The rise of the local cloud

Posted on By Mark Wilson

The discount retailer Lidl recently found its way into the news as its parent company began offering cloud services to outside organisations. That got us thinking about Node4’s UK-based cloud services, and how, sometimes, a local cloud is exactly the solution that’s required to meet clients’ needs.

The rise of self-service cloud services

Its well-known that Amazon Web Services (AWS) began when Amazon realised the value of its own IT systems and the investment it had made in shared services. Amazon had created a shared IT platform so its engineering organisations, which were previously spending a high proportion of their time on IT infrastructure problems, could instead focus on customer-facing innovation. As the shared services provided value for amazon.com, Amazon saw the potential in providing web services to other organisations and AWS was born. Through AWS, Amazon began providing external customers access to an on-demand cloud computing platform on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Since then, we’ve seen Microsoft (Azure) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) launch and compete with AWS. In the US, Europe and elsewhere, these three “hyperscale platforms” dominate cloud computing services.

Unexpected item in the bagging area

With the rise of the hyperscalers, the major systems integrators suddenly had new competition. Companies didn’t have to invest in their own infrastructure – they could consume services according to demand. And if they weren’t running their own infrastructure, then they didn’t need someone to host and manage it for them.

Some of the major SIs launched their own clouds, but they have never had the scale or the traction of the hyperscalers. So, the SIs partnered with one or more of the hyperscalers, albeit reluctantly, to respond to customer demand.

Germany is particularly well-known for its stringent privacy and data protection laws but it’s not unique. In response to this, the hyperscalers began placing datacentres in specific regions to address data sovereignty concerns. Here in the UK, Microsoft opened the UK South and UK West regions in Azure. AWS and GCP made similar investments. And let’s not forget that markets like China are so large that they have their own hyperscale providers!

In the middle at Lidl

Recently, the German discount retailer Lidl made the news as its parent company Schwarz Group started to offer cloud computing and cybersecurity services to corporate customers.

In a remarkable parallel with AWS’ history, the Irish Times reported that Schwarz started with a system built for internal use in 2021. Schwarz Digits, an IT unit that initially served only the group’s internal needs branched out to serve external clients in 2022. Now there’s an independent company within the Schwarz Group, StackIT, existing alongside XM Cyber and the group’s minority investment in a German AI startup called Aleph Alpha.

Marketed as “the German business cloud”, StackIT’s main selling point is that all client data is processed and stored exclusively in Germany and Austria. It offers a suite of cloud services, focused on the German retail (unsurprisingly), health and public sectors.

The case for local cloud

So why am I writing on the Node4 blog about a German retailer’s entry in to cloud services? Surely they are a competitor? Well, yes and no. StackIT is all about the German market – it’s their USP. Node4 is expert in the UK mid-market. We don’t compete, but there are some parallels. Whilst Node4 hasn’t grown out of a retailer (we were born into datacentre hosting and connectivity), we do have a local cloud for UK-based clients.

So why might you want a local cloud?

  • The most obvious reason is data sovereignty. Depending on the service that your company provides to its customers, you might be required to keep data in-country. This may be for regulatory purposes or simply to meet a contractual requirement.
  • Whilst public cloud can be made secure, some organisations may have heightened security requirements that necessitate keeping data within national borders to mitigate risks associated with transferring data outside the local jurisdiction.
  • If performance is a concern, running services locally can reduce latency and improve performance, especially for applications that require real-time processing or have high bandwidth needs. And sometimes it’s just about keeping application layers close to one another.
  • From a corporate social responsibility perspective, it’s good to support the local economy. And other economic and political factors may mean that avoiding the potential geopolitical risks associated with relying on foreign cloud providers is prudent. If the war in Ukraine has made us question our energy and food sources, for some organisations the source of their IT services is critical too.
  • And sometimes, particularly if your application workload is to be “lifted and shifted”, with limited or no transformation, then a local cloud can be more cost-effective than the hyperscale platforms.

Node4’s Virtual Datacentre (VDC) is designed to address the needs of clients who need a local, UK-based cloud. We can offer a geo-resilient UK-based self-service cloud platform, with full automation, predictable consumption billing and 24×7 support. As a bonus, if you’re currently struggling with Broadcom price increases, it’s simple to migrate into our cloud too!

