Datacom

Datacom's Lee Faldo, Principal Cybersecurity Consultant, and David Stafford-Gaffney, Associate Director of Security Consultancy, took to the stage at the WA Cyber Security Leadership Summit in Perth to explore how AI is changing cyber risk across operational technology and critical infrastructure. Drawing on his experience on nuclear submarines, Lee explained that tightly connected operational environments cannot separate technical faults from safety consequences – a small issue in one part of the system can quickly affect the wider mission or safety of people. David set the context from an IT perspective, highlighting how the tools available to adversaries are evolving and why organisations need to match that pace with better visibility, stronger architecture and evidence-based governance. The session examined three ways AI is changing the threat environment: increasing the tempo at which vulnerabilities can be identified and exploited, reducing the specialist knowledge required to develop capable attacks, and helping adversaries understand complex systems more quickly. In critical infrastructure, the concern extends beyond whether AI can find software vulnerabilities to whether it can help turn access into enough understanding to disrupt confidence in the physical process. The central message was that technology may now operate at machine speed, but decisions affecting safety, continuity and essential services must remain deliberate, evidence-led and human-controlled. The starting point is evidence – understanding what is connected, how systems communicate and what consequences could result from compromise. #AI #OTSecurity #Security #AI #Datacom Maria Protopopova, Paul Grapendaal, Yael Lord, CISM, Mark Keegan, IT Leadership Network (APAC), Rebekah La Franchie,

“The whole point of a Chief AI Officer role should be moving from scattered AI activity to deliberate transformation.” – Lou Compagnone, Director of AI at Datacom. Organisations are increasingly recognising that AI success requires more than experimentation – it requires leadership, strategy and accountability. Datacom's latest research found that more than two in five Australian organisations have already appointed a Chief AI Officer, with that number expected to rise to almost two-thirds by 2027. The role is emerging as a key driver of AI strategy, governance and organisational transformation. Read the insights Lou Compagnone shared in SmartCompany today https://lnkd.in/dX-KnGDG and download the full report at the link in comments to explore what the rise of the CAIO means for businesses looking to move from AI pilots to measurable business outcomes. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #ChiefAIOfficer #Datacom Greg Davidson, Mark Hile, Sunny Katira, Stacey Tomasoni, Siobhan Gallacher, Alex Mercer, Aram Lauxtermann, Joel Macfarlane, Mike Walls, Michael Robinson, Steve Doyle, Gary O'Brien, Glen Grant, Esmée O'Brien

Our team enjoyed great conversations, new connections and plenty of discussion about what's next for digital transformation at the ServiceNow World Forum Sydney. As a proud gold sponsor, it was fantastic to connect with customers, partners and industry peers from across Australia and explore how organisations are using ServiceNow to streamline operations, improve experiences and deliver better outcomes. By combining deep local expertise with global ServiceNow capability, we're helping organisations unlock greater value from the platform and accelerate transformation with confidence. Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Datacom booth – we look forward to continuing the conversation 👋 #ServiceNowWorldForum #WorldForumSydney #ServiceNow #DigitalTransformation Dave Payne, Matt Dyer, Shari T., Ross Fodie, Erin Garrett, Peter Lawther, Kerry Soussou, Paul A., Melissa C.

63% of Australian organisations expect to have a Chief AI Officer by 2027. Almost half have already appointed one, and a further 21% expect to appoint one within the next twelve months. Our new report, The Emerging Role of the Chief AI Officer in Australia, is the first Australian research into how organisations are formalising AI leadership. Based on a survey of 507 business and IT leaders, it explores why the role is emerging, what it looks like in practice, and how organisations are designing it alongside existing executive functions. The pace of adoption reflects a few converging forces. AI has moved well past experimentation, with 41% of organisations now scaling it across multiple business functions and only 3% not using it at all. The Australian Government's mandate for every department and agency to appoint a CAIO by July 2026 is also having a significant influence, with 73% of respondents saying the APS requirement has shaped their own thinking. And 93% expect the CAIO to become a permanent fixture in executive teams, regardless of whether it's formally mandated. But the role remains loosely defined. Organisations are divided on where it should sit, what it should prioritise, and how it interacts with the CTO, CIO and other functional leaders. What matters now is that organisations appoint CAIOs with a mandate to lead transformation – not just coordinate technology. ⬇️ Download the full report at the link in comments. #ChiefAIOfficer #CAIO #Leadership Lou Compagnone, Greg Davidson, Mark Hile, Sunny Katira, Stacey Tomasoni, Siobhan Gallacher, Alex Mercer, Aram Lauxtermann, Joel Macfarlane, Mike Walls, Michael Robinson, Steve Doyle, Gary O'Brien, Glen Grant, Esmée O'Brien, Vikki O'Shannessey

