Final week, I had the pleasure of attending IGEL’s end-user computing (EUC) flagship occasion: Now & Subsequent 2025. Hosted in Miami, Florida, the occasion is likely one of the largest occasions for EUC professionals and distributors. It’s uncommon to get so many EUC professionals in a single place all singularly centered on this distinctive market, which is commonly an afterthought within the bigger tech conferences.
First, a bit bit about IGEL: In the event you’re not conversant in the corporate, it affords a Linux-based working system that’s historically utilized in skinny consumer situations. IGEL touts the next advantages: ease of administration, robust safety, and low whole price of possession. Whereas IGEL exited the thin-client {hardware} enterprise in 2022, it’s now closely centered on IGEL OS, its Common Administration Suite, a devoted app portal, and its USB-based OS launcher referred to as UD Pocket.
Based on IGEL management, the corporate is rising its annual recurring income above 45%. Like many EUC distributors, its progress was accelerated through the pandemic and has slowed since, however immediately’s progress nonetheless outpaces a lot of the EUC market. And but our analysis signifies that Linux adoption hovers within the low single digits, the bottom of all working programs, revealing that the marketplace for this mannequin continues to be immature.
So what had been the new matters of the occasion? And what must you do as an IT skilled to arrange?
1) Enterprise continuity is more and more an EUC buy driver.
Digital desktop infrastructure (VDI) programs have served as a backup enterprise continuity instrument for EUC professionals for years, however IT leaders are more and more searching for to diversify their endpoint OS property and cut back their reliance on a single vendor, particularly after the CrowdStrike occasion final summer season. IGEL OS is very related to skinny purchasers and VDI, however there are examples of corporations utilizing it in its place machine for light-weight knowledge-worker use circumstances.
What it means: Revisit your EUC continuity technique and contemplate a broad swath of approaches, comparable to IGEL, MacOS, ChromeOS, digital Home windows, and different Linux choices, which are aligned with firm objectives and initiatives.
2) The browser is the brand new endpoint.
The rise of software program as a service, progressive net apps, and WebAssembly is whittling away on the thick consumer set up base. Mark Templeton, former CEO of Citrix, took the stage on the occasion and shared a forecast displaying {that a} overwhelming majority of enterprise apps might be OS-agnostic (i.e., not native) by 2030. Forrester sees an identical pattern: 49% of the practically 5,000 respondents in our Workforce Survey, 2023, stated that they’ll accomplish all of their work inside a browser — and that was two years in the past!
What it means: Browser administration will grow to be extra vital for EUC admins going ahead. That’s very true for securing generative AI programs which are regularly accessed via the browser. Take a listing of your present protections immediately.
3) Information-driven insights are the way forward for EUC.
Everybody talks an enormous sport round AI, however none of that chance is actual with out telemetry. Most insights dialog immediately focus on digital worker expertise (DEX), and distributors comparable to ControlUp already accumulate telemetry for IGEL-based environments. Insights capabilities will develop past DEX sooner or later to assist inform Zero Belief environments. For instance, IGEL Area CTO John Walsh detailed IGEL’s plans to develop its administration capabilities to make the most of companion integrations to higher allow a contextual and steady method to Zero Belief.
What it means: IT leaders can now not fly blindly of their EUC atmosphere. Stock your present information sources now, determine gaps, and plan for integration right into a unified platform.
4) OT and IT convergence is more and more within the highlight.
Based on our analysis, practically 25% p.c of the OS footprint within the enterprise continues to be operating legacy variations of Home windows, and plenty of units is not going to be appropriate with Home windows 11 come October 2025. This consists of each finish consumer and OT units. IGEL introduced its new IGEL Managed Hypervisor, which allows IT to run legacy working programs on new units, whether or not they’re laptops, ATMs, MRIs, or manufacturing machines. Earlier efforts to help OT environments have had blended success, however many distributors are concentrating on this house.
What it means: EUC leaders will doubtless play a larger position in supporting OT environments — particularly relating to supporting legacy Home windows and new units comparable to augmented and digital actuality units — however collaboration is essential. Meet along with your OT friends immediately to debate how one can assist.
Might you profit? It depends upon your group’s objectives.
The IGEL Now & Subsequent occasion revealed a number of alternatives for IT leaders to rethink how they ship, handle, and safe finish consumer computing environments. The query is: Might your IT group profit? Take into account the next:
IGEL OS affords administration, safety, and price advantages, nevertheless it’s a brand new administration and safety mannequin, doubtless requiring some admin upskilling. In fact, that is simpler in case you can handle this atmosphere with present toolsets, which IGEL helps. In case your objectives are administration simplification and Zero Belief EUC, it’s price having a look. That is very true for healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and monetary contexts.
Information employee demand for Linux is unlikely to drive adoption, although Linux fanatics in IT definitely exist. Change administration should stay a high consideration as customers cope with an unfamiliar consumer interface, particularly when used natively. In case your group is making a strategic transfer to embrace sure sorts of working programs (e.g., MacBooks), this kind of mannequin is probably not an excellent match.
Right this moment, IGEL OS runs on any x86-64 structure and has partnerships with OEMs comparable to HP, Lenovo, and LG. Nonetheless, these choices are comparatively restricted. For organizations rolling out a choose-your-own-device mannequin, this is probably not the most effective match, although IGEL can play a robust position in supporting bring-your-own-device use circumstances.
What do you consider the way forward for end-user computing? Will approaches like IGEL’s play a bigger position in your group? Why or why not?
In the event you’re a Forrester consumer and wish to talk about your EUC technique with me immediately, please attain out to [email protected]. EUC distributors are at all times welcome to arrange a briefing with me by reaching out to [email protected].
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