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As the IT landscape continually evolves, CIOs and IT decision makers face an increasingly complex array of challenges. The most pressing involve decisions concerning when to adopt new technologies. For example, consider the decisions VMware customers are now being forced to make after its recent acquisition by Broadcom. Many organizations with perpetual VMware licenses are facing significant annual fee increases demanded by VMware. In fact, according to Device42, “some VMware customers are experiencing cost increases of as much as 1,200%.” VMware products that were once available for license purchase are now only being offered as part of subscription bundles, leading to steep price hikes over multi-year terms. Why get locked into a costly contract when you have alternatives? Start by keeping these three considerations in mind as you build out your VMware roadmap strategy. 1. Weigh your virtualization options VMware’s shift in licensing strategy has left many organizations in a state of uncertainty, and potentially locked into multi-year terms. Perpetual licensees that have made substantial investments in their existing VMware infrastructure now find themselves under pressure to either accept the new terms or explore alternative solutions. This situation creates an immediate need for adequate time to make optimal decisions, and explore all options, including VMware alternatives such as commercial and open-source hypervisors and virtualization solutions, public and private clouds, and container platforms. With renewals fast approaching, enterprises lack the time necessary to evaluate and shift to alternative virtualization environments (this includes hypervisors, management systems and myriad ancillary tools for things like high availability and virtual machine backup to name a few). For many, these are business-critical systems, and exploring self-support options is too risky. Therefore, the focus must shift toward strategies that allow organizations to “buy time” and find certainty during uncertain times. 2. Plan for long-term success The concept of buying time is not merely about delaying decisions but also about creating a buffer to thoroughly analyze all available options without feeling forced to make a quick move. And this is exactly where Rimini Street can help. Rimini Street offers VMware customers an alternative, comprehensive annual support program that can enable them to continue using their perpetual licenses to run critical business applications while maximizing the value of their VMware investment. With  Rimini Protect™, Rimini Consult™ and Rimini Support™ for VMware, organizations have time to make these and other critical infrastructure decisions while receiving Rimini Street award-winning premium support, continued security protection, and expert guidance to help clients optimize their current VMware investments while building an infrastructure roadmap for the future. The rapid pace of technological change often means vendors roll out innovations faster than IT leaders can assess or implement them. You need to evaluate virtualization solutions not just for your current needs but also for their capability to support cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), and future emerging tech. Buying time can help enable you to better mitigate and minimize risks while planning for long-term success. 3. Engage a trusted IT advisor and partner As a VMware customer you do have options—you can diversify through different virtualization providers, or you can lift and shift all your workloads over to another provider or cloud. By engaging with Rimini Street, a trusted advisor and objective partner in the industry, we can help identify your best path forward, aligning technology strategy with your business objectives. You’ve likely made significant investments in your current VMware infrastructure, and we can share advice and counsel on how to both continue leveraging your mature and proven VMware infrastructure platform and get the premium, mission-critical quality support and services you need at a price point you can afford. Turning challenges into opportunities While the uncertainty introduced by VMware’s licensing changes may feel daunting, it’s actually a great opportunity for organizations to take control of their VMware strategy. By engaging a trusted IT advisor and partner in Rimini Street, organizations gain time and empower IT leaders to make strategic, informed decisions that align with their long-term goals. Learn more: Discover how Rimini Support for VMware, Rimini Protect and Rimini Consult, a trio of powerful, proven solutions immediately available for VMware products, can help you take control of your VMware strategy today. source

“If I was an enterprise CIO, I would not use the hosted version of DeepSeek, from DeepSeek via the API. Their terms of service (ToS) explicitly states that they [DeepSeek] will log all queries, metadata, etc and that will be domiciled in China,” said Greg Ceccarelli, advisor at US-based venture capital firm Tola Capital. While the use of DeepSeek’s models via cloud service providers and other platforms, such as Azure, AWS, Hugging Face, and Snowflake, is widely considered safe given that they don’t send back telemetry to DeepSeek, Eden Digital’s Clifford said that the ban may encompass these companies as well and they may be forced to stop offering the model. However, Bradley Shimmin, chief analyst at Omdia pointed out that model users, be those consumers or enterprises, need to be very careful about where they access this model, whether that’s stateside or overseas. source

