This year’s WATS UP event was a memorable one, with more than 50 participants from across Europe heading up to Drammen. Some attendees were long-standing users, while others joined for the very first time, but everyone shared one thing in common: they wanted to explore the future of test data management with WATS. Despite the soaring temperatures – one of the hottest days of the year – everyone was totally engaged in all things WATS. If you weren’t there, here’s what you missed. If you were there, you can relive the day through photos and videos. A big thank you to everyone who joined us.
”The face-to-face interactions with both WATS and their customers were definitely the highlight for me. While the keynotes and breakout sessions were engaging and informative, they could have been experienced online. The in-person engagement with participants and WATS staff brought a level of connection that simply couldn’t be replicated virtually
Feedback from one the participants
Hot Day, Hot Topics
The event kicked off with a look at the growth trajectory of WATS, showing off our expanding user base and the ongoing evolution of the platform. As always, we’re keen to continue innovating, with a clear commitment to listening to user feedback and turning it into actionable improvements. That was one of the big motivations for starting WATS UP in the first place, it’s an amazing way to hear from you all!
This year, the record number of attendees not only reflected the growing adoption of WATS, but also the strength of the global test engineering community – one we’re extremely proud to be a part of.
But, with all that said, the actual hottest topic of the day was AI. WATS Alvea has garnered serious attention from users who are eager to dive deeper into Artificial Intelligence’s potential within their testing and production environments. The sneak peek of WATS Alvea at last year’s event left everyone curious, and this year that curiosity slowly bubbled away; and will do so until its full release. With some of that dust having settled, WATS Up was a great opportunity to look deeper into the topic of AI and invite our users to take a look at how we see AI impact test data management in the longer term.
Tom Andres Lomsdalen, CEO WATS
Keynote and Breakout Sessions
If you didn’t get the opportunity to join us this year, you really missed out on some fantastic presentations and talks covering some of the biggest and best features of WATS and how to get the most out of them. Our CEO, Tom Andres Lomsdalen, delivered the keynote presentation, where he outlined the WATS Roadmap, shared our plans for future releases, and gave a sneak peek of one of the upcoming WATS expansions.
The breakout sessions were of high interest, and several participants expressed that they wished they could have attended all of them. This is valuable feedback we will take into account for planning WATS UP 2025. And as always the discussions between users and WATS team are highlighted as very valuable.
What Happens Between Now And Next Year?
One of the clear takeaways from this year’s WATS UP was the growing interest in expanding the use of WATS, taking more features into use and spread the use across more departments. Many attendees expressed genuine enthusiasm for bringing the platform into different areas of their businesses, showing that the value of WATS extends far beyond testing and production. We’re all on board with that plan and are going to work hard to support any and all customers who want to spread the word of WATS far and wide. As mentioned earlier, we also have some exciting expansions planned for WATS. And of course, we will take the feedback from you — the users of WATS — into account when planning this year’s releases.
Community Spirit
As always the event was finished up with a social gathering with pizza, bringing everyone together after what was a packed day of talks, chatting, and getting to knows. At the end of the day, we wanted everyone to feel free to relax, ready to head back to their busy testing schedules armed with everything they’d learned. If this year is any indication, WATS is very much on the right path, so we’ll get the pizza order ready for next year, and you should make sure you can join us on September 4th, 2025!
Hear What Attendees Said About This Year’s WATS UP!
Welcome Dinner the Day Before
It has become a tradition and a part of WATS UP to gather for an informal and social dinner the evening before, for those who are able to attend. Many participants truly appreciate this and feel it enhances the overall WATS UP experience. The dinner is held at a local restaurant or venue in Drammen, giving us the opportunity to showcase our beautiful surroundings.
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