The chair opens the conference with “The Connection Kickoff”. This interactive networking session will break the ice and is the starting point of meaningful connection. The Connection Kickoff is the perfect opportunity to meet fellow security leaders, share your interests, and start expanding your network of peers who can inspire and support you during and beyond the conference. Let’s make the first connection count!

The ambition of most companies is to have an effective SAM function operating on all levels, strategic – tactical – operational. The challenge is that the SAM function often tends to be stuck on an operational level. In this session Folksam will present how the SAM function has managed establish a clear governance, operational work process and interaction within the company. This gives the SAM Function both the acknowledgment and leverage to participate and contribute to decisions within the company. Join Folksam in this session to learn about the Folksam SAM Programme and SAM Framework: SAM Governance and processes Tools and Data SAM operational process People and dependencies

Expand your SAM practice to include FinOps. In this session you’ll learn what changes between SAM and FinOps (goals, how often you act, the data you use), the tools to start with, and how SAM roles map to FinOps. We’ll share a simple crawl-walk-run plan, a lightweight organisation setup (small core team plus champions), must-have dashboards and reviews, the key metrics to track (like cost per transaction), and common pitfalls to avoid.   Topics covered in this session FinOps vs. SAM – Strategic Framing Cadence and Data – Cloud FinOps vs. Traditional SAM Tooling Evolution – FinOps vs. SAM Approaches Culture Shift – From Compliance to Cloud Value FinOps Maturity – Crawl, Walk, Run Transitioning from SAM to FinOps – Roles and Skills Key Enablers – People, Process, Technology Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

In this workshop, Rick van Haaren, Product Owner Vendor Management at Alliander in The Netherlands, shares his insights and experiences built over more than 20 years. Alliander is one of the largest energy network operators in the Netherlands, giving you the opportunity to see how a large organization in another country approaches these challenges. Discover how different organizations implement Software Asset Management (SAM) and which collaboration models prove to be the most effective. From decentralized to centralized structures and back again, similar to the evolution from mainframe terminals to cloud computing, and everything in between. This session not only provides valuable insights and fresh ideas, but also gives you the opportunity to reflect on your own organization. Why does something work in one context but not in another? Together with peers, you will exchange experiences and collect practical ideas that can be applied immediately. Bring your own stories to the table by sharing them, you’ll help others as well as yourself.

Java licensing remains one of the toughest challenges for IT Asset and Software Asset Management teams. Evolving terms, complex licensing models, and sprawling hybrid estates make compliance a moving target. Yet the biggest blind spot isn’t discovery, it’s knowing what’s actually in use. Without accurate runtime visibility, ITAM teams risk over-licensing idle systems or missing active, unlicensed deployments that drive audit and security exposure. Modern ITAM demands expansive, precise “in-use” data to turn static inventory into actionable insight linking consumption to business value, security, and cost. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now the catalyst for this shift. By applying machine learning to real-time runtime and usage telemetry, AI correlates deployment data with true utilization, detects anomalies, and predicts future demand. Supervised models forecast licensing trends, unsupervised models uncover shadow IT, and generative systems surface optimization and remediation insights in context. In this session, you will learn: How to overcome Java licensing challenges when traditional discovery tools fall short. How to collect and apply accurate “in-use” runtime data for compliance, security, and optimization. How AI-powered ITAM transforms visibility into predictive, intelligence-driven governance and business value.

Facing rising costs and increasing complexity, a leading Swedish healthcare institution partnered with PREO Software AG to optimize its software licensing and prepare for the cloud. In this session, discover how strategic license management unlocked significant legal savings while ensuring compliance and cloud readiness. Learn firsthand how smart approaches to IT and software asset management can relieve budget pressures, reduce risk, and enable innovation. Gain practical insights and real-world takeaways from this success story to apply within your own organization.

In this workshop, we will explore Deloitte’s IT Asset Management (ITAM) Framework as a powerful tool to assess and enhance your ITAM team’s capabilities. Learn how to identify strengths and gaps, align team processes with best practices, and implement targeted improvements that drive efficiency and value. Whether you’re starting your ITAM journey or looking to optimize an existing team, this session provides practical insights and actionable steps to elevate your ITAM function and support your organization’s broader IT strategy.

Understanding your current IT Asset Management (ITAM) maturity is the first step toward building a more effective, efficient, and aligned program. In this session, you'll explore a practical framework for diagnosing where you stand today, uncovering gaps in tools and processes, and aligning your ITAM strategy with real business outcomes. We'll guide you through SoftwareOne’s ITAM Diagnostics approach, assess leading tools like ServiceNow, Snow, Flexera, and Xensam, and explore real-world practices for governance, sustainability, and vendor management. Whether you're just getting started or scaling globally, this session will help you benchmark your progress and plan your next steps.

In this session, we will explore why the Software Asset Managers programmatic approach, lifecycle perspective, and licensing expertise make them the natural leaders of the FinOps practice. SAM professionals are uniquely positioned to lead FinOps and cloud cost optimization, because licensing is a big driver of cloud spend. They already manage financial governance through budgeting and chargeback, and their close relationships with procurement, finance, vendors and compliance, give capabilities to manage and control contractual and financial risk. With experience across hybrid environments, they bring the broad perspective needed in today’s IT landscape. This session will show you why a SAM-led FinOps practice can deliver both risk control and cloud value. Topics covered in this session Compliance, lifecycle, and governance; the missing pieces in FinOps Program ownership – Why FinOps needs One central owner, not just distributed personas Intersecting responsibilities – How ITAM/SAM complements FinOps core personas How SAM’s Policy Framework Strengthens FinOps Culture Key leadership role – The Software Asset Manager as FinOps practice Lead

Emerging technologies are reshaping our environments and lives. In this keynote, we’ll explore the rapid pace of technological advancement and its implications for the future. We’ll delve into the convergence of emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT and the dependency on cloud ecosystems, highlighting their transformative potential. We’ll reflect on the critical role of innovation in driving progress and the importance of staying educated and adaptable in an ever-evolving technological environment.