Alex Chi – Chief Information Digital Officer (S P Setia) In 2025, AI will transform into ‘everyday AI’ — affordable, utility-based, and accessible to all. From simplifying daily tasks to boosting personal productivity, it will empower individuals to level up their skills and unlock new opportunities. For businesses, this means reimagining their offerings to keep pace, as ‘good enough’ won’t cut it anymore. The challenge will be staying competitive in a world where AI amplifies expectations, requiring a growth mindset and clarity on the ultimate goal. As AI becomes a natural extension of our lives, those who embrace it with purpose will thrive. Alex Tan – Group Chief Information Officer (Yinson) As 2025 unfolds, we foresee a shift in the technology landscape: The generative AI (genAI) frenzy will give way to pragmatic applications, commencing with bespoke in-house chatbots that streamline operations. AI-infused software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions will become the norm, elevating business efficiency. Meanwhile, the narrowing air gap in industrial control systems (ICS) will propel operational technology (OT) security to the forefront — necessitating robust and proactive measures. Furthermore, the year will mark a significant leap towards the democratisation of IT — with citizen IT and fusion teams playing pivotal roles in bridging the gap between technology and business strategies, fostering a culture of inclusive innovation. Christian Piccardi – Chief Information Officer (Mox Bank) In 2025, Mox will extend the use of AI and automation to enhance customer support, decision-making, and operational efficiency while exploring AI co-piloting to augment tech capabilities. We will also incorporate emerging application ecosystems such as HarmonyOS into our environment to broaden customer coverage and serviceability. Continuing the migration to multi-/hybrid-cloud environments for flexibility and scalability will be another focus area and equally important is further strengthening of cloud security and compliance practices. From a workforce perspective, Mox will increase investment in training and up-skilling measures to support our people in the use of new technologies and digital tools. Chua Yong Howe – Chief Digital Officer (UEM Edgenta) 2025 will be the year of AI agents redefining digital transformation. These autonomous agents — capable of partially or fully taking over human roles — will dominate trends like service-as-software. In green- and smart-building management, AI agents paired with the internet of things (IoT) will handle routine metrics, issue alerts, and autonomously schedule maintenance crews for optimal efficiency. My goal this year is to revolutionise facility management by deploying AI agents to augment maintenance teams, shifting from manual to highly autonomous operations. Additionally, we aim for AI agents to handle over 90% of contact centre tasks, streamlining customer interactions and driving transformative efficiency. Cornelius Budianto – Director, IT (Kompas Gramedia) GenAI will transform customer interactions with more dynamic and personalised experiences. Today, many chatbots leave customers feeling disconnected — especially as companies make human customer service harder to access. By 2025, genAI will bridge this gap by deeply understanding customer needs and delivering tailored solutions like personalised recommendations and targeted marketing. Smarter AI chatbots will offer empathetic and efficient support, while predictive analytics proactively resolves issues. This shift will streamline operations and lower costs but still enhance customer satisfaction and business growth. Daniel Suraboyini – Global Chief Information Officer (SIPEF) Digital transformation goals for SIPEF Group in 2025 will focus on driving innovation and operational efficiency through key projects like Project Horizon and Program Fruit (automation, drones, IoT, and AI initiatives). This year, we will automate all our tanks across our mills for real-time product information with accurate storage and forecasting information. The three-phase project plan of Program Fruit is advancing as we bring in AI for management reporting as well as descriptive and predictive analytics with a goal towards genAI. 2025 will see drones as part of our operational support to enhance the capabilities for large-scale plantation activities from pesticide-spraying to fruit-harvesting. Thanks to our SIPEF management for their continuous support and encouragement in overcoming challenges, ensuring stabilisation, and aligning digital strategies with regional organisational goals. Dr Darron Sun – Head of Information Technology (Hong Kong Housing Society) Digital transformation will be all about smarter, faster, and more connected experiences in 2025. AI and machine learning will dominate, powering hyper-automation and real-time decision-making. Edge computing — boosted by 5G — will make data processing quicker and more efficient, especially for IoT devices. Quantum computing might start showing practical uses, while blockchain will keep reshaping finance and digital ownership. Extended reality will become more mainstream, transforming industries like retail and healthcare. Sustainability will also be huge, with green tech and carbon tracking tools gaining traction. Also, expect digital twins and autonomous systems to revolutionise industries like manufacturing and logistics. Exciting times ahead! Dave Chen – Head of Information Technology (Hong Kong Trade Development Council) AI Integration — the focus will be on the business value AI brings, emphasising its practical applications. AI running at the edge will gain traction, enabling faster responses and supporting a wider range of use cases. Cybersecurity — this remains a top priority, with increased resources to combat phishing through user awareness programs. Data and AI governance will also be a key focus, ensuring the secure and ethical use of information. Together, these advancements in AI and cybersecurity will drive significant digital transformation — creating more efficient, secure, and responsive systems across various industries. Exciting developments ahead! Franky Lam – Associate Director of Information Technology (Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park) An increasing number of enterprises are leveraging AI across various domains to enhance operational efficiency, create new business values, and improve decision-making. However, it is crucial for organisations to prioritise AI governance — including regular risk assessments of data involved in AI automation — to mitigate potential side effects. Edge computing in hybrid- and multi-cloud environments will become more prevalent, facilitating data processing closer to the source for quicker insights within a more flexible and scalable cloud infrastructure. Additionally, senior management is increasingly focused on the sustainability of digital transformation initiatives in response to stakeholders and societal demands for corporate responsibility. Furthermore, 5G and IoT technologies play a pivotal role in driving many digital transformation initiatives by enabling

