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AI agentic systems are evolving faster than any technology in recent memory. Mastering them requires robust data infrastructure, clear ROI metrics, security and trust, and a forward-looking operating model. Starting now can help you leverage AI agents for genuine business transformation. And beyond productivity, they are increasingly viewed as catalysts for tangible ROI and market disruption. AI agents can help you deliver value. At a recent Wall Street Journal CIO Network Summit,1 67% of attendees indicated they’re actively piloting or deploying AI agents. In a poll conducted at roughly the same time by Salesforce, 93% of enterprise IT leaders said they have implemented or plan to implement AI agents in the next two years.2 This remarkable rise underscores how AI has shifted from a speculative technology to near-mainstream in under two years.  AI agents are often described as a paradigm shift. They move AI from passive information retrieval to proactive execution and decision-making. They possess higher levels of autonomy and intelligence, enabling them to adapt and optimize their actions in response to changes in their environment. They are evolving from simple “taskers” designed to automate single functions to “orchestrators” where multiple AI agents interact to achieve complex tasks at scale. They can operate across different domains—for example, in healthcare, they reduce administrative overhead, while in financial services, they help optimize complex trading strategies—demonstrating true cross-industry applicability.  KPMG suggests that the paradigm shift lies not just in AI, but in IT as a whole. AI agents are forcing IT to reinvent itself. We would even go so far as to say AI could fundamentally challenge the software as a service (SaaS) model. Today, many agents are still being considered in the “lift-and-shift” phase, where the only question being asked is, “How can I take advantage of this technology to improve what I do, but without fundamentally changing what I do?” AI agentic systems have yet to be widely embraced as an enabler of business transformation or a catalyst for entirely new business models that can redefine product or service offerings, disrupt markets, and solve sector-wide challenges.  But pressure is mounting to change that. CIOs are hearing from their boards: “We need transformative value, not just incremental efficiency gains.” AI agents may be the answer.  Where do you begin?  The disruptive potential of AI agentic systems demands a focus on fundamentals to prepare IT to take advantage of the opportunities created. There are three phases of exploration that organizations should consider to help AI agents perform: Phase 1: Measure your AI readiness  Phase 2: Conduct a holistic opportunity assessment  Phase 3: Implement an AI operating model designed for value, scalability, and sustainability  Learn more about the foundation you’ll need to integrate AI agents, foster innovation, and develop a competitive edge in our article on creating value with AI Agents.  Why time is of the essence:  Just as the cloud forced IT to transform from an organization designed to maintain on-premise servers, AI agents are now challenging existing models and forcing another reinvention. This disruption is accelerating far faster than previous technology shifts, making it critical to initiate your transformation now.   To learn more about how AI agents can help you deliver value, visit here. source

Are your AI initiatives proceeding at the pace to maintain competitive advantage? Are your AI initiatives providing measurable value? Are you able to manage risks and compliance through an organized AI governance framework?  Naturally, there is increased attention towards the first two bullet points, causing a reduced focus on the third. While AI governance itself is lacking, the other critical factor that most organizations deal with is the lack of alignment between data governance and AI governance. While everyone understands that data is the lifeblood for all forms of AI, even enterprises that have implemented safe and responsible AI practices tend to have a siloed approach to data governance and AI governance, based on my experience working with Fortune 500 corporations. Data governance Most enterprises have implemented a data governance tool or, in some cases, multiple tools to manage data quality, data lineage, data security and data retention needs of the organization. However, most large enterprises suffer from the lack of a single source of truth across several domains, as they have tried to keep pace with the emerging technology solutions over the decades, from RDBMS to data warehouses to data lakes. Data proliferation inherently makes it harder to manage and govern the data. Data latency is another issue that impacts use cases that require real-time data. In their rush to jump on the AI bandwagon, organizations tend to use this current state of data that is plagued with issues and hence are unable to derive the full value of their AI investments. AI governance As previously noted, most organizations have yet to implement a robust AI governance framework. The ones that have implemented some form of AI governance have a centralized approach through an AI center of excellence. (AI COE). In most cases, these COEs are managed by a chief AI officer (CAIO). The CAIO tends to focus on AI governance considerations such as model governance, bias, toxicity, hallucination, jailbreaks and the like, and not so much on the underlying data, as this is managed typically by the chief data officer. source

