Nutanix .NEXT Becomes Virtual Event Due To Coronavirus

Nutanix’s flagship summer conference has be shifted to a virtual event due to the growing concerns around COVID-19.

Nutanix’s largest annual conference, Nutanix .NEXT, has been changed to a digital event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Due to the growing concern around COVID-19, and to protect the health and well-being of its employees, customers, partners and community, Nutanix has decided to shift its .NEXT 2020 conference to a digital environment,” said Nutanix is a statement.

Nutanix .NEXT 2020 was initially scheduled to take place in Chicago from June 29 to July 2. The conference will now be free to watch digitally from June 29 to July 1.

[Related: Nutanix Channel Chief On Driving VDI To Combat Coronavirus]

The San Jose, Calif.-based company said .NEXT 2020 is being transformed into a multi-day virtual event that will include streaming keynotes, breakout sessions with live Q&A, interactive learning and digital networking sessions with experts and sponsor organizations. All currently registered attendees will be automatically registered for the .Next digital event.

More than 6,000 customer and partners attended Nutanix .NEXT 2019 which took place in Anaheim, Calif.

Nutanix is just one of many technology vendors who have changed their IT conferences from physical locations to digital events this year due to the coronavirus.

Nutanix, for its part, is striving to help channel partners meet the urgent needs of their customers’ new at-home workforce by launching FastTrack for VDI. The offering enables partners to create virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) in days, not months, for customers combating the coronavirus pandemic.

Nutanix FastTrack for VDI is a predefined combination of software, hardware and service delivery option to onboard thousands of remote employees in record time. The offer includes services to set up and provision desktops in under five days for predefined Nutanix configurations, providing businesses with secure access to business applications and desktops. FastTrack is VDI compatible for Nutanix, VMware Horizon and Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops.

“We’re making an easy button for VDI,” said Christian Alvarez, vice president of Americas channel, OEM and distribution at Nutanix in an interview with CRN. “We’re seeing deployments can be within days based on certain scenarios and the customers environment.”