Our team was at HerTechPath's Dare to Dream event in Melbourne, joining over 150 Year 9 and 10 students for a full day designed to open their eyes to what a career in STEM can look like – and help them see themselves in it. Dare to Dream is more than a careers talk. Students hear honest, unfiltered career journeys from women working across robotics, AI, engineering and technology, take part in hands-on workshops run by industry partners, and connect directly with professionals through speed networking. It's designed to spark curiosity and confidence, and the energy of the day reflected that ⚡️ Datacom's workshop introduced students to a simple technology pattern of problem, solution, build – showing how technology is used to solve real-world challenges and highlighting the many different pathways into tech that people can build careers around. Students then worked in teams to tackle real-world problems, using an AI agent to rapidly prototype their ideas. Watching their creativity and confidence grow throughout each session was a highlight, with students telling our team they felt like young CEOs building out their own solutions. Our team also took part in speed networking, sharing their personal journeys into tech and answering questions about what working in the industry looks like day to day. These conversations reinforced something we hear a lot – that many students are curious about tech but aren't sure where they'd fit. Events like Dare to Dream help change that. We've been partnering with HerTechPath since 2021 because helping girls see the breadth of opportunity in technology careers matters. The feedback from students, teachers and organisers was overwhelmingly positive, and it's a reminder of how much these experiences count. Thank you to the HerTechPath team and everyone involved in Dare to Dream for continuing to create them. Irina Tyan, Lakshmi Muthaiah, Stephanie Lloyd, Roslyn Rhall, Nicole Chapman, Rachel Davey, Raksha Anand, Siobhan Gallacher, Anne Chidgey, Khushi Jain, Therese Siciliano, Melissa Dix, Monash University, BAE Systems Australia, Planit #TechTalent #TalentDevelopment #ThriveTogether #ItsThePeople

What happens to contact centre planning when callers stop behaving like humans? AI-literate customers are already arriving at service interactions with contract analysis, negotiation strategies and regulatory knowledge synthesised in seconds. At the further end of the AI literacy spectrum, AI agents are beginning to call organisations directly on behalf of customers – and the operational models most contact centres rely on weren't built for either scenario. We spoke to Brendon Edwards, Associate Director of Workforce Optimisation at Datacom, about four operational challenges that are becoming imminent as this shift accelerates: 💡 Synchronised demand from machine callers that breaks traditional forecasting 💡 Identity verification processes that can't distinguish authorised AI from malicious AI 💡 Fallback cascades that add effort rather than removing it 💡 A growing knowledge divide where customers arrive better informed than the agents serving them ⬇️ Read the full article at the link in comments for all the insights, including why metrics like average handle time, deflection rate and service level may not be telling you what you think they are – and which new ones are worth considering. #ContactCentres #WorkforceOptimisation #WorkforceManagement #AILiteracy #CustomerExperience #OperationalPlanning Dustin Laidsaar, Stacey Tomasoni, Andrew Buchanan, Francesca Pagliarini, Caitlin Aytekin, Nicola Lutze, Zoya Ri, Paul Robinson

