How I use IGEL: Part of a portfolio of best-of-breed technology solutions

As a solution expert with extensive experience across the technology sector, Eike Schwöppe collaborates with a diverse range of customers to provide them with the best possible solutions.

Eike began his journey in IT when he joined his current company, braincon GmbH in 2013 as employee #4. Before entering the IT sector, he attended a technical school where he trained as an electrician. He then worked for Deutsche Telekom AG for three years and completed a three-year course in software engineering.

Eike’s current role at braincon involves developing new solutions that utilize both cloud computing and on-premises deployments. He dedicates a significant amount of his time to learning about emerging technologies to implement them successfully for his customers. Additionally, Eike conducts research on effective ways to market these products to customers and provide them with useful information.

Once he has a thorough understanding of the products and their features, Eike engages with the customer and suggests ways in which they could benefit from them. He then creates and sends an offer to the customer, handling both the sales and technical aspects of the job. Back in the day, braincon didn’t have a dedicated sales team like they do today, so Eike has took on this role to ensure effective delivery of customer needs. He is always available and willing to help wherever necessary.

“What I like about IGEL is that I can combine their offerings with solutions from Citrix and ControUp, for example, to ensure that my customers benefit from leveraging best-of-breed technologies to solve their most pressing business and technology challenges,” Eike explains.

He especially takes pride in being a problem solver who can always find a technology solution for any issue, whether the customer is a small retail store, a large automotive company, a local hospital, or a pharmacy. “I enjoy the fast-paced environment I work in and the challenges that come with it,” says Eike.

Why I like IGEL: Flexibility, Simplicity and Community

“I have been working with IGEL solutions for more than a decade now and the experience has been a great one,” says Eike. He continues, “The strong sense of community among IGEL users has kept me a loyal partner due to the flexibility and ease of use of IGEL’s technology.”

Eike considers IGEL’s straightforward administration as a significant advantage of the solution. “Whether I’m setting up a single IGEL endpoint or deploying a bulk order of five thousand IGEL endpoints, the amount of work and time required is almost the same,” he says. “The flexibility of the IGEL solution is truly remarkable. What’s more, changing from one configuration to another is incredibly easy and convenient. Working directly with the IGEL development team has also been very helpful in my consulting role with customers, as we troubleshoot together to resolve any issues.”

Eike adds, “I have had direct access to their best people whenever an issue has arisen. It is very cool to have this level of engagement, especially when I am working with complex environments.”

Eike also finds great support within the IGEL community. “People there are committed to helping each other out,” he says, “I have made some good friends in the community, and it’s cool to see how friendships form so quickly within this group.”

About the EUC Mavericks Program

IGEL is where it is today with the thousands of IT professionals who use our industry-leading, software-driven solutions to deliver secure, productive, and cost-effective digital workspaces to organizations around the globe.

To recognize and honor these individuals for their many contributions, we launched the EUC Mavericks program in 2021. EUC Mavericks are at the top of their game, “CHALLENGING EVERYTHING” in delivering cutting-edge IT services.

IGEL inducted Eike Schwöppe into the EUC MAVERICKS HALL OF FAME in December 2023.

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#EUCMaverick

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#IGELInsider

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How I use IGEL: Cost-effectively delivering security and productivity at the endpoint

About seven years ago, Stu Donnelson learned of IGEL’s digital workspace solutions from industry colleagues and through his relationships with top IGEL partners, including Citrix and VMware. Since that time, IGEL has been an important partner, with whom he has consistently collaborated in his former roles as a system engineer and enterprise architect for Hogan Consulting, followed by Director of Community and Chief Solution Architect for Goliath Technologies.

Donnelson reports that his experience with IGEL has been outstanding. One of the most memorable moments from his journey with IGEL was serving as a beta tester before the launch of IGEL OS 12 in February 2023.

“The opportunity to provide feedback to all levels of the organization, from the CEO to the engineering team, was an amazing experience. The IGEL team has always been responsive and willing to spend time talking and listening to its partners and customers,” says Donnelson. “I also appreciate that in addition to gathering feedback from Citrix experts like me, VMware experts, and power users, IGEL took a 360-degree view to ensure that with the launch of OS 12, it was addressing and solving its customers’ key technical and business requirements. While giving feedback is not always the most pleasant experience for those involved, it is a necessary part of the process.”

