5 things you will take away from the AppsAnywhere SUMMIT UK 2025

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Reaching the peak of higher ed IT together is our SUMMIT Series motto, and this year we have the most exciting programme to date – exciting product news, customer presentations and training sessions. This must-attend event, taking place on Thursday 5th June in London, is a rare chance to step away from your inbox and spend a day learning, reflecting, and connecting with peers across the sector. And this is what’s needed now more than ever, to meet today’s challenges.

Whether you’re a CIO, systems architect, or part of the IT support crew in higher education, this free one-day event is packed with insights, innovations, and inspiration to take your end-user computing strategies to new heights.  

Here’s a sneak peek at five things you’ll walk away with after attending.

1. What’s next for AppsAnywhere (and how it impacts you)

As most customers know, at AppsAnywhere we keep growing and innovating, it’s just who we are. And this year, we have lots of exciting developments to reveal. In the Product Roadmap session, COO Peter Cooke will share our much-anticipated product innovations and strategic direction for 2025 and beyond. It’s your chance to see what’s on the horizon, as we are bringing more solutions to the most common challenges in providing a flexible, BYOD learning environment and delivering the same experience for Windows apps on Mac devices.  

Plus, don’t miss the Support Powered Up session with Head of Support, Matthew Williamson. You’ll discover how the AppsAnywhere team is evolving to offer smarter, more scalable support tailored for today’s campus IT challenges.

AppsAnywhere SUMMIT conference session

2. Proven strategies to cut costs (without compromising performance)

Everyone’s talking about how to be more efficient and work with limited resources. At the SUMMIT, you’ll hear real-life case studies like "Data-Driven Decisions: Cutting IT Costs Without Compromising Performance" from Middlesex University. Learn how Middlesex use AppsAnywhere Analytics to optimize licensing, monitor app usage, and identify where real efficiencies can be made—without sacrificing service quality or student satisfaction.

3. How to nail BYOD and cloud migration (with minimum disruption)

With students expecting personalised, anytime-anywhere access, a seamless BYOD experience is no longer optional. In breakout sessions like “AppsAnywhere Client 101: Enabling BYOD for Your Students” and “From On-Prem to Hosted: A Smooth Journey to AppsAnywhere Cloud, you’ll get tactical guidance on delivering flexible, secure services—whether students bring Chromebooks, Macs, or Android devices.  

You’ll also hear from universities who’ve already made the leap to the cloud and the best practices they recommend to ensure a smooth transition.

4. Hands-on learning (you can apply immediately)

Forget passive presentations. The SUMMIT thrives on workshops, breakout training, and roundtable discussions. Whether you’re tuning your database, mastering application packaging, or exploring cybersecurity through the lens of Cyber Essentials, these sessions are designed to be directly applicable to your daily work.

You’ll leave with not just ideas, but checklists, steps, and real-world solutions from people who’ve been in your shoes.

5. The power of AppsAnywhere community (and some great catering too)

It’s not just what you learn—it’s who you meet. From the networking breakfast to the evening social on June 4th, the SUMMIT offers plenty of time to connect with fellow higher ed IT professionals, AppsAnywhere experts, and industry leaders. You’ll find kindred spirits, share war stories, and spark collaborations that last long after the event ends.

Customers at AppsAnywhere SUMMIT 2024

Ready to reach the SUMMIT?

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the AppsAnywhere SUMMIT. It’s free to attend, packed with value, and purpose-built to support you in these challenging times.

Book your free place in London

The SUMMIT Series is a free to attend event bringing together industry leaders to share knowledge and insights, to reach the peak of higher ed IT together.

Don't miss out and save your seat at The SUMMIT Series | UK 2025 by completing the form and booking your place in London.

AppsAnywhere Social

Join us the night before on Wednesday 4th June for a good old fashioned AppsAnywhere Social. More details to be announced soon.

Exclusive early bird perks

Register now on our event page and secure exclusive early bird perks, such as limited edition merch and a guaranteed event t-shirt in your preferred size.

FAQs

Is there an option to still auto-validate?

Auto validation is still available as an option. We aim to ensure there are as few occasions of attempting to launch but being unable to as possible, and where they occur, explaining why.

Directory path local execution, when does detection occur? During login? During validation?

Detection occurs during validation - the client is given a list of directories to look in and it returns what it finds.

Any CSS options like Dark Mode available for users to customize the look of the portal?

Dark mode wasn't something we were able to do for this version, but it is something that we are looking to include in the future.

Can Download the Client be hidden?

If client download is not available in that instance - such as in labs mode or if client install is suppressed, then the client link will not appear. The client download link will also only appear on platforms which have a client - i.e. Windows and macOS.

When can we get 2.12?

If you would like to upgrade to 2.12 please submit a support request and the team will be touch.

How to implement BYOD in schools

To implement BYOD in a cost-effective and sustainable way, schools will need a clear idea of a number of key data points to understand which technologies are necessary and how many licenses of each technology are required: Number of users/devices Weighting of device type/platform (Windows vs Mac vs Linux) Software titles to deliver Usage data on software titles for licensing User groups requiring specialist software You can read more about implementing BYOD policies in schools in the SecurEdge article, ‘How to successfully implement a BYOD program into your school’ > https://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/how-to-successfully-implement-a-byod-program-into-your-school

How communication is improved in school with BYOD?

