9:00 - 9:30AM

Breakfast

9:30 - 9:45 AM

Territorial Acknowledgement & Welcome Remarks

Rhea Dupuis

Director of Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation, Okanagan College

Emcee
Jordan Perrey- CIO, Okanagan College

9:45 - 10:00 AM

BCNET President’s Update

Bala Kathiresan, President & CEO

10:00 - 10:50 AM

Tactical to Strategic: The Role of Technology in the Future of Post-Secondary Education

Neil Fassina, President, Okanagan College

10:50 - 11:00 AM

Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:00 PM

Software Vendors: Negotiating Strategies for Joint Success

The software landscape has transformed significantly, shifting from traditional “shrink-wrap perpetual licenses” to dynamic Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscription models. To negotiate effectively with software vendors, it's crucial that BCNET's members understand the key drivers and motivations behind vendor offerings. Harry will explore the evolving software ecosystem and provide actionable strategies for leveraging SaaS solutions, as well as containing costs, and enhancing stakeholder comprehension of software licensing and deployment. He will cover best practices for cost containment, including the understanding of usage metrics and optimizing license allocation. By incorporating these perspectives, Harry will delve into negotiation tactics that ensure mutually beneficial outcomes, optimize expenditure, and build a clearer understanding of software deployment and license management.

Harry Zarek, President & Founder, Compugen
 

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Lunch Break

1:00 - 1:15 PM

Update from the CIO of the Ministry of Advanced Education and Future Skills 

Spencer Tickner, Executive Director & Chief Information Officer, BC Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills

1:15 - 2:00 PM

CNC's Cyber Lessons Learned
In April, CNC experienced a near-miss cyber event related to the Palo Alto Zero-Day vulnerability. The event necessitated activation of incident management protocols requiring assistance from both the BCNET Cybersecurity and the KPMG Digital Forensics teams. The event concluded in a containment with no evidence of a breach.  This session will outline the event details, discuss lessons learned and the experience of working with the BCNET Cybersecurity team and the KPMG Digital Forensics service.

Dave Lampron, CIO, College of New Caledonia

Roddy Govender, Senior Manager, Cyber Security (Cyber Defense and Response, KPMG Canada

2:00 - 2:15 PM

Coffee Break

2:15 - 3:00 PM

Transformative Impact of Generative AI
This talk explores the transformative impact of Generative AI. We will trace its rapid rise, highlight key advancements, and provide insights into its foundational principles and inner workings. Attendees will discover practical applications within educational institutions, showcasing how Generative AI can enhance learning experiences and streamline administrative tasks.

Rob Lucas, Principal Solutions Consultant, Dell Technologies

3:00 PM

Wrap-up