The way consumers discover, evaluate and purchase products is fundamentally shifting. Traditional commerce experiences — even those considered modern — are built around customers doing the work: searching, filtering, comparing, clicking. But what if the commerce experience could do the work for the customer? That’s the promise of agentic commerce. As a practitioner leading digital and e-commerce transformation at a leading lifestyle brand, I have seen firsthand how rapidly customer expectations are evolving. They want relevance, speed, simplicity — and they increasingly expect technology to anticipate their needs. Agentic commerce offers a vision of the future where intelligent systems do more than personalize; they participate. While most customers still rely on filters and categories today, there is a clear shift underway — toward discovery driven by questions, needs and intent-based prompts. Agentic commerce meets them at that moment. source

“Snowflake, BigQuery, PostgreSQL, and others have their own rules and functions. This compiler ensures the generated SQL is correct and optimized for the target database, improving performance and reducing errors,” Kramer said. Waii currently supports Postgres, Trino, MySQL, Databricks, Snowflake, SQL Server, BigQuery, Athena, Presto, Redshift, Oracle, MongoDB, SQLite and OSQuery, a FAQ section on its website indicated. It also claims to support some vector databases, but doesn’t list any names. However, Salesforce isn’t the only CRM provider that is taking steps to enhance natural language-driven SQL analytics. Other providers are also making focused investments in this direction: Microsoft Dynamics 365 with Fabric Copilot, Oracle CX with Select AI, SAP Customer Experience with Joule, HubSpot’s ChatSpot, and Zoho CRM’s Zia AI. source

The silent killer of innovation Throughout my career, I’ve observed that great ideas often die in the minds of the people who conceived them. I’ve watched talented professionals dismiss their insights before giving them a chance to be evaluated on their merits. Think about the last time you had what you considered a “crazy” idea. Maybe it was a process improvement that could save your team hours each week, a technology solution that could enhance customer experience or a strategic initiative that could open new markets. If you’re like most people I work with, you probably ran it through an internal filter first, a mental calculation of feasibility, resources and likelihood of approval. More often than not, that filter convinced you to keep the idea to yourself. I’ve done this myself early in my career, and I’ve seen it happen countless times with my teams. This self-imposed gatekeeping creates a tragic irony: the very ideas that could transform our organizations never make it past the person who conceived them. We’ve become our own worst enemies when it comes to innovation, creating invisible barriers that are often higher and more impenetrable than any real constraints we might face. source

Like many of you, I’ve seen firsthand the energy AI pilots generate inside large enterprises. Copilots, LLMs, intelligent automation — all bursting with promise. Hackathons happen, demos wow leadership and buzzwords flood internal slide decks. But after the initial excitement fades, most of those pilots quietly stall. They remain trapped in silos. Untouched. Unscaled. In my work with enterprise teams across industries — from financial services to manufacturing to healthcare — one pattern keeps repeating: it’s not the experimentation that’s hard. It’s what comes next. The transition from experimentation to operationalization. From idea to impact. From pilot to platform. source