The Pragmatic Cloud

At Node4, we talk about the “Pragmatic Cloud”. We are open and transparent about the reasons for the recommendations that we make to our clients about their cloud investments. We can do this because Node4 is in a reasonably unusual position within mid-market managed services providers. We partner with Microsoft to provide hyperscale capabilities in the public cloud, but we also have our own hosting and connectivity options, including hybrid and edge capabilities. We can offer something for everyone.

So, whether it’s hosting/co-location services for the servers that you run (whether as a private cloud or simply using traditional management methods), self-service infrastructure as a service (IaaS) on our VDC platform, or expert advice on adopting Microsoft Azure to modernise your applications, we can help.

Feel free to get in touch using the contact details below – and let’s have a conversation.

This post was originally published on the Node4 blog.

Featured image by Michael Reichelt from Pixabay.

Unveiling the real treasure: moving beyond ERP to unleash (and protect) the power of data

Posted on By Mark Wilson

In our rapidly changing world, sophisticated ERP solutions are becoming more crucial than ever for organisations looking to streamline operations and strive for operational excellence. But whilst the ERP plays an instrumental role in that, it’s vitally important to recognise that it’s not just the ERP system that holds value – the real treasure is the data within these systems.

For years now, IT leaders have been talking about a “data-centric world” and how to “democratise” access to the hidden treasure that an organisation’s data contains. And it’s still the case that the monumental value and potential of business data should not be understated. But since 2023, we’ve seen a shift. No longer is it just about the data – the rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools has moved the conversation on to how AI can be used to help us better understand and use the data that we hold.

When I’ve spoken to our clients, I’ve seen their thirst for AI-driven insights. AI, coupled with robust data, holds the potential to shift paradigms, drive smart decisions and boost operational efficiency. However, before we can unlock this vast potential, the data needs to be structured and labelled correctly.

The value of structured data and correct labelling

When correctly structured and labelled, data empowers organisations to accurately understand their operations, pinpoint potential bottlenecks and unleash the value nestled in their ERP solutions.

In refining this data, we allow AI models to consume it effectively, driving insights that empower organisations to predict trends, anticipate customer needs, enhance supply chain processes, reduce overhead and foster innovation. Essentially, we convert the commonly inaccessible gold beneath the ERP systems into a well-drilled, fully accessible mine that yields precious insights — the real treasure.

But there’s another source of data that exists outside the core business systems. The ERP holds a trove of operational data that we can index, query and search, but our unstructured data has potential, too. We can ingest it to a modern data platform where it can be cleansed and interrogated. The raw information, once difficult to analyse and gain insights from, becomes useful, and the rise of AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot means we need to think about how these new tools can and should be used.

Getting ready for Copilot

As one of the largest Microsoft partners in the UK, Node4 hears a lot of buzz about Microsoft’s Copilot AI Assistants (of which there are several).

Just as Delve taught organisations to think about what could be indexed and searched in SharePoint and elsewhere, there are some preparatory steps needed for Copilot too. Copilot can only see what an individual can see, but often that’s more than was intended.

Node4 can work with clients to assess readiness including privacy, policies, monitoring, integration and training. And, of course, we’re constantly monitoring developments so we can advise on new announcements, like Copilot+.

The spectre of ransomware

Another trend that we’re seeing is the rise in ransomware attacks. Cyber-insurance data from September 2023 showed not only a 12% increase in ransomware claims frequency; but that that 36% of claimants paid ransoms (often after negotiating down the amount). 

In 2024, ransomware attacks are expected to evolve with more sophisticated techniques. And, in the same way that more extreme weather events have demonstrated we really can’t ignore climate change, the rise in ransomware means we can’t say “they won’t go after us” anymore. Ransomware is not just an issue for large multinational organisations – it’s increasingly a problem for small and medium enterprises too.

What this means is that all that data that we’re talking about unlocking value from needs to be protected. Our clients are talking to us about resilience and immutability – the ability to protect their data from attack.

Data resilience and immutability: the cornerstones of a data-centric approach

Data resilience and immutability (the ability of data to endure and remain unchanged, respectively) are vital. They ensure businesses can withstand unexpected events and safeguard their strategic intelligence. This is particularly true in the light of today’s escalating threats, such as ransomware attacks, which have jeopardised many businesses’ operations globally.

