VMblog: Let's begin by defining exactly what the DISRUPT End User Computing Event is?
Jed Ayres: Over the last several years, the largest industry events have shifted their focus away from End User Computing (EUC) and BriForum no longer exists. VMworld has diluted their emphasis on EUC leaving Citrix Synergy as one of the only shows focused exclusively on EUC. This has left IGEL with a tremendous opportunity to fill that void with this highly targeted technical event focused solely on the EUC space.
The January, February, and March 2018 events in North America, EMEA and ANZ were tremendously successful, providing an opportunity for us to meet face-to-face with customers and partners in an intimate setting to gain a better understanding of their regional issues and concerns. We are anticipating that our 2019 events in North America and EMEA will eclipse the success we experienced in 2018, and attendance is already on track to exceed what we experienced last year.
VMblog: So, this year you are hosting just two separate events, one in Germany and one in the United States. Tell us a little about each location.
Ayres: Our EMEA event this year is taking place January 23-25 in Munich, Germany. During this event we will be unveiling some exciting announcements surrounding the ever-changing transformation of End User Computing. Look for announcements on partnerships with AWS, Teradici, NVIDIA and others. Our North American event, taking place in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley, from February 5-7, will showcase some of the new and innovative developments ahead for IGEL in EUC including a preview of a new Systems Integration and MSP partner program that will be launched in 2019. We'll also offer attendees the opportunity to hear from inspiring and insightful industry thought leaders from CRN, IDC, Integratis, Lakeside Software, NVIDIA, Nutanix, Vation Ventures, and more.
VMblog: What is the theme for this year's DISRUPT End User Computing Forum?
Ayres: This year, we will be talking about endpoint transformation, and why organizations must "Challenge Everything" when it comes to their EUC environments. During our 2018 DISRUPT End User Computing Forum in Austin, TX, we recognized just how wide-spread the industry need was for a thought leadership event that focused on endpoint computing. This year, we will be addressing some of the hottest trends in EUC, and providing insights and best practices that will help attendees face the monumental changes that are ahead.
VMblog: Speaking of trends, what are some of the biggest drivers for change in EUC?
Ayres: From where IGEL sits, the biggest drivers are security & compliance, moving to Windows 10, mobility, cloud and Desktop as a Service (DaaS). With the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), more than 50 billion devices will be connected by 2020. It's a real revolution out there as more and more organizations are looking for a better way to keep their employees productive, flexible and secure regardless of their location.
The increasing concern about security risk is driving CIOs to think more about better management at the endpoint. The endpoint is the "weakest link", with the biggest and most vulnerable attack surface. Also the bring-your-own device, mobile phenomenon creates a critical need for controlling what workers are accessing and doing on all their devices. Finally, the typical enterprise infrastructure now is so complex, and made up of so many disparate tools and licenses, that effective endpoint management is imperative. IGEL manages these devices to simplify the infrastructure and create a consistent user experience. We enable users to choose their device, at the same time allowing IT to achieve compliance goals and provide secure endpoints.
VMblog: What kind of attendance are you expecting for this year's DISRUPT End User Computing Forum?
Ayres: Our DISRUPT EMEA event in Bremen, Germany, last year sold out at 500+ attendees, including more than 150 technical boot camp participants. At our DISRUPT North America event, in Austin, we had 300 attendees with 100 attending our Technical Boot Camps. So far, we've had a tremendous response for our 2019 events, and expect the number of attendees to double at both locations this year.
What our attendees love most about the DISRUPT EUC Forum events is the intimacy and the ability to have access to top executives from AMD, Cherry, Citrix, ControlUp, deviceTRUST, Lakeside Software, Nutanix, NVIDIA, Parallels, PrinterLogic, Tricerat and other industry leaders, to name a few. They also love the focus on EUC and the movement to DaaS and IoT.
VMblog: What are you most excited about in preparing for this event?
