Cloud & Infrastructure Day | Melbourne

Name: Cloud & Infrastructure Day | Melbourne
Start: 2025-04-28T22:30:00.000Z
End: 2025-04-29T06:50:00.000Z
Location: Collins Square Events Centre, Melbourne, Australia, Docklands, Australia

Building Resilient, Scalable Cloud Infrastructure for the Future

Tuesday 29 April 2025

Collins Square Events Centre, Melbourne, Australia, Docklands

Hosted by Factor

2 attendees
8 hours

Overview

Cloud & Infrastructure Day will focus on the evolving role of cloud technologies in driving business growth. Explore strategies for cloud cost optimistion, hybrid and multi-cloud management, and strengthening cloud security. Learn how edge computing, AI, and sustainability initiatives are shaping the future of infrastructure in 2025 and beyond.

What we will cover

Digital Roadmaps Focusing on how CTOs can develop long-term digital roadmaps that ensure the organisation is prepared for future technology shifts and market disruptions.
Hybrid Cloud Exploring how organisations can implement hybrid cloud solutions, balancing on-premise and cloud-based infrastructure to optimise performance and security.
Cost Optimisation Discussing methods to manage and optimise cloud spending, ensuring efficient resource allocation without over-commitment.
Edge Integration Focusing on the role of edge computing in reducing latency and improving data processing, particularly in industries requiring real-time analytics.
Multi-Cloud Examining strategies for managing multi-cloud environments effectively, ensuring seamless integration, governance, and workload distribution.
Infrastructure Code Investigating how IaC is revolutionising infrastructure management by enabling automation and consistency across cloud deployments.
Cloud-Native Exploring the advantages of building cloud-native applications that are optimised for scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.
Serverless Architecture Discussing how serverless computing can simplify infrastructure management and reduce costs by allowing developers to focus on code rather than underlying infrastructure.
Cloud Recovery Examining best practices for leveraging cloud technologies in disaster recovery planning, ensuring business continuity and data resilience.
Cloud Sustainability Exploring how cloud providers are integrating sustainability practices, such as energy efficiency and carbon neutrality, into their operations.
AI Infrastructure Discussing the role of AI and machine learning in optimising cloud infrastructure management, from predictive scaling to automating routine tasks.
Cloud Security Investigating strategies for monitoring and improving cloud security, ensuring that workloads remain protected from threats and vulnerabilities.