Every data-generated insight within an ERP environment is a precious source of intelligence. This intelligence can provide an invaluable competitive edge, and so it’s not surprising that it’s become an enticing target for malicious attacks. Ransomware, in particular, can hold this treasure hostage, dramatically disrupting a business’ operations and possibly leading to insurmountable financial or reputational damage.

In this context, it’s crucial to secure data with impregnable defences against such threats. At Node4, we prioritise data protection, resilience and immutability as cornerstones of our service offerings. The prosperous mine of business intelligence in ERP systems demands top-notch security protocols and safeguards.

The critical necessity of securing data

Just as an ERP system is valueless without correctly structured and labelled data, the impact and efficiency of this data can be catastrophically neutralised without adequate backup and security measures. Recovering data after a devastating event like a ransomware attack can be a painful, costly and time-consuming undertaking. However, these hurdles can be significantly mitigated, if not entirely avoided, through effective backup strategies and stringent data security policies.

At Node4, we believe that securing and regularly backing up data is not just an option – it’s a critical necessity. That’s why we’ve invested in state-of-the-art data centres with high performance interconnects and immutable storage options. The fact that we run our own data centres, as well as being one of Microsoft’s strongest UK partners means we’re able to work with clients for private, hybrid or public cloud. Our business continuity and recovery solutions cover all aspects of data resilience, and this comprehensive protection is imperative to maintain the integrity and availability of data essential to ERP processes.

The journey ahead: from ERP to data-driven intelligence

ERP solutions are undoubtedly substantive components of a robust business structure. They serve as the backbone of operational processes and hold potential to streamline business workflows. Yet it’s crucial to shift our focus beyond the ERP system and unlock the real source of value residing within – structured, organised, and secured data.

As we continue to take organisations on a digital transformation journey, the true winners will be those who understand and master the mechanism that turns raw data into decisive insights. These forward-thinking organisations will harness the power of AI effectively, backed by well-structured and secure data, to drive efficiency, innovation and competitive advantage, while diligently protecting their treasure from emerging threats. This is what we call AI transformation.

The journey from ERP to data-driven intelligence is underway. Embarking on it will not only shape the future of organisations across the world, but also dictate their survival in an increasingly interconnected and data-driven world. In the orchestration of this transformation, the ERP may conduct the score, but it’s the data that composes the symphony and, ultimately, steals the show.

This post was originally published on the Node4 blog.

Featured image by yatsusimnetcojp from Pixabay.

An updated approach to Virtual Desktop Infrastructure: Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI

Posted on By Mark Wilson

With the general availability of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) on Azure Stack HCI, organisations have a powerful new platform for providing virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) services. No longer torn between complex and expensive server farms, or desktops running in the cloud – the best of both worlds is here.

The complexities of managing an end user computing service

Over the many years I’ve consulted with IT departments, one of the many common themes has been around the complexities of managing end user computing services.

It used to be that their investments in standard PC builds had led to a plethora of additional management products. These days, Windows (or, more accurately, Microsoft 365) does that to such a level that the layers of added products are not needed. With a Modern Workplace solution, we can deploy a new PC from a factory image, log on with a username from a recognised domain (for example user@node4.co.uk), build that PC to meet corporate standards and get the end user up and running quickly with access to their data, all in a secure and compliant manner.

But there have always been edge cases. The legacy application that is critical to the business but doesn’t run on a modern version of Windows. Or the application with a licensing model that doesn’t lend itself to being installed on everyone’s PC for occasional use. For these cases, virtual desktop infrastructure has been a common approach to publish an application or a desktop.

For other organisations, the use of VDI is seen as an opportunity to abstract the desktop from the device. Either saving on device costs by buying lightweight terminal devices that connect to a farm of virtual desktops, or by using the secure desktop container as an opportunity to allow access from pretty much anywhere, because the device doesn’t directly access the organisation’s data.

I’m not going to advocate for one approach over another. Of course, I have Opinions but, at Node4, we start from the position of understanding the business problem we’re trying to solve, and then working out which technology will best support that outcome.

A shift in the landscape

Whilst Microsoft has had its own remote desktop offerings over the years, they’ve tended to partner with companies like Citrix rather than develop a full-blown solution. Meanwhile, companies like VMware had their own products – though with the Broadcom acquisition and sale of its VDI products (including Workspace One and Horizon), their future looks uncertain.

This makes customers uneasy. But there is hope.

