Banner 2023
 
9TH EDITION 12 & 13 NOVEMBER 2024



Chairman
Roy Chua, Founder and Principal at AvidThink

Roy Chua is Founder and Principal at AvidThink, an independent research and advisory service formed in 2018 out of SDxCentral's research group. Prior to co-founding SDxCentral and running its research and product teams, Roy was a management consultant working with both Fortune 500 and startup technology companies on go-to-market and product consulting.   As an early proponent of the software-defined infrastructure movement, Roy is a frequent speaker at technology events in the telco and cloud space and a regular contributor to leading online publications. A graduate of UC Berkeley's electrical engineering and computer science program and MIT's Sloan School of Business, Roy has 20+ years of experience in telco and enterprise cloud computing, networking and security, including founding several Silicon Valley startups.

09.00
SD-WAN & SASE: Current Technology Trends and Insights
Providing guidance on best practices for selecting the right solution for your needs. In addition, focusing on the SASE and SSE use cases and elucidate the essential components of a zero-trust approach in this context.
  • Where do SD-WAN, SASE, and SSE stand today?
  • Which promises these technologies make can be realistically fulfilled, and which remain elusive?
  • How different SD-WAN solution types align with specific use cases?
  • Which Zero Trust approach?

Carsten Rossenhoevel,
Managing Director, EANTC

Carsten Rossenhövel is Managing Director and Co-Founder of EANTC AG (European Advanced Networking Test Center). Based in Berlin, Germany, EANTC is a test lab specializing in telecommunication technologies and offers vendor-neutral network testing services for manufacturers, service providers, and enterprise customers.   In this role, Carsten has over 20 years of experience in telecommunication networks testing and is responsible for EANTC's business development and marketing. His technical areas of expertise include Network Functions Virtualization and transport network solutions.



Roy Chua, Founder and Principal at AvidThink

Roy Chua is Founder and Principal at AvidThink, an independent research and advisory service formed in 2018 out of SDxCentral's research group. Prior to co-founding SDxCentral and running its research and product teams, Roy was a management consultant working with both Fortune 500 and startup technology companies on go-to-market and product consulting.   As an early proponent of the software-defined infrastructure movement, Roy is a frequent speaker at technology events in the telco and cloud space and a regular contributor to leading online publications. A graduate of UC Berkeley's electrical engineering and computer science program and MIT's Sloan School of Business, Roy has 20+ years of experience in telco and enterprise cloud computing, networking and security, including founding several Silicon Valley startups.




Gregory Soileux,
Business Development Manager, Fortinet

Gregory is working on MSSP Business development for Fortinet driving revenue and growth for existing and prospective MSSPs through Fortinet’s innovative solutions and services.  Gregory has over 25 years of experience in international pre-sales, product development and customer relationships in the telecom and cloud market.


14.00
The Impact of AI on the Telecommunications Industry
Exploring how automation technologies can be used to advance customer experience, overhaul risk detection, prediction and monitoring, and empower enterprise security, amongst many more use cases.

Sander Barens,
CPO, Expereo
14.20
Distributed SSE Model in the Era of AI/ML
  • Why a distributed SSE model is helpful to provide visibility and security across all network traffic
  • How organizations can leverage AI to optimize automation at the edge
  • How AI can help Service Providers to improve capacity planning, network maintenance and drive wider operational efficiencies

Marc Bouteyre,
Head of Virtualization Solution, Ekinops
14.40
From Edge to Cloud: How AI-driven SD-WAN Enables the Journey to SASE
Delving into the transformative journey from traditional networking to a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) architecture. Exploring how AI and machine learning are revolutionizing network automation, troubleshooting, and predictive maintenance, ensuring a seamless and secure transition to the cloud.

Stefano Testa,
Sales Director SD-WAN & SASE, Cisco
15.00
Leveraging AI Suite for Advanced Cybersecurity and IT Operations
Describing VersaAI, an advanced suite of AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. Explaining how VersaAI can enhance network security with precise threat detection and anomaly response.