Agenda

8:30 am Registration & Welcome Coffee(Cloud & Infrastructure)
8:50 am Welcome Address & Introduction(Cloud & Infrastructure)
8:55 am Fast-Tracking Transformation with the Digital Sprint and Insights by Factor(Cloud & Infrastructure) In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, leading companies are accelerating their digital transformation efforts to maintain competitiveness and meet changing customer expectations. For instance, a mid-tier mining company in Australia invested in AI and machine learning to build digital twins for its milling operations, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs. However, many organisations have captured less value than expected from their digital initiatives, with only 31% of anticipated revenue lift and 25% of expected cost savings realised. Discussion Points: Balancing Speed and Stability in Digital Initiatives. Understanding the Costs of Inaction in a Fast-Paced Tech Environment. Identifying Common Pitfalls in Transformation Efforts and How to Avoid Them.
9:10 am Maximising ROI with Smarter Cloud Investments(Cloud & Infrastructure) With global cloud spending forecasted to surpass $1.35 trillion by 2025 , enterprises are under immense pressure to ensure their investments yield maximum returns. Many organisations face challenges such as underutilised resources, hidden costs, and poorly negotiated vendor agreements that eat into their budgets. This session explores how businesses can build smarter cloud investment strategies, leveraging tools like FinOps to track expenditures and optimise workloads. By aligning cloud spend with strategic business outcomes, attendees will discover pathways to not only reduce costs but also drive innovation and agility. Discussion Points: Strategies for cloud cost optimisation and vendor management. Aligning cloud investments with long-term business goals. Leveraging AI-powered tools for cloud cost transparency.
9:30 am The Collective Enterprise, Global Megatrends and The Power of C-Suite Fusion(Cloud & Infrastructure) Join an expert, cross-function C-Suite panel as they explore how partnerships among top executives are essential for addressing today’s global megatrends. Moving beyond the buzzwords of fusion teams, this discussion will focus on the importance of collaborative leadership in navigating shifts in technology, governance, and market dynamics, showcasing how integrated strategies across business functions can bolster organisational resilience and agility. Discussion Points: Leveraging diverse executive perspectives to tackle complex global challenges. Developing adaptable frameworks to meet governance, technological, and economic shifts. Fostering cross-functional alignment to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge.
9:55 am Cloud-Native Development and its Role in Digital Transformation(Cloud & Infrastructure) Cloud-native development is at the heart of modern application strategies, with 70% of new applications expected to leverage cloud-native technologies by 2026. By adopting microservices, containerisation, and serverless computing, businesses can build applications that are faster, more scalable, and better suited to a rapidly changing market. This session will highlight how cloud-native architectures fuel innovation, reduce development cycles, and future-proof IT systems while addressing challenges such as talent shortages and tool fragmentation. Discussion Points: Unlocking the potential of microservices and containerisation. Building scalable, resilient, and modern cloud-native applications. Ensuring alignment with digital transformation goals.
10:15 am Cloud Security Challenges in the Era of Sophisticated Threats(Cloud & Infrastructure) With 43% of cyberattacks targeting cloud environments , securing cloud assets has never been more critical. Australian businesses report an average cost of $4.9 million per data breach, underscoring the need for robust defences. This session examines how adopting zero-trust security models, enhancing compliance practices, and using advanced threat detection tools can mitigate risks in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Learn how to protect sensitive data while enabling business agility in the cloud. Discussion Points: Implementing zero-trust principles in cloud security. Managing compliance and data sovereignty challenges. Proactively addressing emerging cloud-specific threats.
10:35 am Networking Break & Morning Tea(Cloud & Infrastructure)
11:35 am Accelerating AI and Machine Learning with Cloud Ecosystems(AI Clouds) Google Cloud and AWS enable enterprises to unlock AI and machine learning for predictive analytics and automation. Learn how cloud ecosystems fuel AI-driven innovation.
11:35 am Controlling Costs and Driving ROI in SaaS Environments(SaaS Optimisation) SaaS sprawl often leads to inefficiencies and hidden costs. Explore how Oracle and ServiceNow help businesses track usage, optimise costs, and ensure maximum value from SaaS investments.