Say hi to the Chief AI Officer 👋 Almost half of Australian organisations have now appointed one, and according to our new report, 63% will have a CAIO by 2027. 'The Emerging Role of the Chief AI Officer in Australia' is Australia's first research into one of the fastest-emerging executive roles, drawing on a survey of 507 business and IT leaders. Here's some of what we found: 📊 42% are scaling AI across multiple business functions, with only 3% not using it at all 📊 60% say the CAIO's top responsibility is AI strategy – the role is about organisational transformation 📊 47% say executive leadership is the biggest driver of successful AI adoption 📊 55% of organisations are embracing AI cautiously, with 22% citing governance as the biggest barrier Our Director of AI, Lou Compagnone, says the findings reinforce that AI leadership is fundamentally about transformation, not technology. "CAIOs might not have a technical background, with the main elements of the job focused on transformation, communication and innovation, ensuring organisations understand the shifts that are happening and that there is a plan to move forward." From July, all Australian Government departments and agencies are required to have a CAIO in place – and 73% of respondents said the mandate has already shaped their organisation's approach to AI leadership. ⬇️ Download the full report at the link in comments. Greg Davidson, Mark Hile, Sunny Katira, Stacey Tomasoni, Siobhan Gallacher, Alex Mercer, Aram Lauxtermann, Joel Macfarlane, Mike Walls, Michael Robinson, Steve Doyle, Gary O'Brien, Glen Grant, Esmée O'Brien, Vikki O'Shannessey

Women make up half the population but only a third of Australia’s technology workforce. Building the tech skills Australia needs for the future, especially in areas like AI and cybersecurity, means making technology careers more accessible and visible to women. That’s a big part of why we’ve partnered with Women In Digital. WID has spent over 11 years connecting, educating and empowering women across Australia's technology industry, building a community of more than 15,000 women and allies. Our partnership gives our team at Datacom access to that network, along with educational resources and events that support growth at every career stage. Our GM of Digital Engineering and WIICTA 2026 Achievement Award winner, Girlie B., says she loves the philosophy behind Women in Digital – that you can't be what you can't see. She sums up why joining forces matters: "Ultimately, what we're trying to serve and solve in this industry is how to make people's lives better in the communities that we live in. In a very technical world, that human factor really requires strong interpersonal skills, a lot of emotional intelligence. I think that is a real value that women bring." Women in Digital Founder and CEO Holly Hunt describes the process of coming together as warm and welcoming and says partnering with values-aligned organisations like Datacom is what drives real progress. "We need the technology, products and services that we're using to reflect the population that we are part of." The partnership is the latest in a range of initiatives supporting women at Datacom, from early careers programmes like our Digital Skills Returnship through to the Women Rising leadership programme. Read more about our partnership: https://lnkd.in/e4F2t_Bt Siobhan Gallacher, Roslyn Rhall, Victoria Brown, Rachel Davey, Ingrid Smith, Kate Phair, Nicole Lange, Karen Ross, Susan Mearns, Andrea D.

With LION's returnables pilot now live across 48 Super Liquor Holdings stores in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, we're looking back at how the concept came to life. The project started as a four-week rapid innovation sprint focused on understanding consumer needs and then building a solution around them, using smart tech and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the enablers. That sprint has since become a world-first system combining circular bottles with digital tracking – removing the traditional deposit model and making sustainability easier for consumers. It's a project we're proud to have been part of from the early days. 🔗 Read more about our work with Lion: https://bit.ly/3RM52UI #RapidInnovation #Automation #Sustainability #ThriveTogether #AWS #AWSCloud Mike Walls, Suz Miller, Paul D., Sean Kilner, John Steiner, Chris Chester, Nick La Porta, Mark Rogers

Australian not-for-profit SYC supports 45,000 people each year across housing, education and employment. Staying connected is vital to that work, but with hundreds of devices in the fleet and limited visibility, the IT team was dealing with widespread issues it couldn't get to the root of. Working with Datacom's insights service, SYC was able to identify and resolve problems affecting three-quarters of its fleet, right-size software licensing, make data-backed decisions on device replacement and establish a clear AI usage policy – all within months. "This isn't just a pretty dashboard saying, 'Here's how old your laptops are'; it's really showing its value," says Frank Rositano, Head of Technology at SYC. Datacom and SYC have partnered for over 15 years. Read more about how data-driven fleet insights are helping SYC turn IT complexity into clarity at the link in comments ⬇️