Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks

XOAP's CTO, Sinisa Sokolic, and the CMO, Mario Istuk, come together to talk about the new AVD Manager by XOAP.

Whether you're just starting with Azure Virtual Desktop in general, managing multiple customers as an MSP or in-house environments in an enterprise, this episode gives you a good overview of everything you need to know.

From AVD Manager's features and what makes it unique on the market to how it helps organizations start with, manage or migrate to Azure fast, Sinisa and Mario cover it all in the new episode of the Automation Talks podcast.

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AVD Manager is part of the XOAP automation platform and available for free testing, with 10 CCU included in the free plan and 150 CCU with XOAP subscriptions.

Test AVD Manager for €0 with a free XOAP account:

https://xoap.io/avd-manager/

In this episode of Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks powered by XOAP, Mario Istuk sits down with Christian Reineke, CEO of RIS AG and XOAP, for a conversation on what is actually shaping hybrid IT in 2026.

They cover AI and large language models, the real transformation timeline for enterprise IT and the growing push for vendor independence as organizations rethink how deep they go into the Microsoft ecosystem across Intune, Azure and M365.

The regulatory wave hitting European organizations also takes center stage, including NIS2, DORA and the AI Act, alongside the question of whether European cloud sovereignty is finally becoming a real alternative to AWS, Azure and Google Cloud.

The episode closes with a look ahead to 2027 and why automation, not AI hype, is the most underrated topic in IT today.

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You can connect with Christian and Mario via LinkedIn.

• Christian Reineke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianreineke/

• Mario Istuk:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-istuk/

Please note: This episode is in German. You can find the video version with English subtitles on our ⁠YT channel⁠.

Welcome to Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks by ⁠⁠XOAP⁠⁠ — a podcast on IT automation, hybrid cloud and infrastructure modernization, hosted by Mario Istuk.

In this episode, Mario talks with Jens Miltenberger from Ceterion about why application delivery remains one of the most underestimated disciplines in IT.

They cover the evolution of packaging formats (MSI, MSIX, Win32, Winget, Chocolatey), the tool landscape from SCCM to Intune, the reality of hybrid environments, and why successful application delivery is ultimately a process and organizational challenge, not a tooling one.

They also take an honest look at where AI genuinely helps in packaging workflows, and where it's mostly hype.

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You can connect with Jens and Mario via LinkedIn:

• ⁠Jens Miltenberger⁠ | ⁠Ceterion⁠

• ⁠Mario Istuk⁠ | ⁠XOAP⁠

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XOAP is an all-in-one hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform.

With image, configuration, application and platform management modules, as well as task scheduling and automated security compliance features, it's truly an all-in-one automation solution for both in-house and MSP needs.

Learn more at: https://xoap.io/

Why do digital workplaces and EUC initiatives often struggle, and what real value does automation deliver in modern IT?

In this episode of the Automation Talks podcast, we explore digital workplace automation, End User Computing (EUC) and modern workplace management.

Learn how standardization and automation across hybrid IT and cloud environments create predictability, stability, security and scale for IT teams without adding complexity, and how XOAP makes all that possible.

Want a demo? ⁠⁠Book a call⁠⁠ with our engineers!

You can learn more about the XOAP automation platform and create your free account at ⁠⁠xoap.io⁠⁠.

Start operating at enterprise scale — without enterprise complexity.

Device provisioning is something many IT teams think they already have figured out. Microsoft Autopilot is widely used, and for good reason. But there are still gaps.

What about existing hardware?
What about legacy systems, labs, training devices or VMs that need a different approach?
And what about ensuring security and compliance immediately after deployment?

XOAP is an all-in-one hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform, which extends Autopilot. Whether you're running modern cloud-native deployments or managing a hybrid jungle — XOAP helps you build a streamlined, secure, and future-ready automation strategy.

Try it here: https://xoap.io/

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit support ended in October. MDT worked well in traditional on-prem environments but it wasn’t built for the cloud-first modern workplace.

Plus, end of support means potential security and compatibility risks down the line.

So, what’s next for image deployment? Tune in!

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XOAP is an all-in-one hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform.

It offers a secure, flexible and efficient alternative to MDT that focuses on modular, repeatable and automated image management. Try it here: https://xoap.io/

Compared to MDT, XOAP offers:
• More flexibility
• Hybrid readiness
• Centralized control
• Far less setup and infrastructure

Full XOAP vs MDT comparison: https://xoap.io/microsoft-deployment-toolkit-mdt-vs-xoap/

Learn more about XOAP's Image Management: https://xoap.io/image-management/

Secure your AWS accounts instantly with automated CIS hardening. No scripts, no manual work.