11:35 am Unlocking Real-Time Performance with Edge-to-Cloud Solutions(Edge Expansion) Edge computing bridges the gap between real-time data processing and cloud scalability. Discover how Hitachi Vantara and Akamai enable edge-to-cloud architectures for agility
11:35 am Unlocking Growth with Scalable Cloud Infrastructure(Scalable Clouds) Scalable clouds empower enterprises to adapt dynamically to demand fluctuations. Learn how providers like AWS and Google Cloud ensure flexibility, cost efficiency, and continuous innovation.
11:35 am Securing Multi-Cloud Environments Against Evolving Threats(Cloud Security) Cloud security is paramount, with breaches costing businesses millions annually. Learn how Cisco’s advanced tools implement zero-trust frameworks to protect sensitive data.
11:35 am Empowering Decisions with Cloud-Based Data Platforms Data platforms like Snowflake and NetApp simplify data management, ensuring agility and accessibility. Explore strategies for unifying analytics across hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
11:35 am Scaling DevOps Success with Container Management(Containerisation Leaders) Kubernetes and Red Hat lead the charge in container orchestration, enabling faster application delivery. Learn how enterprises can scale infrastructure-as-code practices for efficiency
11:35 am Bridging On-Prem and Cloud with Hybrid Architectures(Hybrid Models) Hybrid cloud solutions offer the best of both worlds, balancing on-premise control with cloud scalability. Explore how HPE GreenLake and IBM help organisations achieve operational resilience.
11:35 am Mastering Multi-Cloud Integration for Business Agility(Multi-Cloud Excellence) With over 85% of enterprises adopting multi-cloud, managing workloads across providers is essential. Discover VMware and Dell’s solutions for seamless integration and governance.
0:00 pm Building Green Clouds to Drive Sustainability Goals(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) The tech industry accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions , with data centres being a major contributor. Cloud providers are now introducing energy-efficient solutions to support organisations’ sustainability efforts. This session discusses how businesses can leverage green cloud practices—such as carbon-neutral cloud providers and workload optimisation—to reduce their environmental impact. Explore how aligning cloud strategies with ESG goals can enhance brand value and regulatory compliance.
0:20 pm Navigating Cloud Migrations While Preventing Burn Out(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) Cloud migrations are crucial for businesses, with 93% of enterprises using cloud technologies, many in multi-cloud environments. However, the complexity and pressure of these projects often lead to burnout, with 56% of IT professionals reporting stress from tight deadlines and high expectations. To prevent burnout, it's essential to ensure balanced workload distribution, clear governance, and team agility throughout the migration process. Discussion Points: Addressing governance across multiple platforms. Ensuring seamless workload distribution. Building agility in teams to navigate emerging cloud technologies.
0:40 pm Accelerating Innovation with Edge-to-Cloud Integration(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) As industries become increasingly data-driven, edge computing offers a powerful solution for processing data closer to its source. Integrating edge solutions with cloud environments enables real-time decision-making, operational efficiency, and cost optimisation. With Australian edge computing revenue projected to hit $6.72 billion by 2027, this session unpacks how edge-to-cloud architectures can unlock value across sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. Discussion Points: Integrating edge and cloud for seamless workflows. Leveraging real-time analytics in hybrid environments. Best practices for scaling edge-to-cloud architectures.
1:00 pm Networking & Lunch Break(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary)
2:00 pm Building Energy-Efficient Clouds for a Greener Future(Sustainable Clouds) Sustainability is key as cloud providers reduce carbon footprints with green IT practices. Explore how Equinix and AWS align with ESG goals to meet growing environmental demands.
2:00 pm Enhancing DevOps Pipelines with Cloud-Native Tools(DevOps Clouds) Cloud-native DevOps accelerates software delivery, with CI/CD pipelines reducing release times by 30%. Discover how Google Kubernetes Engine simplifies collaborative workflows.
2:00 pm Unlocking Regional Opportunities with Emerging Cloud Providers(Regional Pioneers) Emerging players like OVHcloud and Nutanix are reshaping cloud adoption in regional markets. Discover how these providers offer cost-effective solutions tailored to local needs
2:00 pm Leveraging Cloud for Disaster Recovery and Resilience Hybrid cloud models ensure fast recovery from outages with scalable redundancy. Learn how VMware and Dell deliver disaster recovery strategies that minimise downtime.
