RSI was proud to participate in Virtua’s ACES Conference in Minneapolis. The event brought together Apple consultants, IT providers, and business leaders from across North America to share ideas on strengthening service businesses and managing emerging and AI-related risks. More than a technology conference, ACES focused on the decisions that help technology providers grow and lead effectively.
AI Adoption Challenges Discussion
At the conference, Angela Hogaboom, RSI’s Chief Information Security Officer, spoke about best practices for threat assessments and frameworks for managing emerging risk. She also discussed the importance of clear, enforceable policies and well-documented standards and procedures companies need as they explore AI workflow integrations in daily operations. As more organizations adopt AI, these conversations matter more than ever.
Our message at the conference was simple: When it comes to AI, plan it before you build it. They need to understand the risks, set clear rules, and document how AI should and shouldn’t be used. RSI brought a security-focused view to the discussion and showed why strong governance and oversight matter.
What is ACES & Why Does It Matter?
ACES is a business-focused conference for Apple consultants and Apple-centered IT providers. It goes beyond product updates and technical setup. It also covers the day-to-day work of running a service business. Common topics include operations, leadership, marketing, pricing, client service, and security.
This matters because Apple consultants and IT providers now advise clients on more than devices and software. They also help with cybersecurity, compliance, business processes, and newer tools like AI. ACES brings those topics together in one place and gives people a chance to learn from each other.
RSI’s Perspective On AI Adoption Challenges
As organizations look for useful ways to adopt AI, they also face important questions. How should data be handled? Who makes technology decisions? What counts as proper use? What should be restricted or prohibited? These are all AI adoption challenges that affect daily work, client trust, and long-term success. That is why RSI’s point of view fits so well at ACES, where practical conversations about AI adoption challenges are increasingly important.
Speaking about threat assessment and AI governance, RSI shared practical ways service providers should approach AI deployments. We stressed that AI should not be treated as a separate project. It should be integrated with security and business practices so companies can move forward with more confidence and control while managing AI adoption challenges.
Looking Ahead
We are thankful to Justin Esgar and the Virtua team for bringing together so many voices from the Apple technology community. Events like ACES give service providers time to step back from daily work and think about the bigger issues shaping their businesses and their clients’ needs.
For RSI, the conference was a chance to share what we know and learn from others facing similar challenges. We left Minneapolis encouraged by the conversations and excited to keep helping organizations adopt technology in secure, responsible, and practical ways.
We're going to keep talking about this
This is the first in what will be a regular conversation from us on AI — what we’re seeing, what we’re doing, what’s worth paying attention to, and what’s just noise. We’ll cover the compliance and cybersecurity angles too, because those risks are real and largely underreported in the SMB space.
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