Across one day with five dedicated technology tracks, almost 200 attendees descended on ANS HQ in Manchester to discover how AI, cloud, security and business applications work together to accelerate transformation and deliver measurable business outcomes.
Here are some key highlights from Thinking Bigger 2026.
Cloud strategy with purpose.
Cloud is no longer just about infrastructure.
Anthony Holland (Head of Presales in Cloud) and Nathan Hapinstall (Head of Cloud Delivery) explored how leading organisations are using cloud strategy to drive tangible business outcomes, balancing innovation and cost while preparing for the future.
A key theme throughout was the role of cloud as an enabler of AI, automation and business agility. The sessions challenged the traditional cloud migration narrative, showing that success isn’t determined by where workloads run, but by how effectively cloud helps organisations innovate.
Securing AI with confidence.
AI adoption is accelerating, but so are the risks.
In a thought-provoking session, Paul Rutter (Technical Product Manager) and Sam Alabi explored (Senior Security Engineer) how organisations can safely govern AI, sharing practical guidance on balancing innovation with security and control.
The conversation continued at board level, where Katie King (Head of Compliance and Information Security) examined the human, operational and reputational risks associated with AI adoption.
Bringing together ANS experts and customer perspectives, the discussion reinforced a vital message that security is no longer just a technical concern. It’s a business-critical enabler of innovation, resilience and trust.
Turning data into decisions.
Data has the potential to be one of an organisation’s most powerful assets, but only when it’s turned into actionable insight.
Across three engaging sessions, Martin Brierley (Practice Lead), Ian Pike, and Chris Muir (Solution Architects) explored how organisations can unlock more value from their data with Microsoft Fabric.
They discussed the strengths of bringing data sources together and creating a stronger foundation for AI-driven innovation.
The conversation then shifted from data management to decision-making, with a look at how Power BI helps leaders transform complex data into clear, meaningful insights.
From tracking performance to uncovering opportunities and supporting faster decisions, they demonstrated how the right analytics tools can empower organisations to act with greater confidence.
Cyber security brought to life.
Security came to life through a series of immersive sessions designed to put attendees at the heart of the action.
Visitors got a behind-the-scenes look inside the ANS Security Operations Centre (SOC), seeing how experts identify and respond to threats in real time. The experience continued with Cyber Crowd’s interactive cyber escape room, where participants worked through a simulated cyber incident to test their security thinking and teamwork.
Commvault rounded off with a powerful look at the business impact of downtime, highlighting why backup, recovery and cyber resilience are critical to keeping organisations running when disruption strikes.
Leadership conversations that matter.
Senior leaders had the opportunity to connect directly with customers and prospects alongside ANS’s executive leadership team, including CEO Richard Thompson, CPO Toria Walters and CTO Kyle Hill.
Over lunch, conversations focused on the trends and challenges driving technology investment, with AI, cloud and data-led decision-making high on the agenda.
Putting AI into Action.
The afternoon sessions focused on turning AI ambition into measurable business value, exploring the strategies organisations can use to drive adoption, embed AI into day-to-day operations and maximise return on investment.
Not every AI agent is the right fit for every organisation.
Ali Mustoe-Playfair (Director of Agentic Operations) explored the evolving options of AI agents, examining their practical use cases and how organisations can deploy them successfully.
Attendees also had the opportunity to look behind the scenes at how ANS is using AI internally. The session showcased real-world productivity gains, tangible business outcomes and the opportunities ahead.
Wrapping up.
The day finished up with attendees coming together to discuss AI readiness, integration and what’s next, while enjoying the opportunity to connect, share ideas and continue conversations over a drink.
We can’t wait to continue these conversations and help more organisations to think bigger with ANS.