2:00 pm Driving Innovation with Unified Data Access in the Cloud(Real-Time Data) Unified data architectures provide real-time insights for faster decision-making. Learn how Snowflake and NetApp enable seamless integration across edge and cloud environments
2:00 pm Driving Productivity with Cloud Collaboration Platforms(Collaboration Ecosystems) Cloud collaboration tools like Microsoft Azure enable hybrid workforces to thrive. Discover strategies for maximising engagement and security while scaling digital collaboration.
2:00 pm Achieving Global Reach with Cloud Infrastructure(Global Scale) Providers like Alibaba Cloud empower businesses to expand globally with optimised data transfer and local compliance. Learn strategies for scaling operations in international markets.
2:00 pm Driving Innovation with Unified Data Access in the Cloud(Real-Time Data) Unified data architectures provide real-time insights for faster decision-making. Learn how Snowflake and NetApp enable seamless integration across edge and cloud environments
2:00 pm Simplifying Cloud Operations with Unified Management Tools Managing hybrid and multi-cloud environments can be complex. Explore how NetApp and VMware streamline operations with centralised dashboards and automated processes.
2:00 pm Navigating Cloud Compliance in a Regulated World(Compliance First) Compliance with global and regional regulations is critical for enterprises. Learn how IBM and Oracle Cloud ensure data sovereignty and meet complex compliance requirements
2:25 pm Edge Computing: Reducing Latency in Real Time(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) Edge computing is reducing latency for industries requiring real-time data processing. In this fireside chat, we explore the role of edge technology in transforming business-critical operations. Discussion Points: Practical applications of edge computing. Reducing latency in time-sensitive sectors. Integrating edge with existing cloud frameworks.
2:45 pm Aligning Business Goals with Evolving Technologies(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) This session would focus on how organisations can effectively align their business objectives with the rapid pace of technological change, especially in industries with strict governance and regulation. Discussion Points: Understanding the Strategic Impact of Emerging Technologies. Balancing Innovation with Core Business Objectives. Aligning multiple business units.
3:05 pm The AI-Cloud Nexus: Scaling Generative AI in a Cloud Banking Environment(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) Generative AI is transforming how banks manage and leverage their cloud infrastructure. In this session learn insights on integrating generative AI within a cloud strategy to optimise scalability, automate critical operations, and ensure robust business continuity. Learn how to navigate the complexities of deploying large-scale AI solutions in a highly regulated banking environment, leveraging partnerships with hyperscalers to drive innovation and efficiency. Discussion Points: Integrating Generative AI into Cloud Management: Optimising Scalability and Automation AI-Driven Business Continuity and Security
3:25 pm Winning Practices to Transform Legacy IT Organisations(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary) As organisations race to stay competitive in the digital age, many are struggling to modernise their legacy IT systems and processes. Join Mirco Hering, author of "DevOps for the Modern Enterprise: Winning Practices to Transform Legacy IT Organisations", as he will dive deep into the strategies that can help CIOs and IT leaders overcome the obstacles of legacy infrastructure and accelerate their transformation journey. Discussion Points: The Legacy IT Dilemma: Understanding why traditional approaches to IT management—modelled after outdated manufacturing practices—are failing in today’s fast-paced, innovation-driven tech environment. Creating a People-Centric Ecosystem: How to empower teams, foster collaboration, and put creativity at the heart of IT delivery, shifting from a process-driven culture to a performance-driven one. The Role of Agile, Lean, and DevOps: How combining these methodologies can drive real change, improve collaboration, and deliver high-quality outcomes at scale. The Hidden Power of Cultural Change: Practical insights on how to break through the cultural barriers that hinder transformation, with real-world examples of how large enterprises have successfully navigated this challenge. Technology as an Enabler, Not a Saviour: Why the right tools alone won’t guarantee success, and how to ensure technology is used to drive meaningful change, not just automate existing processes.
3:45 pm Closing Remarks(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary)
3:50 pm End of Day & Networking Drinks(Cloud & Infrastructure Day - Plenary)

