Is the endpoint still just a device, or has it quietly become one of the most important control points in modern enterprise security? Recording live from IGEL Now And Next in Miami, I sat down once again with Darren Fields for what has become an annual check-in on how fast the industry is really changing. And this time, the conversation feels very different.
Over the last 12 months, the discussion has moved well beyond traditional endpoint management. From global supply chain pressure driven by AI demand to rising hardware costs and unpredictable refresh cycles, the assumptions that once shaped endpoint strategy are starting to fall apart. Darren shares how organizations are now being forced into difficult decisions, absorb rising costs, delay investment, or rethink the model entirely.
We also explore how that shift is changing the conversation at the leadership level. What was once seen as a procurement decision is increasingly being reframed as a resilience strategy. Extending hardware life, reducing dependency on supply chains, and maintaining operational continuity are becoming just as important as performance and cost.
Security, of course, sits at the center of it all. With the majority of breaches still originating at the endpoint, Darren highlights how organizations are starting to rethink where they focus their efforts. Rather than focusing solely on data centers and cloud environments, there is growing recognition that control, visibility, and enforcement must occur at the edge.
The conversation also touches on the reality of modern cyber threats. From constant attack attempts to incidents that leave organizations offline for weeks, the challenge is no longer just restoring systems but restoring access. And that shift has major implications for how recovery and continuity are designed moving forward.
We also look at the growing convergence of IT and OT, the role of contextual access, and the balancing act between stronger security and user experience. With organizations at very different stages of their journey, there is no single path forward, but there is a clear sense that change is already underway.
So as the pace of technology, risk, and demand continues to accelerate, one question remains. Are organizations adapting fast enough, or are they still relying on models that no longer reflect the world they are operating in?
What do you think, are we finally seeing a shift toward treating the endpoint as a strategic priority, or is there still a gap between awareness and action?
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[00:00:04] Welcome back to the Tech Talks Daily Podcast. Now, once again, I'm recording this episode from Miami at the IGEL Now and Next conference. And this year, there's a very different tone to the conversations. For a long time, endpoint strategy was built on predictability. Devices were always available when you needed them. Pricing was relatively stable for those devices. And refresh cycles were something you could plan with confidence.
[00:00:34] But that world is starting to shift. From supply chain pressures driven by AI demand to the growing frequency and scale of cyber attacks. Not to mention the high cost of memory. As a result, organizations are now being forced to rethink assumptions that they've held true for many years. And increasingly, these conversations are landing right back at the end point. And that is just one of the many reasons I was excited to sit down with Darren Fields today.
[00:01:04] We last spoke a year ago. But in that time, the conversation has continued to move on significantly. What was once about managing devices now feels much more like a discussion about resilience, security, and how organizations stay operational when things don't go to plan. But enough scene setting for me.
[00:01:28] Let me beam your ears all the way to Miami, where you can join the conversation with myself and Darren Fields right now. So a massive warm welcome back to the show. We last spoke exactly a year ago in this very hotel. But for anyone that missed our conversation, can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do? Sure. I'm Darren Fields. I run the UKI and international business for IGEL.
[00:01:54] International specifically, the Asia Pacific region and ANZ region. Well, thank you for joining me again today. I was talking with Matthias yesterday and we were talking about the chip shortage and that kind of impact that it's having on the end point at the moment. And I know you've been very vocal about the global memory chip shortage and how AI demand is actually reshaping supply chain.
[00:02:16] So at what point does this stop being a supply issue and start becoming maybe a fundamental shift in how organizations design their entire endpoint strategy? Are you seeing anything there? I think customers are becoming more aware of the situation now. So I think AI has obviously been driving a different way of them doing business. And I think the chip shortage will certainly not escalate as such, but I think they'll change the patterns and the way they do things.
[00:02:44] And, you know, for me, we're here to help our customers and our partners to really get the most out of their hardware today. So take that pain away, you know, replan, do it in a slightly different way, give them access to information and hardware and things that they wouldn't have had before. So I think things are changing, but I think we're here to help them.