Michal Zakrzewski,
Senior Systems Engineer, Versa
15.20
The Evolution of AI & ML and its Implementation in Networking and Security
AI & ML are being implemented and deployed in several steps increasing efficiency but also complexity and risk. Reviewing these and discussing the relevant use cases of the technology including Pros & Cons and future outlook.

Amir Zmora,
CEO & Co-founder, flexiWAN
15.40
What AI & ML can REALLY do for Networking and Security?
Delving into some specific use cases, revealing the power as well as the limitations of machine learning and AI engines. Trying to foresee the short and long-term future applications in the context of networking and cybersecurity.

Renaud Bidou,
Systems Engineering Director - Southern Europe, Fortinet

In Fortinet, Renaud leads the EMEA Technical Experts team for MSSP and Telcos, focusing on advanced technologies and cybersecurity innovations. He has been working on Machine Learning & AI implementation in CyberSecurity for almost 10 years with applications ranging from anomaly detection to automated response and attack prediction.  He has also been a speaker in major CyberSecurity conferences such as BlackHat, CanSecWest, IT Underground, HackCon, etc.


16.30
Lessons from the Field
Deploying and Supporting SASE – using API’s, customized Visibility tools and intelligence to improve operational efficiency.

Gail Smith,
Director, Cavell Group
16.50
Building a Resilient Wireless WAN with SD-WAN Link Bonding and Traffic Steering
Exploring the implementation of SD-WAN link bonding and traffic steering to enhance the resiliency and performance of wireless WAN networks. This approach addresses the challenges posed by wireless networks, such as intermittent connectivity and varying bandwidth.

Soumen Chatterjee,
Vice President of Security, Ericsson, Enterprise Wireless Solutions
17.10
How to Deploy and Maintain SASE and Secure SD-WAN Solutions
As organizations continue to adopt hybrid work models, there's a rising interest in shifting network security infrastructure to cloud-based services. Exploring the potential benefits and challenges of this emerging trend.

Daniel Munteanu,
Product Manager, Keysight
17.30
Active Monitoring for SD-WAN and SASE
Delving into how active monitoring emerges as a critical technology. Providing insights that passive monitoring by itself cannot deliver for SD-WAN and SASE environments.

Sean Armstrong,
Head of Product Management, NetOps, Broadcom

Sean heads up product management for the Network Operations Software business at Broadcom. With over 20+ years of experience in the network industry, he has a proven track record of driving product innovation and delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers for enhancing network visibility, automation, and performance.



The Impact of AI & ML on Next Generation Networking and Security
AI & ML technologies are being developed and deployed by vendors in the SD-WAN and SASE space. How will these technologies impact the future of enterprise networking.
Moderator
Amir Zmora,
CEO & Co-founder, flexiWAN


Morning Chairwoman
Gail Smith,
Director, Cavell Group
09.00
Improving Energy Efficiency with SASE and Zero Trust
Benefits of implementing a Zero Trust approach with SASE from a security and energy’s perspective.
Pros and cons of integrating Cloud solutions within cybersecurity architectures.

Nicolas Stricher,
Head of MSSP Engineering EMEA & Evangelist, Check Point

Drawing on 28 years of experience in Cyber Security Nicolas Stricher serves as a Trusted Advisor to a wide audience from engineers to C-Level executives. Prior to joining Check Point in 2023, Nicolas held cybersecurity advisory and expert roles for McAfee (now part of Trellix), LogRhythm (Now part of Exabeam) , Sophos, and CA Technologies (now part of Broadcom).  He holds a master’s degree in human computer Interaction from the University of Paris-Saclay.

09.20
Zero Trust Everywhere: Uncompromised Security, Experience, and Performance
Presenting the hybrid user journey in the Zero Trust Everywhere model: how to implement Zero Trust Everywhere in hybrid environments and address modern work challenges.

