Transformation Summit slated on July 12-15

CEBU, Philippines — Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) prime movers in Cebu are bent on bringing the industry a notch higher while navigating the changes under the new normal.

This aggressive move will kick off during the slated “Transformation Summit 2021 on July 12 to 15. This will tackle the “next level play” of the industry post pandemic.

Organized by Cebu’s main IT-BPM organization CIB.O, the four-day virtual event will feature local, national, and international speakers tackling such topics as industry updates and world market trends, local and national economic forecasts, as well as research developments on AI, IoT, Blockchain, Robotics, and Virtual Reality, announced CIB.O chairman Francis O. Monera.

Various stakeholders in the IT-BPM industry will discuss strategies for the big leap forward under a global pandemic with its far-reaching impact on lives and businesses during the virtual summit.

“It is a different world. It is different because of the monumental changes caused by the pandemic. And yet it is also different because we now see things differently. We see the world around us with a new set of eyes,” noted Monera.

He added that corporate transformations planned for years took place in just a few months amid a pandemic, citing that concepts previously unfamiliar to the general public like remote work, heading to the Cloud, contactless payments have now become part of their daily interactions whether for work, education, and even play.

The Transformation Summit 2021 is in line with CIB.O’s goal to develop the strengths and sustain the growth of Cebu’s IT/BPM industry and make it a top choice for higher value services.

Lined up for the event are talks by industry experts on a host of crucial topics, including: Innovation & Ecosystem Development: The Way Forward by Cib.O President Pert P. Cabataña; Updates on Philippine IT/BPM Industry by IBPAP President and CEO Rey Untal; World Market trends in IT/BPM Industry, NASSCOM Development Plan, and Possibilities for Collaboration by Wipro Philippines, Inc. Country Manager Aseem Roy; Developments in NASSCOM Research on AI, IoT, Blockchain, Robotics, and Virtual Reality by Research Head Achyuta Ghosh, named among India’s Top 40 Data Scientists. 

Ghosh will share India’s experiences on how they were able to develop their IT/BPM ecosystem which resulted in higher total revenues and higher-valued services.

Data Science and AI for IT BPM applications will be presented by Dr. Erika Fille T. Legara, Asian Institute of Management Associate Professor. She will have a focused presentation on actual significant DATA SCIENCE and AI applications generated by AIM students not only for IT BPM but also for other verticals domestically and internationally. Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are already here in the Philippines and are being applied by Pinoy Data Scientists in big corporate and government projects already in the Philippines.  Dr. Legara plays a key role in the newly-launched National AI Strategy by the Department of Trade and Industry.

Andres Ortola, General Manager Microsoft Philippines Country will talk about “The Digital BPO”, highlighting on how we fare with India or other countries where he has served as Microsoft’s country manager, he will also talk about future directions of IT/BPM in the Philippines considering the pandemic that has changed the way how businesses should operate.

Cebu’s very own Lory Nuñez, a USC alumna and currently connected with JPMorgan USA as Senior Data Scientist will talk about “How a Cebu-Educated Cebuana Reached The Top of the Data Science World”.   She was recently highlighted in “Women in Technology & Data Awards 2021: Data Science Professional of the Year.”

Dr. Alvin P. Ang, Economics Department Director of Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development will talk about the “Status of the Philippine economy”, while NEDA 7 Assistant Regional Director Dr. Dolores J. Molintas will tackle the local condition.

Also planned are sessions on the Future of the Office, the Thriving Gig Economy, R&D Offshoring for Hi-tech Industries, Data Security, Mental Health, Health & Hygiene, and Telco Updates in the Philippines.

According to Cabataña, the year 2021, for CIBO, will be one that marked the forging ahead to the next level play of Cebu’s  IT/BPM industry.

“We look forward to growing as an organization and strengthening our ecosystem, as we embark on this new chapter in the Cebu IT/BPM industry. This is the phase where we are to align as the triple helix, a strategic collaboration of industry, academe, and government,” he added.

Likewise, Transformation Summit 2021 Chair DJ Moises pointed out that with COVID-19 transforming lives around the world, Cebu’s IT/BPM industry needs to come up with strategies to stay ahead.

The event also aimed to answer questions, such as ; What capability building and developing services are required moving forward? How can we better collaborate as a sector along with our key stakeholders?