[00:03:10] And I think that the chip shortage will calm down over a period of time, but will have helped a lot of customers through that process. And I think for years, endpoint strategy assumed predictable pricing and availability, but that stability is now clearly gone. So are there any conversations that you're having with CIOs that simply weren't happening this time last year when we spoke? Has that conversation changed?
[00:03:34] I was in Australia a few weeks ago and one of our big partners in the region was talking about a customer that they've had a 70% increase in cost. And unfortunately, they can't predict what's going to happen. So they're having to reevaluate. And as I said to the partner at the time, well, we can help with that. So we can help you reduce cost. We can help you manage that in a different way by putting iGel on the endpoints.
[00:04:01] You can elongate the lifetime of the device. Takes that pressure off. You can plan in a different way. And before joining me today on the podcast, I was looking at, I think it was a post you'd done on LinkedIn. And you described organizations almost being forced into three choices, absorb cost, upset delays, or rethink the model. So what is it that separates the organizations that are actually rethinking the model from those still just hoping things will return to normal soon? I actually think it depends where the customer is.
[00:04:31] I mean, some people, some customers are already on a journey and then they can adapt and change accordingly. Others, they've got to do some planning and they've got to take a step back and reevaluate. So I really think it depends on where that customer is in their life cycle at the moment. Yeah, completely get that. And I think one of the other interesting points you made is that reducing reliance on hardware is becoming somewhat of a resilient strategy. And resilience is a big theme here at now and next this year.
[00:04:59] Do you think most businesses still see endpoint decisions as more procurement rather than business continuity? Or is that changing as well? I think what you have seen in the market over the last few years is a massive rise in data breach, in ransomware attacks. Security is becoming far more relevant. You've seen new regulations come in that are really having to drive the right behaviors as well from a customer perspective.
[00:05:28] So the focus has to be much more on the endpoint. 95% of those breaches come through the endpoint. So by securing your endpoint, you preventative security, right? You're preventing a lot of those breaches happening in the first place. Yeah, 100% with you. And you also referenced the striker incident, which highlighted something quite uncomfortable as well. And that was access was the entry point, not some sophisticated exploit that many cyber teams think are on the lookout for.
[00:05:58] So are you seeing organizations still over-investing in detection while underestimating what happens once someone gets inside it? Is that still a big thing? For sure, that's the thing. And I was with a customer yesterday. They're being hit every second by an attack. I mean, literally, that's what they said to me. Every second, we're being attacked. So you think about that across an entire organization and the amount of endpoints. You've really got to make sure that that's secure. Otherwise, you're going to have a problem.
[00:06:27] And one of the things that you said really stood out to me was that the challenge is no longer restoring systems, but almost restoring access. So for anybody listening from a large organization or any size organization, how should they be rethinking recovery when the endpoint itself, when that is what becomes a bottleneck? If you have the problem and you have a breach, I'll give you another example. I had another customer recently.
[00:06:56] They had an attack about six months ago, a ransomware attack. They were down for two weeks. Massive impact on their business. Costs them millions. The ransomware people wanted 50 million just to get them back up and running. They've now decided to reshape everything and they put IGEL in across the board. So I think that's the point.
[00:07:23] You don't know where the attack's coming from and you don't know which endpoint it's going to hit. So you've got to find how do you secure yourself to not be in that situation. And one of the reasons I wanted to bring this up here at the now and next event is there's a strong theme here this year around preventative security and immutable environment. So how realistic is it for enterprises to shift towards that model, especially when they're still heavily invested in traditional endpoint approaches? There's almost a mindset shift required as well.
[00:07:52] It is a mindset shift, but I think a lot of customers are realizing they have to change. And that's the conversations we're having. I mean, I have regular conversations with very big global organizations now. They're changing their mindset. They're on that journey of shifting. You know, they're starting to look at how do we secure every endpoint? You know, traditionally, probably what they were looking at is how do they secure the data centers and how do they focus in on the cloud aspects?
