By Brent Cowan, Austin Lane Technologies
I have worked with Austin Lane Technologies for 15 years and attended every Users Conference the company has held. UC 2026 was the best one yet.
V13 in the Room
The conference drew a mix of long-term clients, newer customers, and prospects. The main event was the rollout of ALMobile Version 13, and the reception was strong. Clients who had been following the progress through Austin Lane’s quarterly updates were excited to see the finished product. The new design is clean. The added features and functionality deliver on what the team has been previewing for the past year.
Cloud Security and Trust
One theme came up repeatedly in the conversations I had with attendees. Security. Clients were impressed with the stability of the cloud environment and the access controls built into V13. Multiple clients told me they felt more secure with their data hosted in the Austin Lane cloud environment than they would with a generic cloud deployment. The way they described it, the platform felt like an extension of their own company’s infrastructure because of the configuration, the location, and the trust Austin Lane has built with them over time.
Clients Talking to Clients
I have seen a lot of client interaction at these conferences over the years. Most of it has been informal, hallway conversations between sessions. This year was different. There was more direct, structured interaction between clients during the sessions themselves. Customers openly discussed how ALMobile has impacted their operations and compared notes with each other on functionality and workflow. That kind of peer-to-peer conversation is hard to manufacture, and it says something about where the product is right now.
IT Services
This year Austin Lane expanded the conference to include its IT Services Division, which has grown its capabilities to serve clients nationwide. The sessions gave attendees a clear picture of what IT Services offers and how it fits alongside the ALMobile platform. Several clients mentioned they knew businesses in their area that could benefit from the services.
The Takeaway
As attendees were leaving, I asked as many as I could for their honest take on the conference. Every person I spoke with said the same thing. It was an excellent use of their time. They learned things that would be directly valuable to their companies. And they were glad they came. After 15 years and every Users Conference Austin Lane has held, UC 2026 stood out. The product is in a strong place. The client base is engaged. And the conversations happening between customers tell you more about where this platform is headed than any feature list ever could.