Microsoft has not stood still and, for a few years it’s been maturing its VDI in the cloud service – Azure Virtual Desktop.

AVD provides a secure, remote desktop experience from anywhere, delivering a virtualised desktop experience that’s fully optimised for Windows 11 and Windows 10 multi-session capabilities. With various licensing options including within key Microsoft 365 subscription plans, AVD is now an established service. So much so that there are even products and services to help with managing AVD environments – for example from Nerdio. But, until recently, the biggest drawback with AVD was that it only ran in the public cloud – and whilst that’s exactly what some organisations need, it’s not suitable for some others.

A true hybrid cloud solution

(At this point, I’m tempted to introduce a metaphor about when cloud computing comes to ground. But fog and mist don’t conjure up the image I’m trying to project here…)

Recently, there has been a significant development with AVD. It’s largely gone unnoticed – but AVD is now generally available on Azure Stack HCI.

Azure Stack extends the robust capabilities of Azure’s cloud services to be run locally – either in an on-premises or an edge computing scenario. Azure Stack hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is a hybrid product that connects on-premises systems to Azure for cloud-based services, monitoring, and management. Effectively, Azure Stack HCI provides many of the benefits of public cloud infrastructure whilst meeting the use case and regulatory requirements for specialised workloads that can’t be run in the public cloud. 

Some of the benefits of running Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI

There are many advantages to running software locally. Immediate examples are to address data residency requirements, latency-sensitive workloads, or those with data proximity requirements. Looking specifically at Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Stack HCI, we can:

  • Improve performance by placing session hosts closer to the end users.
  • Keep application and user data on-premises and so local to the users.
  • Improve access and performance for legacy client-server applications by co-locating the application and its data sources.
  • Provide a full Windows 11 experience regardless of the device used for access.
  • Unified management with other Azure resources.
  • Make use of fully patched operating system images from the Azure Marketplace.

What about my existing VDI?

Node4 will aid you in finding the best path from your existing VDI to AVD. Our consultants are experienced in using Microsoft’s Cloud Adoption Framework for Azure to establish an AVD landing zone and to take a structured approach to assessing and migrating existing workloads, user profiles and data to AVD.

Why Node4 is best positioned to help

I’ve already written about how Node4’s expert Consultants can help deploy Azure Virtual Desktop to meet your organisation’s specific needs but that’s only looking at one small part of the picture.

Because, for those organisations who don’t want to invest in hardware solutions, we have hosted services for Azure Stack HCI. We also provide flexible and secure communications solutions. And we’re an Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP).

I may be a little biased, but I think that’s a pretty strong set of services. Put them all together and we are uniquely positioned to help you make the most of AVD on-premises, co-located in one of our datacentres, on a Node4 hosted platform, or in the public cloud.

So, if you are looking at how to modernise your VDI, we’d love to hear from you. Feel free to get in touch using the contact details below – and let’s have a conversation.

This post was originally published on the Node4 blog.

10 years of Milton Keynes Geek Night

Posted on By Mark Wilson
This content is 2 years old. I don't routinely update old blog posts as they are only intended to represent a view at a particular point in time. Please be warned that the information here may be out of date.

In June 2012, I joined a large group of people in a community arts centre at a converted bus station. It was the first “Milton Keynes Geek Night” and I really wish it had been me that had penned this tweet:

The History of Milton Keynes Geek Night

Inspired by Oxford Geek Night, which was upstairs in the Jericho Tavern (QI point: this was where Radiohead played their first gig), Richard Wiggins and David Hughes decided to create something similar for the Milton Keynes (MK) digital community. It took a while to get off the ground, not least because Richard and David were working in different spheres – one in London, the other in MK – but also because they were keen to find the right location. It shouldn’t be a pub, or a hotel conference suite, but something that better suited the event – and what better than a former nightclub above an abandoned bus station?

Aside from a location, Richard and David needed to find speakers. They wrote lists of people they knew, people they admired, people they thought would be good speakers, and the first two – Jon Hicks and Brendan Dawes – both said yes. Oxford Geek Night gave permission for their name to be taken (geek nights were a thing back then) and Milton Keynes Geek Night (MKGN) was born.

It has run on a quarterly basis for almost ten years now, plus an all-dayer (in 2014) and two Geek Mental Health Night specials.