[00:08:20] But now they're saying, no, I've got to focus here because that's where the breach comes from. I agree with you. And I think there's also a lot of talk I'm hearing here about IT and OT converging. So when you combine that with, let's say, supply chain pressure and security risks, are many underestimating just how exposed those environments really are, do you think? I think they have been underestimating them.
[00:08:43] I still think, I mean, you talk about OT, I mean, we've had some very, very large companies that we all know. We use the cars, we use the planes. They've had issues, right? So I think the customers are starting to realize they have to look at things in a different way now. And at this event this week, looking around at IGEL now and next, what are the conversations that might have surprised you, either from customers, partners, or the community,
[00:09:11] that signal that shift is happening under the surface? Anything stand out from all those conversations you've had? I think, again, coming back to that people are on different journeys. I mean, I've been talking to one customer about bring your own device. And they're absolutely looking at IGEL to secure bring your own device. Then I've got another customer that's saying, we're removing bring your own device because we want to take back control in a different way. And so bring your own device is being removed.
[00:09:38] So I think there's, again, different customers are looking at things differently, but we can help the customer in either aspect that they go with. And I think that's the point. Every time, every conversation I'm having with customers here, the nuance and what they're doing is slightly different. In each case, we can help them. You've got quite a unique vantage point here. I mean, you yourself are working in different countries, different regions, different cultures, and also different industries.
[00:10:05] I know you serve a lot of governments around the world as well. So it's a real strength of yours, isn't it, being able to flex? Because there isn't that one size fits all. Everything, every conversation is different. It is. And I've been, I suppose, in and around the industry and working in different cultures and different countries for many, many years. So, and every country is, again, in a different part of that journey. Some countries are more conservative than others.
[00:10:33] Others, it's very much consensus driven, and that takes time. Others are much more bullish, and I think, and they want to make the change, and they want to make the change quickly because they see the benefits of that change. And so I think, you know, I get to see that because I'm in the countries and I see the differences. It's interesting that we're seeing these differences. And because of the geopolitical situation around the world, there's a big focus on data, where data resides.
[00:10:59] But maybe the endpoint is something that all nations and all countries can agree on. Would you agree? We all work on an endpoint. Every one of us, every day, that's where we work. Right? And you want to know that, like, that's secure. I mean, one of the things we've been talking about in the keynotes, contextual access. You want to know that wherever you are, you have the access to the application that's relevant to you and securely. But let's say I'm sitting in Starbucks.
[00:11:28] Maybe I shouldn't have access to certain information and applications because someone could be looking over my shoulder. So what you can access is more important dependent on where you are. And is there a secret to getting that right without introducing friction? Let's say you are in Starbucks and you want to do your work, but you kind of lock down and you can't do what you need to do. Is it quite a balancing act to get it right without harming the user experience as well? It's a balancing act for sure.
[00:11:55] But then certain applications, should you be doing it in that environment? Probably not. So I think, again, that's a cultural change and a mindset change. And from all the keynotes you've seen here, all the big announcements, anything that excites you, everything that you've seen. I think contextual access is huge for us. I think an ELT member should have access to a different set of applications, for example, than somebody else.
[00:12:21] And having that contextual access by persona and location is hugely powerful. Yeah. And I would imagine you're on back-to-back meetings here as well, speaking with not only journalists, but also partners and members of the community. If you were to put all of those conversations into an LLM, let's say, any trends there on what people are talking about here? Or is it all different again? I think it's all different.
[00:12:48] But I think the contextual access, when you talk to people, they like what we're doing there. Containerization as a future, that's something that everyone's starting to talk about. We spoke, I think, last time about BCDR. I see that as growing and growing fast. The ability for a customer to have that break glass solution. Something happens, I can dual boot into a secure environment, or I can use the UD Pocket as another way of accessing.
[00:13:18] It gives you a high level of security. I have a problem, I'm back up and running in two minutes. You wouldn't have that, otherwise you'd be locked out and unable to work. I must admit, in the 12 months since we last spoke, the conversation seems to have changed a lot. It's much bigger now. I've hardly used the term EUC. It's hardly been mentioned. It's much, much bigger than that. Is that intentional, that it is more of a platform? We're thinking bigger and different ones. Yeah, I mean, it is about a platform.
