As the year draws to a close, it’s tradition to look back. But 2025 wasn’t just another year; it was a year of exponential growth, massive innovation, and deepening trust. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be unstoppable.
We’ve seen strategies pay off, our family grow, and our technology stack evolve in ways we only dreamed of a decade ago. Here is my recap of 2025 in full ITQ style.
The VCF 9 Effect: Record-Breaking Growth
The release of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9 was a pivotal moment. It was the first major release following the Broadcom acquisition and a definitive showcase of the private cloud strategy in action. The market demand was instant, and because we were ready to execute, it drove our best year ever in terms of customer engagements.
This success is reflected directly in our numbers. Our order intake for 2025 reached an incredible €115 million. To put that in perspective: just six years ago, that number sat around €6 million. This 18x growth isn't just a statistic; it’s a testament to the trust our customers place in us to manage their platforms and drive their innovation.
The orange army expands
Growth isn't just about revenue; it's about people. This year, 66 new ITQers boarded the rollercoaster. Looking back to when I joined in 2014, it took us 12 to 15 years to reach a total headcount of 66. Now, we add that many talented professionals in a single year.
To support this expansion, our "home bases" are leveling up. We opened new offices in Leuven (Belgium), Düsseldorf (Germany), and Amersfoort (Netherlands), rebuilt the Luxembourg office, while kicking off a major expansion of our HQ in Beverwijk.
But we aren't just growing locally; we are growing globally. Our international teams in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and France are ramping up fast to fulfill customer demand. And in 2025, we officially planted our flag in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, where the new team is already making waves.
Excellence recognized: The rise of the knights
One of my proudest observations this year is the sheer depth of expertise within our ranks.
- 11 ITQ'ers have been named Broadcom Knights. This is an extraordinary achievement requiring immense dedication and time. To have 11 Knights (with more in the process) spread across all our geographies proves that our technical leadership knows no borders.
- 210+ certifications this year. I honestly lost count somewhere around 210, but the rate at which our team devours new knowledge is staggering. I checked the Broadcom partner page, which stated that this now means that we have a total of 591 (!) certifications. That number is just insane.
This collective brainpower has earned us the highest Global Partner Status with Broadcom, Omnissa, SUSE, and IBM, while we are charging toward the same top-tier status with NVIDIA, Red Hat, Dell Technologies, and HashiCorp.
Innovation: Enter project Q9 & the AI revolution
2025 was the year we introduced the world to our newest (and most metallic) member: Project Q9. Q9 is more than just a robot; it is a walking (and dancing) showcase of everything we do—Robotics, AI, Platform Engineering, Cloud, and DevOps. Q9 debuted at ITQon! and has since charmed crowds at Red Hat Summit Connect and Dell Technologies Forum.
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Curious why our CTO, Jeffrey Kusters, invested in Q9? Read his blog here.
Q9 is also a milestone for our AI Proposition. Since our first AI engagement in 2017, we have built a passionate cross-border team that actively collaborates on the AITQ Lab, tech marketing, and customer use cases. With support from partners like NVIDIA, GLBNXT, and SevenLab, we are truly leading the charge. Keep an eye out for our upcoming work with the University of Luxembourg!
The power of the ecosystem
We’ve always said: Alone you go faster, but together we go further. While our roots are in deep VMware knowledge, 2025 proved that our "Private Cloud" vision is broader. We are helping customers run modern workloads on Red Hat OpenShift and SUSE Rancher, leveraging HashiCorp for automation and Dell Technologies for infrastructure.
We showed up everywhere this year. From NVIDIA GTC in San Jose and Paris to KubeCon, Red Hat Summit, AWS Summit, and Explore on-Tour (Paris, London, Frankfurt), the ITQ glasses were visible on stages and show floors across the globe.
The highlight: ITQon! & ITQonnect 2025
If I have to pick a personal favorite moment, it was ITQon! and ITQonnect. We took over the ITQ Hotel in Heerlen with almost 200 ITQ'ers for a weekend of knowledge sharing and connection. Supported by legends like Duncan Epping, Raymon Epping, Kate Rychlik, Lieke Hamers, Igor Soltycik and Spencer Pitts, it was the ultimate expression of our culture.
From Robert opening with the Strategy 2030 to the smashing welcome party, the energy was electric. But don't just take my word for it—watch the aftermovie to feel the vibe:
WATCH: ITQonnect and ITQon! 2025 | Aftermovie (Time to beat: 01:26 of pure Orange energy!)
The road to 2026
There is so much I had to leave out. Becoming a CNCF Training Partner, our sweat equity in Hyrox and Padel tournaments, the awards, the Omnissa Tech Insiders, our Kubestronauts, and much more. If I listed them all, we’d be here until New Year’s Eve.
I want to wrap up by wishing you all a fantastic end to the year. Rest up, because 2026 is going to be special.
In 2026, the ITQ family celebrates its 25th Birthday. Trust me, you won’t want to miss what we have planned. If you don't want to miss out on all the #ITQlife, you can still join us at JoinITQ.eu.
Best wishes, Johan
