Kyndryl, the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, hosted an engaging event on Thursday, January 23, 2025, themed “Navigating IT Readiness and Modernization.”

Held at Pralina Experience, the event drew notable interest from the business community and key stakeholders in Cyprus. Discussions focused on important topics such as hybrid IT, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and IT modernization strategies.

A key highlight was the presentation of insights from the 2024 Kyndryl Readiness Report, which uncovered a global paradox: while 90% of business leaders believe their IT infrastructure is top-notch, only 39% feel they are prepared to handle future risks. This finding underscores the critical need for businesses to accelerate modernization efforts and rethink their IT strategies to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving technological landscape.

Attendees also had the opportunity to explore innovative strategies for digital modernization and preparing for a hybrid IT future, while also networking with executives from leading Cypriot businesses.

In his opening remarks, Marios Kapiris, Managing Director of Kyndryl Cyprus, emphasized that in today’s fast-paced digital economy, businesses must be as people-ready as they are tech-ready, because transformation is everyone’s business. “Modern leadership is about agility—to operate, accelerate, and iterate in response to constant technological change,” he said. “The ability to adapt and evolve is what distinguishes successful organizations. At the same time, we need to reframe the conversation about tech debt—not as a burden but an opportunity to modernize and strengthen IT infrastructure. Businesses should understand their core infrastructure to successfully navigate the complexities of hybrid IT and digital transformation. By embracing these principles, organizations can turn readiness into a competitive advantage, ensuring they stay ahead in an ever-changing business environment.”

Dipa Velagapudy, Vice President, Cloud Practice at Kyndryl, delivered a presentation titled “The Vision for Technology Modernization – Preparing for a Hybrid IT Future.” She shared her expertise from customer projects globally and emphasized that the path to modernization is complex. The recipe to succeed with the vision is to have a strategy and practical knowledge of how to drive transformation with focus on people, processes and technology.

Allen Downs, Kyndryl Global Resiliency Domain Leader, and Sok Mouy Cheng, Kyndryl Security & Resiliency Consult Leader for Strategic Markets, presented on “Ensuring Cyber Resilience in a Hybrid IT World.” They stressed on the importance of cyber resilience as a top priority in hybrid IT environments, and the critical need for organizations to adopt proactive cybersecurity strategies to maintain their business operations.

George Georgakakos, Data & AI Senior Customer Technology Advisor Lead at Kyndryl Consult in Central Eastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean (CEE & EM), delivered a presentation titled, “The Vision for Technology Modernization – Lifting the Barriers to AI Adoption,” where he highlighted that, despite existing challenges, having a well-defined strategy and comprehensive methodologies in place can effectively remove barriers to AI adoption and deliver returns on investment.