Another important aspect of IGEL that stands out for Donnelson took place during the supply chain crisis following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The ability of the IGEL OS to deliver secure access to cloud workspaces on virtually any device enabled us to leverage their software to convert our clients’ existing endpoint devices and delay hardware refreshes,” Donnelson explains. “This dramatically improved time-to-market as we didn’t have to wait on hardware shipments. It also improved productivity and reduced costs. Additionally, reusing hardware with IGEL meant it wasn’t ending up in landfills. It always feels great to do something good for the planet.”

Why I like IGEL: Community and collaboration

Throughout his career in the EUC industry, being a part of the IGEL Community has proven to be very fulfilling for Donnelson. “Within the IT and EUC space, the IGEL Community stands out for its depth and breadth of talented engineers who are always willing to share their knowledge for the betterment of everyone,” he says. “I have spent a significant amount of time in the IGEL community since it was founded in 2017, talking with and helping other professionals like me around the globe expand their knowledge and expertise.”

During this time, Donnelson has found the IGEL Community to be a welcoming environment where people come to present and share their ideas. “Members can bring forth interesting use cases, best practices, questions about the technology, and challenges they are experiencing so that the entire group can weigh in,” adds Donnelson. “The community is always willing to help.”

He continues, “I’ve learned a lot from my involvement in the IGEL Community and have made many friends. Not one of us can know everything, so having a group of people we can count on and bounce ideas off is incredibly valuable. As a consultant, I never hesitated to direct IGEL users to the Community.”

In 2021, Donnelson was recognized as the IGEL Community Member of the Year for North America. Presented annually, the award recognizes the top community member in the USA and EMEA who has demonstrated commitment, passion, leadership, professionalism, and dedication to going above and beyond to help their fellow community members.

“Leadership within the IGEL Community has allowed me to not only meet amazing people but to be part of a larger movement within the EUC industry,” says Donnelson. “Building a network and being out there has many benefits, both personally and professionally, and I am grateful to have had this opportunity.”

About the EUC Mavericks Program

IGEL is where it is today with the thousands of IT professionals who use our industry-leading, software-driven solutions to deliver secure, productive, and cost-effective digital workspaces to organizations around the globe.

To recognize and honor these individuals for their many contributions, we launched the EUC Mavericks program in 2021.  EUC Mavericks are at the top of their game, “CHALLENGING EVERYTHING” in delivering cutting-edge IT services.

IGEL inducted Stu Donnelson into the EUC MAVERICKS HALL OF FAME in September 2023.

More EUC Mavericks:

A Day in the Life of an EUC Maverick: Barry Browne

A Day in the Life of an EUC Maverick: Carl Webster

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How I use IGEL: To tackle remote work challenges

In late 2019, several months before the global COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Browne’s organization, a Canadian-based provider of customized contact center solutions, began experimenting with the work-from-home model. While they recognized the potential benefits of remote work, their primary challenge was providing seamless and secure access to digital workspaces.

A search for the right solution commenced, and the firm was considering options from hardware giants HP and Dell when unexpectedly, they received a cold call from IGEL, which led to the call center solutions provider’s introduction to IGEL OS. Less than two months later, Browne’s company became IGEL’s first customer in Canada.

To ensure that IGEL’s product lived up to its promises, Browne and his team began with a small group of 10-15 employees. They purchased a Proof of Concept (PoC) and ran it for a few months before slowly expanding IGEL to its remote workforce. By the time the pandemic hit in March 2020, the company had transitioned 50-60 employees to work from home using IGEL.

When Browne’s company was forced to send hundreds of employees home overnight, the task of migrating to IGEL seemed daunting at first, recalled Browne. “We had to immediately convert hundreds of Windows 7 systems to IGEL,” he says.

Browne adds, “Thanks to IGEL, we accomplished this feat within 48-72 hours without missing a beat. It would have been a significant challenge without IGEL OS. The transition was smooth, and the new operating system resembled the Windows desktop our employees were familiar with, eliminating the need for training. From the end user’s perspective, it was business as usual.”

The company’s workforce, which spread from Eastern Halifax to Toronto and parts in between, was quickly and easily adapted to IGEL.