BCG business and tech leaders believed generative AI could help lighten that workload without compromising quality, but when they looked at the tools on the market, none could automate complex layouts with charts, tables, and text, so they developed their own solution. Deckster covers the entire slide-creation lifecycle, including slide generation, content retrieval, translation, and slide review, all while offering multimodal capabilities. Leveraging OpenAI’s API alongside a curated library of BCG templates, Deckster produces fully formatted, client-ready slides in just three seconds — a dramatic improvement from the typical 15 minutes. Slide translation takes just 15 seconds, and editing content has been reduced to two to three minutes. Additionally, BCG designed Deckster to ensure ethical AI usage, robust data security, and client protection. To promote adoption, project leaders leaned on executive sponsorship, cross-department collaboration, targeted training, and grassroots advocacy. That work paid off, as Deckster now has more than 10,000 monthly users and is available to all 32,000 BCG employees. Merim Becirovic, CIO, managing director and partner at BCG, says that success gives BCG a foundation on which to build. “We’re continuing to evolve this. As people start to use it more, people are asking for more capabilities and we see ways to improve it,” he says. “The challenges now are, how do we continue to help everyone so they can be successful using it and how do we help each of them in their own way.” Edge compute helps Casey’s boost company resiliency, efficiency Organization: Casey’s General Stores Project: Store Virtualization/Edge Compute IT leader: Sanjeev Satturu, CIO The tech team at Casey’s General Stores delivered a new level of resiliency with its innovative edge compute project. The team, driven by its mission to transform the IT infrastructure across the company’s nearly 2,700 locations, deployed localized compute resources and integrated those resources with IoT devices within each store. This allows applications and services, including critical apps, to run locally, ensuring seamless operations even when internet connectivity is compromised. The edge compute resources also reduce latency and ensure near-real-time responses — essential for modern retail operations. The project also allows for centralized management and monitoring of store applications, generating proactive alerts, reducing troubleshooting time, and avoiding costly on-site support visits. “Edge has delivered measurable business results that underscore its value to Casey’s,” says CIO Sanjeev Satturu. “The project has not only achieved significant cost savings and operational efficiencies but also enhanced security, improved guest experience, and supported the company’s strategic goals. These results demonstrate the transformative impact of edge compute on Casey’s operations and its potential to drive continued growth and innovation. Edge compute is setting the stage for future advancements in AI across our retail ecosystem.” The project was not without challenges. One of the biggest was integrating the new edge technology with local legacy systems. To tackle this, IT adopted a phased approach that included a comprehensive assessment of existing infrastructure, a detailed integration plan, and a pilot program to test the integration process and identify potential issues. The approach worked, with the project delivered four months ahead of schedule. In addition to reducing complexity and costs, the project has improved device and store uptime, and it enables rapid setup of new locations. Chemonics portal helps keep workers safe in challenging geopolitical environments Organization: Chemonics International Project: Global Safety and Security Portal IT leader: Anne Kottmeier, CIO Chemonics implements sustainable development projects in the world’s most complex social, natural, and political environments, including Syria, Ukraine, and Haiti. It has operations in more than 100 countries — a global reach that makes tracking teammates challenging. Yet having up-to-date information about individuals and facilities is essential for ensuring the safety and security of Chemonics personnel. Having the ability to track lessons-learned from past incidents and tools to plan for future safety situations are critical, too. The company’s Global Safety and Security Portal enables it to do all that. The portal is an interactive application that centralizes necessary data and enables company officials to stay ahead of concerns by tracking safety and security audits and compliance. “Duty of care for our staff is No. 1,” says Evan Steinberg, acting global security director. “But our staff [members] have different benefits and requirements based on contracts, and so we need to know, for example, who might need an extra level of care for evacuation, who has restrictions due to visa, or who has family in that country that needs evacuation, too. Now we’re able to go to one place and know all those details are there.” That wasn’t always the case. CIO Anne Kottmeier says the portal replaces a complex process the company previously used to track required information. That old process used various apps and spreadsheets, requiring significant manual work to piece together needed data. The new portal streamlines data collection in an easy-to-use app that can be quickly deployed to new projects anywhere in the world. The portal also features a GPS module so that company leaders can pinpoint locations on a map within the application and get exact GPS coordinates for people and assets, a critical feature to keep staff safe in constantly changing environments. Edifecs finds business value in IT sustainability efforts Organization: Edifecs Project: Tech for Tomorrow: A Sustainable IT Journey IT leader: Ravi Soin, CIO Edifecs had a twofold objective: Reduce its environmental footprint and improve its operational efficiency. Tech for Tomorrow, its sustainable IT journey, delivered on both fronts. To achieve its objectives, the IT team optimized its data centers by leveraging technologies such as Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and OpenShift clusters for consolidating servers to reduce the number of physical data center locations from five to two. That consolidation in turn streamlined operations and significantly reduced energy consumption and physical space requirements. The implementation of energy-efficient technologies such as virtualization and advanced cooling systems further reduced energy usage and improved operational efficiency. In parallel, IT transitioned to a hybrid cloud infrastructure through its “SaaSification Drive,” a shift that cut costs, enabled additional optimization of