Matej Kultan,
Senior Systems Engineer, Versa
09.40
Innovations in ZTNA and SSE: Advanced Protection, Effortless Connectivity
Discussing the cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of secure access technologies, with a focus on Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Secure Service Edge (SSE).

Moritz Wenz,
Head of Solutions Engineering Identity and Secure Access, EMEA, Cisco
10.00
Measuring the Cost and Complexity
For high-risk environments with distributed workforces or sensitive data, ZTNA can be a game-changer. However, for businesses with lower security risks, the model may be overkill. The key is to assess whether the operational benefits and security enhancements of ZTNA justify the costs and complexity in each unique scenario.

Monika Singhvi,
SDWAN/SASE Lead Network Architect, Colt Technology Services

Why is Zero-trust Easy to Say and so Hard to Do?
Moderator
Gail Smith,
Director, Cavell Group

Afternoon Chairman
Amir Zmora,
CEO & Co-founder, flexiWAN
14.00
From Hype to Reality, Which SASE Architecture for Your Organization?
Identifying the critical factors to consider when comparing SASE solutions from SDWAN+ SSE to full vendors SASE. The objective is to equip IT professionals, network architects, and cybersecurity experts with the knowledge to evaluate and select the most suitable SASE solution for their organization.

Nicolas Scheffer,
CyberSecurity Evangelist - South EMEA, Fortinet

Nicolas with 30 years experience in the network (wired and wireless) and (Cyber)security technologies, lead the business development of our network and security convergence story aka Unified SASE (Secure SD-WAN and SASE) with our powerful consolidated platform « Security Fabric » (CSMA) across Southern Europe.

14.20
Transforming Networks: Colt Insights on SDWAN & SASE
Demonstrating how, through innovation, automation, and a strong focus on user experience, we are overcoming the technical and operational requirements challenges and setting new industry benchmarks.

Manish Kumar,
SDWAN/SASE Manager Network Engineering, Colt Technology Services
14.40
4 Crucial Elements to Consider When Choosing SSE & SD-WAN Solution

  1. Consolidating to a single vendor
  2. Adopting security first approach for the WAN
  3. Implementing zero touch and automation processes
  4. Reducing complexities by collaboration

Sameer Basha,
Lead Security Consultant, Check Point

Sameer Basha possesses over 16 years of extensive experience in bolstering organizational IT infrastructure security. With a robust background as a Senior Information Security Officer and IT Security Engineer in prior positions, Sameer transitioned to Check Point Software 6 years ago, assuming the role of Security Consultant.  In this capacity, he shoulders the responsibility of educating and empowering clients to fortify their defenses against 5th Generation cyber-attacks.  Residing in the United Arab Emirates, Sameer holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engin

15.00
Redefining Network Resilience
Describing a new Network as a Service (NaaS) built on a global, AI-powered backbone. Achieving unmatched network resilience and optimizing the digital infrastructure.

Sander Teunissen,
Head of Sales & Alliances, Teridion



15.50
Optimizing Network Performance
Exploring how AI-driven solutions can revolutionize network performance by optimizing resource allocation, reducing downtime, and enhancing overall efficiency. Case studies and real-world examples demonstrate the tangible benefits of integrating AI into network management practices.

Dr. Hemachandran,
Director of the AI Research Centre, Woxsen University
16.10
Integration of Automation for SD-WAN and SASE Infrastructures
Automation is becoming more and more prevalent. How will this development impact the future of networks/underlay procurement and management?

Edgar Navarro,
Business Development Director, Qoolize

Edgar Navarro, Business Development Director - Global Internet at Qoolize, has 10+ years of experience in the telecoms and technology industry and has held a number of commercial roles throughout his career.  Having worked with a large variety of different clients, he possesses a deep understanding of the challenges businesses face when it comes to sourcing and managing global networks, and of how to solve them.