“MKGN came out of a bit of frustration and self-desire to attend something locally with interesting creative and techy talks, with a bunch of like-minded people. I enjoyed heading to London, Oxford and sometimes much further afield to see and hear this kind of thing, but I had a feeling there would be enough interest locally in Milton Keynes. I obviously never expected or thought we would still be going 10 years later.”
[Richard Wiggins, co-founder, Milton Keynes Geek Night]

The Geek moniker

At this point, I should explain that to many of us associated with the term “geek” it is not an insult – but a badge of honour. One of dictionary.com’s many definitions for the word is “a digital-technology expert or enthusiast (a term of pride as self-reference, but often used disparagingly by others)”. Another is equally fitting: “a person who has excessive enthusiasm for and some expertise about a specialized subject or activity”.

Call me a nerd and you’ll get a very different response – but a geek is no bad thing.

With all that said, I’m still not sure how I, someone who can appear outwardly confident but is very uncomfortable in a room full of strangers, found himself at the first Milton Keynes Geek Night.

Beer and pizza

Maybe it was the beer and pizza that attracted me?

Playing to the geek trope, MKGN has traditionally had an association with these two forms of refreshment. Milton Keynes-based Domino’s Pizza were event sponsors for a long time, with a huge pile of pizza being delivered at the end of each event. And there is always a bar (with at least one free drink). In December 2015, MKGN 15 even had a specially commissioned beer from Verdant.

These things wouldn’t happen without sponsorship and MKGN has been fortunate to have been supported throughout its history. There have been too many individual sponsors to list here (large and small) but even the pizzas came out of a sponsorship idea (from Oxford’s JavaScript Conference, then Just Eat, and then Dominos). More recently, food has been sponsored by partners or ticket sales and provided by MK Gallery (the current venue).

The Talks

Throughout its existence, Milton Keynes Geek Night has kept a common agenda – two headline speakers, with a few lightning (5 minute) talks in between (although there have been some memorable occasions when speakers have pushed the definition of 5 minutes). And, until Covid-19 made passing a microphone between people problematic, there were also some “one-minute wonder” opportunities for people to pitch new employment opportunities, geek clubs, events and the like – but strictly nothing too commercial.

Over the years, MKGN has featured almost two hundred speakers. From the very first event, the calibre has been high – and many have made return visits, like Jon Hicks, Brendan Dawes, Christian Payne, PJ Evans and Ben Foxall. Many of the past events are listed on the MKGN website and I tried to pick some favourites, but there are just so many – from PJ Evans’ “Boiling Nemo” (MKGN 22) to Andy Taylor’s talk about the delivery robots that roam the streets of Milton Keynes (MKGN 40). But these just scrape the surface – the variety of the speakers and the topics they have spoken on is immense.

Throughout it all, there’s been a strong theme around web (now “digital”) design and development but there have been talks too that have covered other creative areas. It’s a format that has worked well for a decade now.

Richard and David have worked hard to deliver a diverse range of talks and speakers at MKGN – and are very conscious of how male-centric some events have become.

The speakers are still selected from a “black book” and the organisers considers themselves to be fortunate that their requests are rarely turned down (although sometimes people are, genuinely, just too busy). Commercial pitches are rejected (“that’s not what we do”, says David) but MKGN has also taken on speakers they haven’t previously heard of who have turned out to be interesting.

“We started off in the kind of digital space, I suppose, but we’ve always wanted to not be a tech or that kind of conference because “codey” stuff bores the **** out of me and we’ve always tried to find as wide a range speakers as we can – and we’ve been really lucky to do that.”
[David Hughes, co-founder, Milton Keynes Geek Night]

Evolution

For many years, MKGN’s home was “The Buszy”, run by Make a Difference CIC (MaD) in the former Milton Keynes Bus Station. In 2016, MaD had to move out and MKGN had to find a new location for its events too.

Around that time MK Gallery was developing a new venue – the Sky Room – with fantastic views across Campbell Park and the east of the town. The only problem was that it wouldn’t be ready in time for the next MKGN event. But MK Gallery did have a Project Space that could be used in the interim period. This became the home for MKGN until the Sky Room opened with its theatre-style seating in 2019.

MKGN has never been about profit – just covering costs – but, with the smaller audiences in the MK Gallery Project Space, it became necessary to charge for attendance (not least to put off those who may just have been attending for free beer and pizzas).