Speakers

Kavitha Dhanraj · Chief Data Officer, EBOS Group Limited A proven strategic product leader driving business objectives and goals to simplify the delivery and integration of complex technologies, from ideation to operations. Kavitha is passionate about building globally distributed high-performing teams, delivering successful outcomes at scale, aligning to governance, security, and privacy requirements, and ensuring optimal operating efficiency.
Rajkumar Mathiravedu · COO/CTO, Orica Recognised as a savvy leader in driving consensus across diverse organisations and making strategic business decisions to deliver results. Proven ability to successfully build and scale new businesses, including native digital transformations in legacy industrials, delivering significant enterprise value to all stakeholders. Possesses a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from University of Tulsa, an MBA from Indiana University, a Certification program on Business Analytics & Data Science from Harvard University, a Certification program on Cyber Security from Oxford and a Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Colleen Pender · Head of Technology, NAB Colleen is a technology leader with over 20 years working in various industries including IT, Finance, Logistics and Local/State Government. She has significant experience leading technology transformations, large-scale releases and projects. Colleen has a strong delivery focus and excels at finding solutions to challenges. She is a passionate leader and coach who empowers individuals and inspires teams to drive change and continuous improvement. Colleen has a love of learning, with a Masters of Business Administration, a Masters of Information Systems Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Systems. She also holds multiple project management, technology and cloud certifications. Colleen is currently working at the National Australia Bank on a major migration program which is one of the largest the bank has delivered.
Daniel Nicholson · Head of Architecture, Coles Group Head of Architecture across the Coles Group running a team of 10 skilled Enterprise Architects. Having worked for and with Retailers most of his career Daniel has built a great depth of knowledge in the vertical. That said in the process he has implemented many different solutions found through all Enterprises from Financial systems of record to Identity and Security Management. Daniel relishes all aspects of solution architecture from inception through proposal onto design and implementation and specifically the “it can’t be done” or “too hard basket” challenges.
Peter Caddy · Head of Digital, Medibank Peter is a people-first Digital leader with a background in customer experience design, lean digital product development and cross-domain leadership. He is deeply passionate about building teams, developing others and solving problems that make a genuine difference to the lives of others.
Madeline Palmer · Head of Content, Research & Editorial, Factor Madeline Palmer is a seasoned media and communications professional with extensive experience across journalism, broadcasting, and content creation. Before joining Factor, Madeline worked as a broadcast journalist in a number of major newsrooms across the country. During this time, Madeline covered breaking national and international news, including the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Medibank and Optus data breaches, several State and Federal Elections, the historical AUKUS Agreement, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, among other stories.
Craig Baty · VP Research & Advisory, Factor With over 30 years of C-level experience in ICT, HR, marketing, sales, operations, research, leadership, and international business, Craig is a notable tech industry leader.
Goran Stefkovski · CTO, Kogan Goran Stefkovski is the Chief Technology Officer of Kogan.com. Before joining Kogan.com, Goran worked at companies such as Rio Tinto, Coffey International, and as a solicitor at HWL Ebsworth Lawyers. His valuable years of experience in technology and e-commerce has secured him seats at ZDNet's TechBuzz series in 2013, Keynote speaker at Rackspace Solve (2015), SydStart (2015), AWS ReInvent (2016), Dropbox Melbourne Business event (2016) as well as numerous other panellist and speaker roles. A firm believer of personalisation and data analysis to improve shoppers' experience, Goran ensured technological excellence and innovation in Kogan across all business lines and received the CIO of the Year award in the Consumer sector for the Kogan development team's achievements in 2017.
Mirco Hering · Global Offering Lead for Developer Experience and Platform Engineering, Accenture With over 20 years at Accenture, Mirco Hering is a Managing Director leading the global DevOps practice and APAC Agile practice. Renowned for his expertise in Agile and DevOps transformations, he has supported major public and private sector organisations across Australia and globally, driving innovation in software delivery and IT efficiency. Mirco’s pragmatic approach focuses on blending methodologies to deliver tangible outcomes, whether setting up large-scale transformations or course-correcting projects that veer off track. Mirco is the author of the award-winning DevOps for the Modern Enterprise and a sought-after speaker at conferences worldwide, sharing insights on IT delivery, Agile practices, and DevOps strategies. Through his blog, Not A Factory Anymore, he continues to inspire IT leaders to overcome legacy challenges and embrace modern engineering practices. His passion for fostering high-performing developer communities underscores his leadership in Accenture’s mission to redefine IT delivery excellence.