In this episode of Cloud meets Hybrid | Automation Talks, Mario Istuk breaks down how XOAP makes it effortless to secure new and existing AWS accounts from day one.

Say goodbye to security drift, endless tickets, and audit headaches. Learn how to automate key controls like CloudTrail, S3 protections, GuardDuty and more, across one or hundreds of accounts with just a few clicks.

Whether you’re a security pro or an engineer shipping fast, this is the fastest way to build continuous compliance and peace of mind.

Read more about it: https://xoap.io/automatically-harden-aws-accounts-with-cis-benchmarks/

Automating entire AWS operations: https://xoap.io/aws-automation/

Amazon DCV deployment automation: https://xoap.io/automate-amazon-dcv-deployment/

 
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XOAP is an all-in-one hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform.

Create your free account here: https://xoap.io/

Book a demo: https://calendly.com/xoap/30min 

Connect with Mario on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-istuk/

The AWS European Sovereign Cloud (ESC) is coming soon. In this episode of Automation Talks by XOAP, we dive deeply into cloud sovereignty in Europe and what it means for trust, compliance and data protection.

Our guest is Tobias Tomandl, Senior Pre-Sales Consultant for AWS at Ingram Micro, AWS Community Builder, and active member of the AWS DACH community.

We cover:

- What cloud sovereignty really means beyond data residency
- How the AWS European Sovereign Cloud is built as an independent partition
- Why this matters for EU governments, regulated industries and enterprises
- How ESC ensures full operational autonomy under EU law
- Migration, cost and FinOps considerations for the ESC launch in Europe
- Key myths about sovereignty and what CIOs should do in the first 90 days

Follow Tobias on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tobiastomandl/) and check out his blog (https://tobiasto.cloud/).

Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks by ⁠⁠XOAP⁠⁠ is a podcast on IT automation, hybrid cloud and infrastructure modernization, hosted by Mario Istuk.

You can connect with Mario here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-istuk/

Want to automate AWS operations and security, or migrate to AWS without disruptions?

XOAP does it for you. Check our website for more information: https://xoap.io/aws-automation/

What is XOAP

XOAP is a hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform.

With image, configuration, application and platform management modules, as well as task scheduling and automated security compliance features, it's truly an all-in-one automation solution for both in-house and MSP needs.

Learn more and create your free account at: https://xoap.io/

Welcome to Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks by ⁠⁠XOAP⁠⁠, a podcast on IT automation, hybrid cloud and infrastructure modernization, hosted by Mario Istuk.

In this special episode, XOAP's CTO Sinisa Sokolic presents the Connector, a new component for on-premises connections.

XOAP Connector is designed to extend automation capabilities to on-premises environments (like vSphere and Nutanix).

It's perfect for handling hybrid IT infrastructures as it enables centralized management of distributed systems.

It's easy to deploy. XOAP Connector requires only an API key and agent install and will be included in all XOAP accounts once released.

Example use cases for MSPs and in-house teams include:

- Reusing existing automation (like image builds) across cloud and on-prem environments.
- Automating on-prem environments as a stepping stone towards cloud migration.
- Running the same procedures in Nutanix, vSphere or Azure with one set of tools.

Sound good? Create a free XOAP account: https://xoap.io/

For more information, visit: https://xoap.io/connector/

What is XOAP

XOAP is a hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform, which frees you from vendor lock-in.

With Image, Configuration, Application and Platform Management modules, as well as task scheduling and automated security compliance features, it's truly an all-in-one automation solution for both in-house and MSP needs.

Creating a XOAP account is 100% free, it does not require a credit card and the free plan offers plenty of starter units.

Welcome to Cloud Meets Hybrid | Automation Talks by ⁠⁠XOAP⁠⁠, a podcast on IT automation, hybrid cloud and infrastructure modernization, hosted by Mario Istuk.

In this episode, we’re talking about investing into automation tools with ⁠Luis Amaro⁠ from Onventis, a seasoned IT professional with over 20 years of experience in the banking sector, currently focusing on network management.

You can connect with Luis and Mario via LinkedIn:
• Luis Amaro: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luis-amaro-mba-417b9755/
• Mario Istuk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mario-istuk/

Curious about XOAP?

XOAP is an all-in-one hybrid IT infrastructure and workplace automation platform.

With image, configuration, application and platform management modules, as well as task scheduling and automated security compliance features, it's truly an all-in-one automation solution for both in-house and MSP needs.

Learn more and create your free account at: https://xoap.io/