VMblog:  Before we jump in, can you tell us a little bit about the company?

Jason Trunk:  Island is the creator of the enterprise browser, which embeds advanced security, IT, network controls, data protections and application access into the browsing experience users expect. Based in Dallas, with research and development in Tel Aviv, Island is led by enterprise security and software technology veterans who are reimagining the future of work for the world's largest, most dynamic enterprises in all major verticals and segments.

VMblog:  Talk about your technology, what problems do you solve?  And how are you considered unique?

Trunk:  In today's work-from-anywhere-on-anything world, organizations must ensure users can remain productive while keeping their work private and safe. Various solutions have been in place for several years to help with solving this, but they've also introduced new challenges, like complex management, significant licensing costs and a less-than-optimal user experience.

With the Island Enterprise Browser, organizations no longer must accept these tradeoffs. An organization's core security needs, including control, visibility, and governance, are built into the browser itself, keeping sensitive data fundamentally secure across all devices, anywhere-and at a fraction of the cost. Organizations don't need to worry about backhauling traffic or maintaining servers, and users benefit from an intuitive user experience that works across all devices, operating systems, and application types. They simply open the browser, log in and get to work.

VMblog:  How do you partner with IGEL?  What does that partnership look like?  How long have you been a partner?

Trunk:  Island and IGEL have partnered to deliver a new digital workspace where the user has one combined desktop that looks like the browser they already know and love, but it delivers web apps, office apps and legacy apps in one space with a better, easier and more unified user experience. We've been partnered with IGEL for less than a year but have already had a tremendous reception in the market.

VMblog:  What do you plan to show off at your booth at IGEL DISRUPT 2024?

Trunk:  We'll be showing Island's brand-new integration with IGEL's thin client operating system. Visitors to the booth will see firsthand how this integration significantly reduces IT costs and complexity, providing an alternative to VDI or desktop-as-a-service offerings while establishing a new, enterprise-grade digital workspace that gives endpoints high levels of security.

VMblog:  What is it that you like about the DISRUPT event?  Why do you believe this is a much-needed event?

Trunk:  As a relatively new partner of IGEL, the DISRUPT event offers a great way to let the marketplace know about our partnership and to meet others within the extended IGEL network. It's a much needed, one-stop-shop for making those connections and showing how we're working with IGEL to deliver the continuation of the modern-day technology stack across several verticals, including healthcare, financial services and retail.

VMblog:  What do you attribute to the growing success of End User Computing?  Why has it become so popular lately?

Trunk:  When you think of endpoints, what typically comes to mind for most are desktops, laptops or virtual desktops, and it's been easy to overlook where the actual compute is often happening: the browser.

Thin client operating systems have become very popular because they offer a way to reduce traditional operating system licenses while still having a fully managed endpoint with full functionality and the true end-user compute platform required for work-all at a fraction of the cost.

VMblog:  How do you and your solution help with the growth of the EUC market?  Where does your technology fit?

Trunk:  We see a lot of organizations like financial institutions and healthcare companies adopting thin client operating systems to leverage their existing virtual desktop and desktop-as-a-service infrastructure. However, they're always left wanting a better user experience, along with ways to reduce the complexity of the stack, and Island fits squarely within those requirements.

Moving the end-user compute processing down to the local machine makes a lot of sense, especially when the end-user compute no longer requires a lot of hardware. Many applications today simply need a browser to run. We feel that 95-plus percent of end-user compute does not need to be hosted on a server, taking up environmental resources, consuming lots of power real estate, and requiring traditional operating system licensing. The Island enterprise browser is the perfect alternative.

VMblog:  Where do you see the EUC market headed? 

Trunk:  I'm excited about the possibilities of the end-user compute market, especially as thin clients can leverage and sweat older assets, extending the life of machines that would've otherwise been replaced with machines more powerful and costly than necessary. Now, we can sweat those old assets, extend the life of this hardware, and eliminate the server site component, which can all help save massive IT costs.