Web Summit 2016: Apps, Open Source & Disruptive Tech

This week WP Engine ventured to Portugal to participate in Europe’s largest tech industry event, the annual Web Summit internet conference. Moving away from its traditional Dublin base and relocating to its new home of Lisbon, we swapped Guinness for Super Bok and the brisk Irish autumn for sunnier Southern European climates.

What didn’t change however was Web Summit’s relentless desire to celebrate all that is innovative, exciting and disruptive across multiple industries and disciplines, from money to music, from SaaS to start-ups, from automotive to marketing. 50,000-plus delegates from across Europe, and further afield, came together experiencing packed-out arena presentations, to intimate roundtables and everything in between.

https://twitter.com/WebSummit/status/796788277936357378

As in previous years, WP Engine was an exhibitor at the conference and the team was there in force meeting with customers, prospects and WordPress users – celebrating the power of the WP Engine platform.

Our CEO Heather Brunner also returned to the show as a VIP panellist leading discussions around ‘the power of cloud’ and ‘winning in the app economy’. In the conversations around cloud and the app economy a number of key themes were clear:

Happening now: our own @heatherjbrunner speaking on revolutionising processes and driving efficiency #websummit pic.twitter.com/gIm7bMimRA

— WP Engine (@wpengine) November 8, 2016

We’ve come a long way

When it comes to improving the procedures and processes which underpin enterprise organisations we’ve come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Connectivity, coupled with the elasticity of the cloud means paper-based processes and manual workflows have disappeared, replaced by hyper-connected, cloud-based interactions which exponentially improve efficiency and productivity

Find a champion

All tech adoption – whether it’s movement into the cloud, business apps, adoption of new security solutions etc. – hinges on user adoption to make or break its success. So, find a champion who will act as your internal cheerleader and drive uptake within the organisation. For WP Engine, the CMO is often placed to be this champion.

Embrace Open Source

Don’t get stuck in an innovation cul-de-sac by being locked into a closed content platform. Embrace open source and the collaborative innovation potential it brings.

Seek out actionable insights

The only things that you can improve are the things that you can measure. Put processes in place to understand how users engage with tech or apps and then use that data to make actionable insights that will improve performance, profitability and user experience.

Rounding off her trio of stage appearances Heather participated in an informative discussion on what it takes to be an effective CEO entitled, ‘DNA vs the 130-hour week’, (stay tuned for a recap of her speech).

Thanks to everyone who visited us on the stand over the course of the show and to our many customers who joined us for Wednesday’s night’s party in conjunction with Second Home.

Obrigado Lisboa!