AWS re:Invent 2024 has officially wrapped up, but not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. We're still gushing over the reception our booth team received from attendees—and we were excited to see even more organizations going all-in on application delivery and security. Naturally, AWS integration was a constant backdrop throughout the week as we showcased the HAProxy platform.
As always, our interactions with booth visitors—both new and familiar—defined the team's AWS re:Invent experience. The constant buzz generated by tens of thousands of attendees was incredibly energizing. However, re:Invent was also a strong reminder that the tech world remains smaller (and more human) than expected, despite the conference's staggering scale.
Here are some key takeaways from our five days spent alongside AWS and application delivery enthusiasts.
Getting cozy with our booth visitors
AWS re:Invent means a lot to us. It's an opportunity to check the pulse of the tech community, connect with attendees, and showcase our recent product development wins to a diverse audience. Our booth was absolutely swamped with visitors (a problem we're happy to have!) all hoping to see the latest and greatest updates from HAProxy Technologies.
We'd like to give two big shoutouts coming out of AWS re:Invent. First, a massive thank you to our booth visitors! Seeing old and new faces was fantastic, and your patience as we worked our way through the crowd was truly appreciated.
And to whomever anonymously screamed, "I love HAProxy!" while passing by: we love you too!
Attendees showed just how amazing the tech community is—and proved that a hunger for whiteboard sessions and hands-on demos isn't easily sated.
Second, our booth team tirelessly answered as many questions as humanly possible. The team went above and beyond to make each visitor feel like an HAProxy community member. Together, they navigated the crowd with relative ease, demonstrating impressive load-balancing aptitude.
What were attendees talking about?
AWS re:Invent rightfully draws plenty of questions about the AWS platform and how integrated solutions from other vendors help users conquer challenges. Many visitors also asked how we measure up against competitors such as F5 Networks and VMware/Avi Networks. Having the chance to explore our unique advantages and how far we've come was invaluable.
We also often heard the following questions:
What does HAProxy do?
How do you compare to AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) and NGINX?
Do you have alternatives available to replace [insert infrastructure component]?
How do I win that LEGO R2D2?
Across the entire conference, plenty of chatter centered on longstanding AWS topics such as Auto Scaling support and Amazon Route 53. Since most attendees rely on AWS to power some portion of their infrastructure, understanding how HAProxy fits into that equation is critical. For example, HAProxy Fusion's latest updates allowed us to showcase our products much more easily and comprehensively than before.
Today's trending topics such as Kubernetes, application security, API gateways, AI, and automation were also front and center. We heard and facilitated conversations covering the entire tech stack, from databases to support for the IoT's Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. Name any topic related to application delivery and security—we likely heard rumblings about it.
Lastly, we appreciated the glowing feedback (and the multiple verbal “thumbs up” comments) that we received from HAProxy users! We're incredibly flattered that you took the time to share your thoughts following some deeply technical (and lengthy) conversations.
HAProxy hits the AWS stage
We ourselves dove into security quite heavily—not only at the booth, but also on stage. HAProxy Technologies' Jakub Suchy, Director of Solutions Engineering, gave a thought-provoking lightning talk covering no-compromise security in AWS with HAProxy:
Thanks so much for your engagement! Being able to give a talk at re:Invent is always a great privilege, and we look forward to presenting the next big development in secure application delivery.
Come see us next year!
AWS re:Invent 2024 was incredible. Our chats helped us better understand the evolving needs of the AWS community. We were thrilled to share our expertise as G2-recognized leaders in the categories of Load Balancing, API Management, Web Application Firewall (WAF), and DDoS Protection (with the awards to prove it!). Your feedback remains consistent with our G2 performance, and we're committed to keeping it that way.
We'll continue to monitor the changing AWS landscape and bolster our platform support. We look forward to seeing you again at AWS re:Invent 2025, also in Las Vegas, from December 1st to December 6th. Stay tuned as more details become available!
Last but not least, we're thrilled to keep planning for HAProxyConf 2025 next summer in San Francisco. HAProxyConf celebrates the thriving community that's helped make HAProxy One the world’s fastest application delivery and security platform. Over two-plus days, expert speakers will share best practices and real-world use cases highlighting HAProxy's next-gen approach to high-performance application delivery and security. Check out the HAProxyConf official website to learn more and stay updated. And please, don't forget to answer our call for papers!
Want to learn more about HAProxy and AWS?
To dive a little deeper into our AWS support, check out these helpful resources:
Scalable AWS Load Balancing and Security With HAProxy Fusion
Scalable Load Balancing & Security Made Simple at AWS re:Invent 2023
HAProxy Forwards Over 2 Million Requests Per Second on a Single Arm-based AWS Graviton2 Instance