With a BYOD policy implemented, schools can begin working to introduce centralized communication points such as Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) or Learning Management Systems (LMSs). Software delivery tools such as AppsAnywhere also provide areas that can be used to communicate with students. Once BYOD is enabled, schools can be more confident that students are actively accessing digital academic resources through specific channels, and that communication propagated through those channels is much more likely to be seen.

Does BYOD save schools money?

Yes, it can do. While BYOD technologies may be expensive, with the correct provisioning and tools implemented, the decrease in hardware investment required from schools by allowing students to bring their own device and insight from reporting data can help schools save money on their software delivery.

Why BYOD is good for schools?

BYOD policies in schools reduce the hardware investment of electronic devices, including mobile devices, needed for schools to offer equal access to digital academic resources to all students. By leveraging student-owned hardware, BYOD policies in schools can increase the resources available to students, such as software, digital media and digital learning environments, at a fraction of the cost of ensuring there are enough organization-owned machines for every student to use. Furthermore, BYOD allows students to access school resources outside of school and outside of teaching hours via their own device.

Why is BYOD important in schools?

BYOD policies in schools help to introduce students to completing work from their own devices in preparation for higher education and employment. In an ever-more-digital world, getting used to using personal devices to complete work can help desensitize students to the potential distractions offered by those devices. BYOD can also help students learn to manage their time effectively in a society where the lines between work time and free time are becoming more and more blurred.

When is AppsAnywhere 3.0 out?

We’re excited to be releasing AppsAnywhere 3.0 in December 2022, in time for January enrolment. Your dedicated Customer Success team will be in touch when it’s available to ensure your institution gets the most out of AppsAnywhere.

How can I get the latest version?

To get the latest version if you are currently using AppsAnywhere, schedule a call with your specialist implementations team and we can help you to start benefiting from AppsAnywhere 2.12 now.

Who can help me deploy VDI?

Most IT professionals get excited when considering new technologies and solutions. Without a doubt, the prospect of a VDI deployment project is likely to get your team’s juices flowing. However, deploying VDI is complex and often includes a host of new infrastructure and unique software management tools. The best advice is to engage with a vendor partner early on so that the design for your campus can be vetted by experts who work with VDI on a daily basis. A vendor partner can also help guide through different architecture scenarios, use cases, and potential pitfalls. All of the knowledge transfer gained will put the IT team in a far better position to successfully deploy and support VDI for your campus.

Which is better: DaaS or VDI?

As is the theme throughout the rest of this article, there isn’t really an objective victor in DaaS vs. VDI. However, when it comes to Higher Ed, we rarely see full DaaS deployments. They’re often saved for more limited use cases, such as temporary BYOD access, or delivering to satellite campuses. For the scale of delivery required by HEIT, VDI will usually come out on top. However, you still need to decide whether to go for legacy VDI, or newer, hosted solutions…

What is the difference between DaaS and fully hosted VDI?

DaaS refers to virtual desktops being provided to organizations as a service-based solution. It will include support for managing, upgrading and maintaining virtual machines. It is a more complete out-of-the-box solution with a price tag to match. Fully-hosted VDI is just like legacy VDI, except you don’t need on-premise server infrastructure, and they are often pay-as-you-go. Fully-hosted solutions are also referred to cloud-hosted solutions and they are the same as VDI, except hosted for you, as the name suggests.

Citrix or VMware?

Both VMware and Citrix have a robust product offering across many different solution suites. Historically, Citrix has excelled in the realm of remote app delivery or app remoting solutions. On the other hand, VMware leads the way with full desktop VDI delivery. Deciding on the right approach is solely dependent on the needs of the institution and what goals they are hoping to achieve with the project.

Why have a BYOD policy?

A formal BYOD policy helps to ensure a high chance of success and adoption as well as communicating practical information to users on how to interact with and use software on their BYO devices.

What is in a BYOD policy?

To put it concisely, a BYOD policy should include any or all of the following: Device type Operating system Available resources Security Usage conditions

What is BYOD policy?

A BYOD policy is a formal definition and agreement between the BYOD provider (universities) and the BYOD users (students). It is similar to an SLA (Service Level Agreement) between service-providers and outlines how users can expect to interact with their university's BYOD program, as well as any limitations, usage conditions, and compatibility information.

Related reading

AppsAnywhere Admin Dashboard and AppsAnywhere Portal
NEXT STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR SOFTWARE DELIVERY

Your apps anywhere, anytime, on any device

Register your interest for a demo and see how AppsAnywhere can help your institution. Receive a free consultation of your existing education software strategy and technologies, an overview of AppsAnywhere's main features and how they benefit students, faculty and IT, and get insight into the AppsAnywhere journey and post launch partnership support.

AppsAnywhere Admin Dashboard and AppsAnywhere Portal
NEXT STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR SOFTWARE DELIVERY

Your apps anywhere, anytime, on any device

Register your interest for a demo and see how AppsAnywhere can help your institution. Receive a free consultation of your existing education software strategy and technologies, an overview of AppsAnywhere's main features and how they benefit students, faculty and IT, and get insight into the AppsAnywhere journey and post launch partnership support.