IGEL Community INSIDER Leon Beitsch, shares his view on IGEL's value proposition and what this means from the customer viewpoint, A-Z....
Availability
IGEL is available to everyone. So, you can get a free trial on their website, software for at least 90 days, and hardware for at least 30 days. Also, IGEL Support and the IGEL Community are there for you if you have questions and/or need support.
Bandwidth
IGEL OS saves bandwidth for your internet applications. IGEL OS is approximately 1 GB, and with an OS update, you can also save bandwidth by deactivating features that are not used and using a BuddyUpdate. So you can use the saved bandwidth for cloud applications like remote desktop services, cloud telephony, or other cloud applications.
Costs
IGEL OS saves money and costs by minimizing capital expenditures (CAPEX). By extending the life of existing hardware, it delays or eliminates the dreaded "hardware refresh" and the disruption and cost of investing in new devices. For example, a company with 5,000 new workstations can save over 5 million* in switching to IGEL in just two years.
*Values are taken from the TCO calculator on the IGEL website. - https://www.igel.com/tco-calculator/
Dependable
Both the software and the hardware from IGEL are dependable. For example, IGEL offers a standard guarantee of 2 years, and after an account registration also a warranty of 5 years. This is how IGEL stands out in the thin client sector by offering a free 5-year warranty. Furthermore, IGEL guarantees a full 3-year product lifecycle for every major OS release version starting with his software IGEL OS 11. In addition, the software support for the IGEL software is included for a further three years.
End-User Comfort
IGEL OS provides the optimum end-user comfort through first-class craftsmanship, stable OS, high performance through direct access to server-based applications, fan, noiseless, and minimal waste heat.
Flexible
IGEL OS is flexible. IGEL OS licenses are portable and can be assigned to other devices.
Gateway
The IGEL Cloud Gateway (ICG) is the gateway between the cloud or the DMZ of the company network and the home office, field service, or individual branches. It replaces expensive VPN connections or dedicated lines, offers zero-touch deployment, encrypted communication, and flexible architecture.
Hardware
Of course, it should not be overlooked that IGEL is diligently working on its hardware and not letting them get dusty. The new UD2 and UD3 models were released at the beginning of the year. The new UD3 is the first endpoint to offer its own SoC variant of the AMD CPU with 10W TDP at 2GHz up to 2.7GHz. In addition, the UD3 provides a high level of environmental friendliness thanks to 50% less volume and 20% less weight compared to the previous models, housing made from 30% recycled plastic, less paint, and recycled packaging. An integrated 802.11ac WLAN/Bluetooth module is also included, which can be purchased optionally.
Innovation
The innovation published in 2017 should by no means remain undermentioned. In 2018, the Micro Thin Client UD Pocket was awarded the Excellence in Business to Business category. The UD Pocket extends the functionality of existing hardware and the flexibility to boot from IGEL OS or the local operating system. The IGEL UD Pocket is a valuable tool for keeping remote workers connected to a virtual network solution, giving them fast, secure, and easily manageable access to devices and applications.
Jointly
IGEL works jointly with an extensive international network of sales partners, with well over 80 technology partners. The IGEL Ready program is an exclusive partner program for interested companies. A wide range of partners is offered in the most diverse areas, be it Cloud Workspaces / VDI / DaaS with AWS, Citrix, and Microsoft; Communications and collaboration with CISCO, Teams, and Fluendo or endpoints with Lenovo, Dell, and HP. Thanks to frequent feedback from the community at the beginning of the year, IGEL reintegrated the Custom Partitions (CP) into the IGEL Workspace Edition license and no longer sold it with the Enterprise Management Pack.
Knowledge
IGEL offers a detailed knowledge base on all IGEL topics, be it IGEL OS, IGEL UMS, IGEL Hardware, ICG, and much more. If this knowledge collection is not sufficient, the IGEL community also helps out on its website with its blog. The IGEL support will, of course, also help you with your knowledge if you have any questions or problems. But again, the great community should not go unmentioned, who are help with pleasure with their experiences and expertise.
Linux
IGEL OS is based on Linux, so it provides both a time-tested operating system for on-premises endpoints and serves as the ideal next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces.
Modular
IGEL OS is modular by design, wherein unused features can be turned off, giving resources back to the system, and keeping endpoints as lean as possible to minimize the attack surface of the device.
