September 23, 2025
Liferay Talks IT and Ops Partnerships at Gartner’s Innovation Summit
Gartner events are coming along like buses at the moment, with the recent London apps and innovation summit packed with partners and showing where digital businesses are headed. At the event, Liferay’s Bernard McCloskey, Director of Technology Partnerships took to the stage to highlight how IT and operational leaders are working smarter together.
He explained how IT leaders and partners are working with line of business managers to create, and evolve, differentiating digital applications for various external audiences, including prospects, existing customers, suppliers, and go-to-market partners across dealers, distributors, retailers among others.
Liferay in Session
The session helped IT leaders navigate their options, including bespoke applications built on a headless CMS + JS front-end, low code application platforms (LCAP), and digital experience platforms (DXP).
It covered external audience expectations for personalization and convenience, internal requirements for data privacy and security, and technical considerations such as the ability to leverage AI and Cloud.
Key takeaways from the talk:
- Match platform choice to the job and your team’s strengths – Use Headless CMS + JS for highly custom, high-traffic omnichannel sites, Low-Code Platforms for rapid delivery of internal apps and workflows, and Digital Experience Platforms when integrated personalisation, content, and multi-site management are essential. Productivity and skill fit often outweigh picking the “perfect” platform.
- Personalisation and self-service drive modern digital experiences – Successful customer portals, e-commerce, and citizen services rely on role-based personalisation and seamless self-service. Platforms should be evaluated for how well they deliver these capabilities while avoiding unnecessary complexity.
Liferay’s own customer event in the summer, was a great place to see this in action.
The Buzz of Change
Liferay’s General Manager Mike MacAuley commented, “IT and business leaders gathered in Docklands to think about and discuss technology and business. At a time of significant disruptive change and at a speed never seen before, this felt like a vital event to attend.
Gartner APPS 2025 UK in London had a great buzz, full of energy around AI, platforms, and how to make technology actually delight businesses.”
Bernard McCloskey’s talk, “Choosing the Right Platform to Build Customer-Facing Applications and Experiences,” really cut through the jargon. It laid out a smart comparison between headless CMS + JS, low-code, and DXPs rooted in real concerns — team ability, security, and personalisation.
The audience clearly cared about aligning platform choice to their goals, not just features. For anyone wrestling with legacy, omni-channel demands or wanting smoother self-service and personalisation, this session really delivered.”
The event was both interesting and productive with many in-depth conversations with business leaders addressing significant challenges in a rapidly evolving technology landscape. With the right mix of exhibitors and a very engaged clientele, the conference itself was very pragmatic and added lots of value for all participants.
There was a focused buzz about it that was very enjoyable.”