Ayres: It's thrilling to bring so many IGEL evangelists, partners and customers together underneath one roof. We are also excited to be welcoming for the first time, members of the IGEL Community which was launched in early 2018. During the past year, the community has experienced tremendous growth and now counts more than 1,000 members among its ranks. It's a great forum for everyone to share their experiences and exchange ideas.
VMblog: Can you talk about any of the sessions or discussions that are expected to take place at the event? What are the hot topics?
Ayres: DISRUPT End User Computing Forum events in EMEA and North America will feature many dynamic presenters.
Speakers at our events in Munich and Silicon Valley include:
- Simon Clark, Aimar Foundation
- Otto Wulff, Bauunternehmung GmbH
- Dave Lesuer, Senior Manager, Office of the CIO, eBay
- Nathan Hill, Research Vice President, Gartner
- Michelle Bailey, GVP/GM and Research Fellow, IDC
- Doug Brown, Global Technology Evangelist, IGEL
- Thomas Poppelgaard, EUC Technology Evangelist
- Eva Helen, Founder and CEO, EQ Inspiration
- Mike Schumacher, CEO, Lakeside Software
- Jason Southern, EMEA Head of Segment Sales for Visualization and Virtualization, NVIDIA
- Simon Binder, Microsoft MVP, Enterprise, Mobility and Digital Workspace
- Ruben Spruijt, Senior Technologist, Nutanix
- Matthew Friel, Partner, Vation Ventures
- Stephen DiFranco, IoT Industry Expert
- Chris Longstaffe, Founder and CEO, Integratis
- Benny Tritsch, Founder, Dr. Tritsch IT Consulting
- Barry Coombs, Director, Co-Owner, Computerworld Systems
- Megan Warren, Marketing Professional, Computerworld Systems
- Jed Ayres, President and CEO, North America, IGEL
- Simon Townsend, CMO, EMEA, IGEL
- Heiko Gloge, Founder and CEO, IGEL
- Doug Keeley, CEO and Chief Storyteller, Mark of a Leader
- Steven Burke, News Editor, The Channel Company
Attendees can also participate in one of our Technical Boot Camps and do a deep dive into all the latest innovations coming out of IGEL. They can also check out relevant workshops, learn about EUC product roadmaps and get insight from Doug Brown, IGEL's global technologist and resident geek speak specialist.
For a complete agenda and list of speakers, you can visit here: https://disrupteuc.com.
VMblog: Who are your event sponsors?
Ayres: We have more than 25 global sponsors including industry giants such as Advantech, AMD, Cendio ThinLinc, Cherry, Citrix, Clientron, ControlUp, deviceTRUST, Ingram Micro, Integratis, Lakeside Software, Nutanix, NVIDIA, Parallels, PrinterLogic, Sennheiser, Synnex, Transcend and Tricerat to name a few. To see the complete list of sponsors, visit https://disrupteuc.com.
VMblog: Anything vendors and attendees of this event should be aware of before they head out?
Ayres: Attendees should be prepared to expand their thinking on EUC to include solutions in DaaS and IoT. They should be prepared for eye-opening sessions from inspirational speakers on disruption in business. We are confident they will walk away with a more comprehensive knowledge of EUC, and we know they will have a great time!
VMblog: Are there any new trends in the industry that people should be aware of or should keep their eyes and ears on the lookout for anytime during the show?
Ayres: We will be covering a number of trends at the 2019 DISRUPT End User Computing Forum events. For example, I think the "Women in IT" session led by Eva Helen, CEO, EQ Inspiration, will be of great interest. Attendees that saw her present last year were both inspired and moved by her insights.
One common theme you will likely hear from customers is how IGEL endpoint management is enabling their organizations to get off the hamster wheel of new hardware investments. Many customers tell us that they have to turn over all their hardware every three years to chase the next operating system, which of course requires ever-increasing amounts of processing power.
When they switch to IGEL endpoint management technology, organizations have a secure, manageable solution that provides a consistent user experience on the edge. It can even be put on existing hardware, extending the life of legacy devices and making it possible to implement unified communication, collaboration technology (e.g. Skype for Business) and other current applications.