Partners

Rimini Street
Lenovo Lenovo is a US$62 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #217 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 77,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into growth areas that fuel the advancement of ‘New IT’ technologies (client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence) including server, storage, mobile, software, solutions, and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub at https://news.lenovo.com/. To learn more about our career opportunities, visit our careers page at http://jobs.lenovo.com/.
Kinetic IT
BMC Software From core to cloud to edge, BMC continues to build on a 40-year heritage of shaping digital transformation for organizations around the world. We deliver the software and services innovations that help over 10,000 global customers, including 84% of the Forbes Global 100, thrive in their ongoing evolution to an Autonomous Digital Enterprise—a state in which intelligent, integrated, value-creating functions operate with minimal human involvement across every facet of the organization and its ecosystem. We are proud to have earned recognition as an ITSM Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader for seven years running, as well as being named overall leader in the EMA Radar Report for Workload Automation for five years in a row and top of the charts in EMA’s recent AIOps Radar report. Our future-focused portfolio helps drive business success with AI-enabled solutions for automation, optimization, performance, security, and service management, covering everything from mainframe to multi-cloud. BMC’s open, scalable, modular technologies help ensure that our customers can run and reinvent their businesses for growth and competitive edge while optimizing cost, performance, and security. For more information about BMC, please visit www.bmc.com.
Appian Corporation
Brennan Brennan is an Australian-owned systems integrator that has grown since being founded in 1997 to become the largest privately owned local player in the market. Headquartered in Sydney with offices across Australia and in India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines to provide 24/7 services to its customers. Serving more than 1,400 business, enterprise, and government customers, the privately owned company continues to expand its services to meet customer needs. In line with this, the company has made seven strategic acquisitions and has established a new division, Brennan Digital to support customers in their digital transformation journey.
HCL Technology
SAP Australia SAP is one of the world’s leading producers of software for the management of business processes, developing solutions that facilitate effective data processing and information flow across organisations. At SAP, our purpose is to help the world run better and improve people’s lives. Our promise is to innovate to help our customers run at their best. SAP is committed to helping every customer become a best-run business. We engineer solutions to fuel innovation, foster equality, and spread opportunity across borders and cultures. Together, with our customers and partners, we can transform industries, grow economies, lift up societies, and sustain our environment.
TPG Telecom TPG Telecom is one of Australia’s largest telecommunication companies and operates a number of leading mobile and internet brands including Vodafone, TPG, iiNet, Internode, Lebara, AAPT and felix. As a full-service telecommunications provider, TPG Telecom provides mobile, internet, business and fixed network solutions. We serve consumers, small and medium businesses, government, corporate enterprises and wholesale customers offering a comprehensive portfolio of fixed and mobile products in the Australian telecommunications market. We operate a leading mobile network with over 5,600 sites covering more than 23 million Australians, and Australia’s second-largest fixed voice and data network, with more than 27,000km of inter-capital and metropolitan fibre networks as well as international transit capacity, and a 5G mobile network that is currently being rolled out. TPG Telecom is an ASX-listed company, employing more than 3,000 people offering a flexible, diverse and inclusive workplace. At TPG Telecom, we are committed to connecting Australia for the better.
Boomi Boomi aims to make the world a better place by connecting everyone to everything, anywhere. The pioneer of cloud-based integration platform as a service (iPaaS), and now a category-leading, global software as a service (SaaS) company, Boomi touts the largest customer base among integration platform vendors and a worldwide network of approximately 800 partners – including Accenture, Capgemini, Deloitte, SAP, and Snowflake. Global organisations turn to Boomi’s award-winning platform to discover, manage, and orchestrate data, while connecting applications, processes, and people for better, faster outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.boomi.com.
Box
Smartsheet
Nitro
Ping Identity
Snow Software Snow Software is changing the way organizations understand and manage their technology consumption. Our technology intelligence platform provides comprehensive visibility and contextual insight across software, SaaS, hardware and cloud. With Snow, IT leaders can effectively optimize resources, enhance performance and enable operational agility in a hybrid world.
Thoughtworks
Splunk Splunk is helping to build a safer and more resilient digital world by equipping customers with the unified security and observability platform they need to keep their organization securely up and running — no matter what digital disruptions come their way.