“We managed to ease deployment, enhance security, and foster adoption with minimal pushback,” explains Browne. “By customizing the IGEL interface to resemble the familiar Windows layout, we also eliminated the learning curve even for those who were more resistant to change.”

In retrospect, Browne believes that the level of scalability achieved by the company during the sudden shift to remote work due to COVID would not have been possible without IGEL. “Since then, I’ve become an IGEL advocate,” Browne says.

He has also achieved all the certifications on the IGEL technical and sales tracks that are currently available. “The IGEL Academy’s self-paced training modules allowed me to earn these certifications while balancing my busy work schedule,” he adds.

Why I like IGEL: Community and camaraderie

Browne is a member of the IGEL Community, a platform that currently boasts more than 10,000 members worldwide. “As member number 44, my goal has been to educate others, share use cases, and build friendships along the way,” says Browne. “The camaraderie in this community is incredible, with knowledge sharing extending beyond IGEL to areas like Citrix.”

Today, as an employee of XenTegra Canada, Browne continues to recommend IGEL and work with his colleagues to assist others in transitioning to remote work.” It’s amazing to see the ease of deployment, the security, and the adoption of IGEL amongst our clients. This experience has proven to me that IGEL is truly a game-changer in the realm of remote work, offering a solution that is scalable, secure, and user-friendly,” Browne concludes.

About the EUC Mavericks Program

IGEL is where it is today with the thousands of IT professionals who use our industry-leading, software-driven solutions to deliver secure, productive, and cost-effective digital workspaces to organizations around the globe.

To recognize and honor these individuals for their many contributions, we launched the EUC Mavericks program in 2021.  EUC Mavericks are at the very top of their game “CHALLENGING EVERYTHING” in delivering cutting-edge IT services.

IGEL inducted Barry Browne into the EUC MAVERICKS HALL OF FAME in August 2023.

Related Posts:

A Day in the Life of an EUC Maverick: Carl Webster

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Since that first job in IT, Webster has worked on nearly every brand and type of thin client, some that no longer exist. “Nothing has compared to IGEL, though,” he says. “IGEL’s focus on software is what differentiates them from their competition. Most companies put out a product and fail to update the software regularly, but this is not the case with IGEL. They are always innovating, and I appreciate the fact that you can repurpose and reuse aging laptop and desktop computers, making them new again with IGEL.”

How I use IGEL: To help businesses save money

He adds, “With IGEL, I’ve turned hardware that is more than a decade old into a working endpoint. For budget-conscious businesses, this is a significant benefit as it allows them to upgrade and modernize their digital workspace environments without having to spend thousands of dollars on new hardware. Simply put, the type and age of endpoint hardware no longer matters when you have IGEL.”

With IGEL, Webster as also found that businesses can make more informed decisions when selecting virtualization solutions from Citrix, VMware, Microsoft, and other providers.

“IGEL can test multiple solutions simultaneously to give businesses a real-world comparison of how they will perform in their environment. With other vendors, you would have to test these solutions one at a time and miss out on the true comparison offered by IGEL,” he explains.

Webster adds, “IGEL is perfect for so many use cases. From knowledge workers to engineers and system administrators to classrooms and training centers, anyone can run their applications with IGEL. What’s more, they can use the same device regardless of how much computing power they need. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t use IGEL.”

Why I like IGEL: The Community

Aside from the technology, one of the things Carl likes most about IGEL is the IGEL Community. “If I have any problems or questions, I can reach out to the community, and they are there to help. You don’t have to be a genius, just willing to help others,” he says. “Every day, there is someone brand new coming into the EUC space. It’s important that we all play a role in helping these individuals learn and grow in their careers, and the IGEL Community does this very well. The IGEL Community rocks!”

About the EUC Mavericks Program

IGEL would not be where it is today without the thousands of IT professionals who use our industry-leading, software-driven solutions to deliver secure, productive, and cost-effective digital workspaces to organizations around the globe.

To recognize and honor these individuals for their many contributions, we launched the EUC Mavericks program in 2021.  EUC Mavericks are at the very top of their game, “CHALLENGING EVERYTHING” in the delivery of cutting-edge IT services.

Carl Webster was inducted by IGEL into the EUC MAVERICKS HALL OF FAME in July 2023.

The post A Day in the Life of an EUC Maverick: Carl Webster appeared first on IGEL.