New Heimdal study reveals how tool sprawl creates blind spots, with over half of providers experiencing daily or weekly burnout  Survey of 80 North American MSPs shows fragmented security stacks drive fatigue, missed threats, and business inefficiency. Security tools meant to protect managed service providers are instead overwhelming them. A new study from Heimdal and FutureSafe reveals that 89% of MSPs struggle with tool integration while 56% experience alert fatigue daily or weekly. The research exposes a dangerous paradox. MSPs experiencing high alert fatigue are significantly more likely to miss real threats. The very tools deployed to enhance security are creating blind spots through exhaustion.  The Scale of the Problem  The average MSP now runs five security tools, with 20% juggling seven to ten and 12% managing more than ten. Only 11% report seamless integration. The remaining 89% must flip between separate dashboards and waste time on manual workflows.  One in four security alerts prove meaningless, with some MSPs reporting that 70% of their alerts are false alarms.  Among MSPs managing 1,000+ clients, 100% report daily fatigue.  “MSPs are drowning in complexity, not from threats, but from the tools meant to stop them,” said Jesper Frederiksen, CEO at Heimdal. “Every new point solution adds another agent, console, and alert stream. That noise exhausts people and quietly degrades protection.”  Beyond Security Operations  Agent fatigue extends beyond alert management. Disconnected platforms slow billing processes, complicate client onboarding, and create compliance reporting headaches.  “Agent fatigue isn’t just a tech issue. It’s a business risk,” said Jason Whitehurst, CEO at FutureSafe. “MSPs are juggling tool after tool, but they don’t work together.”  The Solution Hiding in Plain Sight  Despite widespread recognition of the problem, only 20% of MSPs have consolidated their security solutions. Those who have reported fewer alerts, faster response times, and happier staff.  Key Survey Findings  56% experience alert fatigue daily or weekly, 75% at least monthly  Only 11% enjoy seamless tool connectivity  MSPs using 7+ tools report nearly double the fatigue levels  High false positive rates triple the chance of missing genuine incidents  The 20% who consolidate report better outcomes across all metrics  Research Methodology  The State of MSP Agent Fatigue 2025 surveyed 80 North American MSPs in H1 2025, combining quantitative analysis with thematic coding of over 300 free-text responses.  Users can download the complete report free at: heimdalsecurity.com/msp-agent-fatigue-report   About Heimdal  Established in Copenhagen in 2014, Heimdal empowers security teams and MSPs through unified cybersecurity solutions spanning endpoint to network security, including vulnerability management, threat prevention, and ransomware mitigation.  About FutureSafe  FutureSafe is the exclusive provider of Heimdal in the United States, helping MSPs cut through tool sprawl and deliver consolidated cybersecurity. Contact Head of Content & PR Danny Mitchell Heimdal Security [email protected] source

Overview In this episode of The Art of the Possible, we dive into the transformative power of generative AI—and what it takes to successfully implement this revolutionary tool. Featuring experts from AWS, Weights & Biases, and Bloomberg Industry Group, the discussion centers on how to turn the promise of AI into real business results while avoiding common pitfalls. Kimberly Madia, VP of Product Marketing at Weights & Biases, explains why successful AI adoption hinges on iteration, experimentation, and robust tooling that builds confidence in outputs. “That’s exactly why we provide tools for experiment tracking and iteration,” she says, “so as you’re making changes to prompts or models or data sets, you can quickly see and evaluate how those changes impact your metrics. Then, of course, when we move to deployment and monitoring and production, gathering feedback from users on how the application is performing is really important.” Tom Shen, Team Lead of Machine Learning at Bloomberg Industry Group, gives a behind-the-scenes look at how his teams are embedding AI across workflows—not just to impress customers, but to create lasting internal competency. “Our parent company’s core values are very much our core values as well,” he says. “We are incredibly customer obsessed and any technology or content that we add to our platform, generative AI or not, needs to make sense for our customers. And this motto extends beyond just our subscribers. Even if we’re building new tools for our engineering team, we put a premium on their user experience as well.” AWS’s Salman Taherian, Worldwide GenAI Partner Lead – GSI/ISV, ties it all together, emphasizing that AI success isn’t just technical; it requires the right partners, data infrastructure, and governance to scale smartly. Register Now source