Nature Friendly
IGEL also contributes to environmental protection and is nature friendly. For example, IGEL plans to have its headquarters in Bremen climate-neutral from the building to the vehicle fleet by the end of the year. IGEL also protects the environment with its hardware. A good example is the new UD2, which has a 50 percent smaller housing and is made from at least 30 percent recycled plastic, which means that less material and paint are required. The packaging itself is made entirely from recycled materials. This reduces the ecological footprint in terms of transport, material procurement, and electrical waste. According to the Energy Star guidelines, maximum energy efficiency with minimum energy consumption is achieved with IGEL endpoints. In contrast to standard computers, IGEL endpoints have an average lifespan three times longer. Existing hardware can be reused with the IGEL UD Pocket, reducing electrical waste and extending the life of existing hardware. This also has positive effects on the environment.
Office
No matter where the office is, whether in the company, at home, or on the go. IGEL works with an internet connection everywhere. Thanks to the IGEL ICG, working in the home office or on the go is also secured and can be easily connected to the company network. IGEL OS offers the perfect office workspace. Smart, because you can onboard new technologies in days, not months, and extend equipment life and shift budget to growth by up to 60%.
Protection
IGEL helps protect the enterprise by moving desktop PC workloads from hundreds or many thousands of endpoints into a secure data center or the cloud. IGEL OS includes a complete "chain of trust" verification process from the processor or UEFI to the host server or cloud. It is thus extremely resistant to manipulation, as well as viruses and other malware. Furthermore, it seamlessly supports built-in enterprise-level security with features like two-factor authentication, smart card readers, and trusted execution.
Queries
The IGEL Thin Client and IGEL OS work safely and reliably - even without a connection to the remote management software. In special cases, however, more scalability, redundancy, or high availability is necessary. With the IGEL UMS High Availability (HA) extension, IGEL can also process thousands of device queries. The IGEL UMS HA offers load distribution, high availability, and redundancy.
Remote Desktop Integration
IGEL OS is validated as the first Linux-based client operating system for Windows Virtual Desktop. The release of IGEL OS 11.03.251 contains the Remote Desktop Core Integration in the first version. For customers that want end-user computing that's simple, dynamically scalable, secure, centrally managed and cost-effective, IGEL's Linux-based edge OS and Windows Virtual Desktop are a great combination," said Scott Manchester, Group Program Manager for Windows Virtual Desktop and Remote Desktop Services, Microsoft.
Simple
IGEL is simple because it only takes minutes to deploy and manage all your endpoints and reduce support tickets by up to 95%. Easy to use, it features zero-touch deployment and drag-and-drop profiling that can make any IT pro's life much more comfortable.
Technology Partner
A broad technology partner ecosystem of more than 90 leading partners ensures integration of the latest technologies for VPN, Smartcard, authentication, e-signature, unified communications, printing, USB management, and many more.
Universal Customization
IGEL OS is designed to be highly customizable. For example, corporate branding or unique screensavers for corporate messaging can make endpoint devices look and perform exactly as desired in accordance with a customer's requirements.
Vast
IGEL OS is popular! It has a vast installed base of over 3 million IGEL OS-powered clients used by over 17,000 customers.
Worldwide
IGEL is positioned worldwide, both with its branch and with numerous partners. IGEL can offer support and customer service, both nationally and internationally. The development department is located in Augsburg. The company headquarters are in Bremen. From here, customers in more than 50 countries around the world are supplied. To strengthen its global presence, IGEL has already set up branches and sales offices in 11 countries (Australia, Belgium, People's Republic of China, England, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, USA). IGEL works with a broad international network of channel partners who deliver and fulfill solutions and products to our end customers. These channel partners can offer value-added services that complement IGEL's product offering. Multiple levels of partner status can be achieved based on the amount of business these partners provide to our joint customers.
x86-64
IGEL OS is hardware agnostic. It converts any x86-64 device, regardless of manufacturer or form factor, into a highly secure, standardized endpoint.
Yearly
Since 2018 IGEL hosting the yearly cloud workspaces and end-user computing event called DISRUPT. DISRUPT features dedicated technology vendor tracks, product training, roadmap, and breakout sessions spread across the two days. On January 27 – 29, 2020, over 700 peers from the End-User community will gather in Nashville, USA, to attend Northern America's largest Cloud Workspaces Forum. Join the IGEL team and fellow DISRUPTERs at all the sessions, keynotes, receptions, parties, and more to raise your profile and form long-lasting business relationships.
Zero-Touch
IGEL offers a zero-touch deployment, which adds the devices to the IGEL UMS, automatically moves them to the correct location, and, at the same time, carries out the auto-configuration. This is how the IGEL Thin Client automatically configures itself over the network (IP or MAC-based) after connection to the UMS server. Zero-touch automation is also offered. IGEL's profile approach makes it easy to set it and forget it. From click & drag profile updates and policy configuration, you can finally automate remote endpoint management. With just a couple of clicks, any changes are instantly applied to your selected directories.
