has the potential to advance economic well-being and equality. He underscored the importance of creating connected, digitally powered societies for all, based on digital unity, and not divides. Doing so requires digital integration and the empowerment of the next generation to discover and develop their agency as they become driving forces of technology in the market and the workforce.
“I believe the APJ region will continue to progress and transform as we harness digital technologies to build the future of society and drive digital unity,” Midha concluded.
