The last-ever IGEL Disrupt took place in Munich from September 16th to 17th, 2024, serving as a significant moment in EUC history. Attendees gathered for two days of insightful keynotes, hands-on demos, and in-depth discussions, celebrating IGEL’s legacy of innovation while also anticipating the new direction the company is heading toward. This final Disrupt event not only reflected on the progress made in optimizing the delivery of secure, manageable desktops across diverse infrastructures but also hinted at the next-generation solutions that will shape the future of EUC.

While IGEL Now and Next is set to build on the strong foundation laid by Disrupt, it will offer an evolved format designed to address the rapid changes in the EUC landscape. As businesses continue to navigate remote work models, hybrid cloud deployments, and increasing cybersecurity concerns, the new event will provide a platform for sharing cutting-edge strategies, showcasing breakthrough technologies, and fostering collaboration among the global EUC community

My journey began on the 15th taking the short flight from Dublin to Munich

The Sunday evening was spent setting up the booth before heading to the IGEL Ready Partners reception it was great to catch up with all of the other partners and to catch up with my old colleagues from IGEL

Day 1

Following breakfast I headed to the IGEL Studio to record a Q and A with Susanne Collier we talked about the longstanding partnership between IGEL and Liquidware, our Stratusphere UX app for OS12. and how AI is implemented into our solutions You can read more about our app here. You can also check out the AI enabled SaaS Real time remediation solution CommandCTRL

Then it was time for the keynotes which were kicked off by IGEL CEO Klaus Ostermann who talked about IGEL Preventive Security Model designed to reduce the attack surface because IGEL OS12 is modular and also prevent attacks by being read only which creates a secure and lightweight endpoint OS. Next up was Scott Manchester who outlined of the new features for AVD and Windows365. He also talked about Windows365’s AI Powered Management which suggests sizing changes to your Cloud PC to reduce cost and improve performance. After Scott it was the turn of EUC Analyst Gabe Knuth who presented his research around Desk Top and App Virtualization , and how Windows Apps are still in heavy use and are going nowhere soon. He also presented several new modern personas and the device associated with each persona. Following Gabe was Shawn Bass from Citrix who talked about the increased complexity in EUC environments and the way that the Citrix platform helps with the simplification. The key notes finished with James Millington talking through how IGEL OS had helped customers avoid an outage during the CrowdStrike incident , and also the financial and sustainably benefits of the IGEL OS

Following the keynotes I headed off to record a promo with Gavin Connolly for our upcoming joint webinar. In our webinar we will to demonstrating how using FlexApp One and Nerdio Manager simplifies your application management.

Seems we were caught on camera as we were recording our promo !

After spending some time at the booth, I had the chance to talk to a wide range of attendees about how Liquidware’s solutions can tackle some of the biggest challenges in the End User Computing (EUC) landscape. Whether the pain point was user experience monitoring, application delivery, or user environment management, there was a genuine excitement about how Liquidware’s portfolio can provide answers to these complex problems. Many of the conversations centered around the need for greater visibility into user performance across virtual desktops, something our Stratusphere UX product addresses head-on. Meanwhile, ProfileUnity sparked interest for its ability to streamline user management and boost security, especially in hybrid cloud environments. It became clear that Liquidware’s comprehensive approach—offering solutions that integrate smoothly into existing infrastructures—resonated with both IT admins and EUC decision-makers alike.

Following these discussions, I attended an exciting session led by Gavin Connolly, who delved into the impressive capabilities of Nerdio Manager for Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environments. Gavin provided an in-depth overview of why Nerdio Manager is an essential tool for managing AVD, showcasing how it simplifies deployment, management, and cost optimization in Azure environments. One of the session’s highlights was Gavin’s presentation on the current features of Nerdio Manager, such as its powerful automation capabilities, scalability features, and deep integration with Azure’s native services.

Following Gavin’s session I headed to the Community Stage to watch Edwin and Jesper from Liquidware partner ITQ present on Managing VDI like it is 2032 where they talked about the need for automation to streamline your deployment processes.

Then it was time for the party which featured the Disrupt band better known as Radar, they definitely catered for the audience play rock hits from the 70, 80 and 90s, there were also some party games including a very bizarre milking of an artificial cow !

Day 2

The morning at Disrupt 2024 kicked off in full swing at the Liquidware booth, where we showcased live demos of our powerful Stratusphere UX App and ProfileUnity solutions. Our solutions continue to be key in helping organizations optimize their end-user computing environments by delivering unparalleled visibility into user experience and providing comprehensive user environment management, respectively. The booth drew considerable attention as attendees engaged with our team, exploring the capabilities and tangible benefits of our solutions firsthand.

As the event progressed, I had the pleasure of wrapping up my Day 2 on the IGEL Community stage, where I highlighted Liquidware’s latest achievement: being awarded the prestigious Pioneer App Award. This recognition was granted to us as the first vendor to release an app for the IGEL App Store, a testament to our ongoing commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in EUC. During my session, I dove into how Liquidware’s FlexApp solution can be deployed directly to IGEL OS devices, thanks to our seamless integration with Citrix DaaS. This integration allows organizations to simplify application management while ensuring secure, scalable deployments across any virtual environment.

Adding to the excitement, the Day 2 keynote unveiled IGEL’s new App Creator Portal, a game-changer for vendors and customers alike. This portal dramatically streamlines the process of developing and deploying custom apps within the IGEL ecosystem, empowering organizations to tailor their EUC environments to meet specific needs and enhance flexibility.

At Disrupt 2024, the key themes revolved around the evolution of End User Computing (EUC) in the age of AI and the heightened focus on disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity, especially after the CrowdStrike incident. AI is transforming IT operations by automating routine tasks and enhancing security, and vendors at the event emphasized how AI can streamline EUC environments.Liquidware fits in by providing foundational tools like Stratusphere UX to monitor and optimize user experience, ensuring that AI-driven systems perform seamlessly without disrupting end-user productivity. Liquidware’s role in delivering these insights becomes crucial as AI continues to shape the future of EUC.

Additionally, the conversation touched on the future of Windows shifting toward a cloud-first model, as organizations move more workloads to virtual and cloud-based environments. This shift, combined with the increased focus on DR, shows the importance of flexible, scalable solutions like ProfileUnity and FlexApp, which enable seamless user environment management and on-demand application delivery. As businesses prioritize business continuity and the transition to cloud-native infrastructure, Liquidware’s solutions remain key enablers, helping organizations stay resilient and agile in a cloud-driven, AI-enhanced future.

Ready to tackle your EUC challenges and future-proof your strategy? Liquidware’s solutions are designed to streamline every aspect of your digital workspace transformation—whether you’re planning migrations, optimizing performance, or enhancing security. Explore how Liquidware can support your journey and ensure success. Learn more here