Hands-on cybersecurity and IT training leader recognized for innovation in practical, work-ready education INE has been selected for Training Industry’s 2025 Top 20 Online Learning Library Companies list, recognizing the company’s leadership in cybersecurity training, cybersecurity certifications, and IT training that emphasizes hands-on, practical learning experiences. Training Industry evaluated companies based on course quality and scope, market presence and innovation, client relationships, and business growth. INE’s selection underscores the company’s commitment to cybersecurity education that bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application. “This year’s Top 20 Online Learning Library companies stood out for their expansive content libraries and the depth of features built into their platforms,” said Jalen Banks, market research analyst at Training Industry, Inc. “These providers offer timely, on-demand content supported by reinforcement tools and assessments. Their advanced technology and data capabilities enable dynamic, adaptive learning experiences that foster learner engagement, build critical skills, and ultimately drive meaningful outcomes for the organizations they serve.””This recognition validates our longstanding commitment to delivering training that truly prepares professionals for the challenges they face in their roles,” said Dara Warn, CEO of INE. “We focus on creating learning experiences that go beyond traditional coursework to provide practical skills that professionals can immediately apply in their organizations. When teams complete our programs, they’re equipped to strengthen their organization’s security posture and address complex infrastructure challenges with confidence.” INE distinguishes itself through its emphasis on the practical application of cybersecurity and IT training for organizations and individuals. The training platform features more than 700 expert-led courses, 50+ learning paths, and thousands of hands-on labs that replicate actual network environments and security scenarios. Professionals and teams engage with industry-standard tools and tackle the same challenges they encounter in enterprise environments, whether pursuing cybersecurity certifications, network security certifications, or advancing their expertise through comprehensive network certification prep. Building on Recent Industry Recognition This Training Industry honor follows a series of notable recognitions for INE in recent months. This year, G2 awarded the company more than three dozen badges, including Grid Leader designations for Cybersecurity Professional Development, Online Course Providers, and Technical Skills Development. INE also earned placement on Training Industry’s 2023 Top 20 Online Learning Libraries list, as well as on Training Industry’s 2023 Watch Lists for Experiential Learning Capabilities and IT and Technical Training, which recognized organizations’ visibility, innovation, and impact in the IT and technical training market. Combined with multiple Global Infosec Awards, SC Media Excellence Awards, and consistent recognition as a G2 Top Training Provider, these honors reflect INE’s sustained excellence in the technical training sector. Addressing Industry Needs Through Practical Education Since its founding in 2003, INE has partnered with Fortune 500 companies to address a critical challenge in the industry: the gap between traditional training methodologies and job-ready competencies. Organizations across industries rely on INE to develop their cybersecurity and networking teams, while individual professionals leverage INE as a training partner to advance their careers. INE’s approach connects theoretical concepts with practical application, providing learners with context for when and how to apply their knowledge effectively in real-world business environments. “Our methodology centers on experiential learning because we believe that hands-on practice is essential for developing true expertise,” Warn explained. “Our lab environments place learners in realistic scenarios where they must identify, analyze, and remediate security issues. This approach develops the kind of practical competency that translates directly to workplace effectiveness and organizational resilience.” INE’s comprehensive IT training programs serve both organizations seeking to develop their teams and individual professionals advancing their careers. Companies use INE’s enterprise solutions to upskill existing teams, mitigate cybersecurity risk, and build more resilient IT operations. Recent program additions include the Mobile Application Penetration Testing certification (eMAPT) and the Certified Threat Hunting Professional certification (eCTHP), both designed around authentic scenarios that reflect current industry challenges and organizational needs. About INE INE is an award-winning, premier provider of online networking and cybersecurity education, including cybersecurity training and certification. INE is trusted by Fortune 500 companies and IT professionals around the globe. Leveraging a state-of-the-art hands-on lab platform, advanced technologies, a global video distribution network, and instruction from world-class experts, INE sets the standard for high-impact, career-advancing technical education. Contact Director of Global Strategic Communications and Events Kathryn Brown INE Security [email protected] source