Kathy Kay is a senior IT executive who enables business success by driving simplicity in a complex world. As executive vice president and CIO, Kay oversees the global technology and digital strategies for Principal Financial Group, where she is helping build the financial investment management and insurance company’s future. On a recent episode of the Tech Whisperers podcast, we explored Kay’s various roles as a builder, from building businesses, teams, and innovative ecosystems to building clarity, trust, and community. Afterwards, we spent more time discussing how a mission-driven commitment to listening, learning, and pivoting to meet customer needs has been key to Principal’s longevity and its ability to remain future-ready. A true example of “drinking your own champagne,” Kay embodies and role models that commitment with her teams, inspiring a customer-centric approach to innovation and transformation. What follows is our conversation, edited for length and clarity. source

Is your AI running wild? Robust governance is no longer optional, but essential for mitigating risks, ensuring ethical use and maximizing the value of your AI investments. source

IDC Directions 2025, a pivotal event highlighting key trends shaping the META region, offered valuable insights into the technological transformations poised to redefine industries by 2025. Jyoti Lalchandani, Regional Managing Director, META, Central Asia & India, IDC shared her perspective on the technology trends set to define the Middle East’s digital transformation. According to Jyoti, AI and machine learning are leading the way in sectors such as government, healthcare, and financial services. Generative AI, in particular, will continue to push boundaries in terms of creativity, automation, and productivity, especially as ethical considerations around AI usage grow in importance. Data sovereignty and local cloud infrastructure are expected to remain high on the agenda, particularly within the GCC countries. National cloud strategies are expected to play a central role in ensuring data privacy and regulatory compliance, enabling governments to maintain control over data while embracing cutting-edge technologies. The region is increasingly turning to multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions, allowing for greater flexibility and compliance across digital ecosystems. Looking ahead, Jyoti emphasized that governments in the Middle East will continue to prioritize technology investments aimed at enhancing smart cities, e-governance, and digital education. These efforts are part of a broader strategy to position the region as a global technology hub, one where AI-powered digital services redefine the quality of life and efficiency for citizens. source

Nvidia stock has recovered somewhat since then — it rose nearly 9% on Tuesday — with industry watchers noting that while the Chinese LLM adds a healthy dose of competition to the gen AI landscape with its innovations, the market may have overreacted. Still, analysts believe DeepSeek’s entrance heralds the possibility for more affordable gen AI initiatives. A shot to the system Sidestepping the frenzy, Nvidia on Thursday said it was making the DeepSeek-R1 NIM available to help developers experiment with its logic inference, reasoning, mathematics, coding, and language capabilities for customizing their own specialized AI agents. The NIM runs on eight H200 GPUs connected via Nvidia NVLink and NVLink Switch. “Instead of offering direct responses, reasoning models like DeepSeek-R1 perform multiple inference passes over a query, conducting chain-of-thought, consensus, and search methods to generate the best answer,” Erik Pounds, director of product marketing at Nvidia, wrote in a blog post Thursday. source

What is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is a quality management methodology used to help businesses improve current processes, products, or services by discovering and eliminating defects. The goal is to streamline quality control in manufacturing or business processes, so there’s little to no variance throughout. While Six Sigma has its origins in manufacturing to oversee quality control in production, it’s since evolved into a common business practice in industries such as technology, finance, and healthcare. Six Sigma was trademarked by Motorola in 1993, and the name references the Greek letter sigma, which is a statistical symbol that represents a standard deviation. Motorola used the term because a Six Sigma process is expected to be defect-free 99.99966% of the time, allowing for 3.4 defective features for every million opportunities. Motorola initially set this goal for its own manufacturing operations, but it quickly became a buzzword and widely adopted standard. Six Sigma is specifically designed to help large organizations with quality management. In 1998, GE CEO Jack Welch helped thrust Six Sigma into the limelight by donating upward of $1 million as a thank you to the company, recognizing how Six Sigma positively impacted GE’s operations, and promoting the process for large organizations. After that, Fortune 500 companies followed suit, and Six Sigma has been popular with large organizations ever since. While Six Sigma remains a popular and valuable methodology, other quality improvement frameworks have popped up in its wake, such as Agile and Lean. source