[00:13:44] And I think we're having a much more strategic conversation at a C-suite level than we've probably ever had before. And I think that's really broadening out our discussions now. And so much has changed in the last 12 months. If we were to fast forward another 18 to 24 months, let's get looking in that virtual crystal ball. What do you think will separate the organizations that navigate this period well from those that struggle? What will they have done differently starting today, do you think?
[00:14:15] I think the ones that have at least looked at the endpoint and what they're doing around it and put a strategy in place and have an understanding of the risks. I think they're in a better place than the ones that are just carrying on in a traditional legacy way of doing things. It's not to say they won't get there. As I said, everyone's different on their journey.
[00:14:39] But I think the ones that have done that will be in a much more secure place going forward, especially with the absent, with the sort of coming forth of AI. As I said, attacks happening every second. And that's basically happening because of the way technology is evolving, right? So you've got to be secure. And you're someone that flies a lot of miles. I'm not sure we're in Miami now. I'm not sure where you're flying to after this. I suspect it's another long flight.
[00:15:04] But when you're on that flight, what will you be reflecting upon on everything that you've seen and everything you take away? Anything you're going to be thinking about as you're thinking about going back to your customers after the event? I have to say, I love our vision. I'm hugely excited about what we're doing. I'm hugely excited about how we help our customers and our partners. And I think the vision just gets bigger. All the announcements that we've come out with just cement it even more and just says, this is why IGEL. I mean, you hear Klaus say simply IGEL.
[00:15:34] I mean, it's there. It's real. So that's exciting. And I was talking with Klaus yesterday. I think something else that was incredibly interesting is taking IGEL on the road. It's not just about the Miami and the Frankfurt event anymore. They will be going to Australia, Paris, London. There's a real big ambition there, isn't there? The ambition's huge. And we've had some big events in London previously. Last event we had in London, 180 people were there.
[00:16:04] We're looking to do the same again. We're looking to do the same in Australia. It's going to grow as we start to, again, get more traction in Japan and Asia. I'll take it there, hopefully next year. But, you know, we're growing fast. The vision is growing fast. Our acceleration with customers is as well. And so we have to get the information to our customer. I will add a link to your LinkedIn because I know you do a lot of work on there, a lot of writing on there, some great insights. I'll be putting a link there.
[00:16:33] Also to the IGEL website because I know you can stream a lot of the keynotes here. Anywhere else you'd like me to point at anyone? I mean, LinkedIn, you know, please connect with me. Follow me on LinkedIn. It really is about, obviously, the journey we're on. That's what I try to portray. And at the same time, get people to understand what we do, why we do it and how we help. Yeah, I would really point them to there. That would be great. Well, it's an absolute pleasure as always. Hopefully we can meet again in 12 months' time and there'll be a lot more announcements. But thank you for joining me today. It's a pleasure.
[00:17:03] Thank you for having me. So a big thank you to Darren for joining me here in Miami. And for bringing a perspective that really connects the dots across everything that I've been hearing across the event this week. Because one of the many things that stood out to me is just how many of these pressures are now happening at the same time. We have rising hardware costs, unpredictable supply chains, constant attack attempts,
[00:17:30] and an increasing awareness that once access is compromised, the recovery process is far more complex than many organizations expect. So all of this leads back to one thing. The end point is no longer just part of the infrastructure. It's becoming the point where resilience is either proven or exposed.
[00:17:53] So perhaps the real question isn't how do we manage endpoints better, but whether we're actually ready to rethink the role that they play entirely. But as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are you or your organization adapting quickly enough to this new reality? Or are we still holding on to the assumptions that no longer fear? As always, techtalksnetwork.com. Send me an audio message.
[00:18:21] Check out any of the interviews that we've done over there. There's lots for you to digest. But then please share with me your takeaways. You are a big part of this community that we have here at Tech Talks Network. And I want to hear from you. But that's it for today. So I'll be back again tomorrow with another episode. But as always, thank you for listening. And I'll speak to you then. Bye for now. Bye.