Then, came the pandemic and, in common with many other in-person events, Milton Keynes Geek Night was forced online for a while. But that had its advantages too – allowing MKGN to bring in international speakers that they could never have flown in for an in-person event.

Nowadays MKGN has returned to MK Gallery – although the theatre-style layout has given way to tables and chairs. This is to help social distancing but has a side effect that it’s brought the format full circle back to the days of the Buszy. Tables of small groups of people, brought together through a common interest in design, technology and creativity.

Social geeks

In the early days, I’d rush home and blog about the event. But an increasingly busy family life and decline in blogging meant I switched to live tweeting events. And now even Twitter seems to have fallen out of favour – with the #MKGN hashtag becoming much quieter than it once was.

Even if I was known as the event’s in-house blogger for a while, Milton Keynes Geek Night’s “official” channels are on its website, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud (where recordings can be found for almost all of the talks), and a community on Orbit.

Recording the events

The first event had around 100 people but as audiences grew there was just too much interference and microphones started to struggle. After the technical challenges that the second MK Geek Night suffered, Richard was researching options for new audio equipment when Andy Hagon and Roo Machell said “we can help”. Since then, every MKGN has had professional sound mixing and recording, first using Andy and Roo’s own mixing equipment and later using MK Gallery’s desk and MKGN’s own microphones.

Community

Both Richard and David speak of seeing the friendships that have developed through Geek Night as a massive positive outcome.

“It’s about bringing people together and letting them hear talks that they probably never would otherwise. I love that so many friendships have occurred over the years at MKGN and I’m lucky to have personally made many good friends too.”
[Richard Wiggins, co-founder, Milton Keynes Geek Night]

Speaking personally, I met both Richard and David through the event (later discovering that we had other shared interests) but there have been many, many more people who have met through MKGN. David explained to me that he started to notice the same groups of people at the same tables each event. And he could see those friendships, networks, bonds, etc. starting to grow. MKGN had become a community.

Over time, the MK Geek Night audience has changed. Some of “the Oxford posse” still come along whilst others have moved away. But Milton Keynes has changed in the last ten years too. It’s become a bit of a tech hub – and that brings new businesses and new people. MKGN still has its “regulars”, but the audience has expanded, and new attendees have brought their own groups. All this change has been positive – and is part of the evolution of the event and the community that surrounds it.

I asked some of the attendees for their thoughts and it was fantastic to hear the warmth and enthusiasm that they have for Geek Night:

“The biggest thing is the people. It’s a social event. It’s meeting up with these guys. We became friends from Geek Night. And the talks are amazing […] what I come away with every time is always challenged, always enlightened in some way.”

Others spoke of how they are educated and informed by the speakers. One even told me how she is not a geek in the traditional sense – she is a musician – but can take things from the geek talks and adapt them to her profession.

“So, it’s adaptability as well. It’s not just about coding.”

Another told me about his need to research the things he’s heard about at Geek Night and discover more:

“I would say my typical geek night experience is that I come back from the events with a list of things I want to Google in my head. And I will be up late tonight, researching all these new fantastic things that I’ve been exposed to.”

What’s next for MKGN?

MK Geek Night’s tenth birthday is coming up on 16 June 2022 and tickets are already sold out. I asked Richard about future plans and it’s clear that there are some big ideas around exploring new formats and keeping the event evolving.

September 2022’s MKGN will be a 2-day creative industries and digital technology conference called All Flows. But, from talking to Richard about the project, a conference is just not the right word. The All Flows team (which also includes Pooleyville’s Simon Wright) are looking to create more of a festival vibe which extends into the evening, including inspirational talks, music, and more. The exact format is still work in progress, but Richard shared with me some of the speakers that are lined up and it sounds impressive. All Flows will take place on 29 and 30 September 2022 although Richard is hoping it will go on to become a regular occurrence – a sort of “Geek Night on steroids”.

Meanwhile, Richard and David are exploring options for the December 2022 MKGN – and whilst I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, some themed events may be on the cards.

It seems that the Milton Keynes Geek Night team have hit on something special. Back in 2012, Richard and David never expected MKGN to run for ten years but the constant evolution brought by changes in venue, a global pandemic, and a desire to stay fresh have become part of the recipe. Add to that a thriving community and MK Geek Night must be seen as one of Milton Keynes’ great successes.

Featured image from the MK Geek Night Instagram feed.

This post was originally published (with some great photography) at Pooleyville.city.