by
Kristina Rümmler
| Nov 20, 2025
PUG Challenge is always one of our highlights of the year - a time
where we meet the global OpenEdge community, exchange ideas, and present our
latest innovations in modernAization, integration, and the SmartComponent
Library.
We were proud to attend PUG Challenge Boston (September 28th – October 1st) and PUG Challenge Valencia (November 5th - 7th) as a Global Gold Sponsor at both events.
A Fantastic Four Days in Boston
At the PUG Challenge in Boston we spent four days full of workshops, sessions,
demos, and great community engagement. Our booth became a meeting point for
conversations about modernization strategies, migration approaches, PASOE best
practices, AI-assisted development, and the SmartComponent Library.
CWerky welcomed visitors, collected plenty of hugs and photos, and even made
surprise appearances in several workshops.
On Tuesday evening, we also took part in the conference’s Casino Night -
where Consultingwerk sponsored one of the Blackjack tables, adding a fun and relaxed setting for informal conversations with attendees.
Three Energetic Days in Valencia
A month after, we continued to Valencia for the European edition of PUG Challenge. The event delivered an energetic mix of technical sessions, networking and
community spirit - all set in a vibrant and welcoming atmosphere.
Consultingwerk supported several social activities that made the conference even more memorable:
- Sponsoring the drinks at the Sponsor’s Reception on Wednesday
- Sponsoring the giant Fussball Challenge 2025 on Thursday
Our Conference Sessions (Boston & Valencia – Combined)
We presented a comprehensive set of modernAIzation, PASOE, AI, and
integration sessions across both PUG Challenge events - delivered by Mike
Fechner, Peter Judge, and Janine Keser.
Below is the full list of our 2025 sessions:
The Boston and Valencia slide decks are the same. All PDFs can be
downloaded directly next to each title.
Mike Fechner
Founder & Lead Modernization Architect
ModernAIzing OpenEdge Applications with the SmartComponent Library
Discover how our full-stack framework transforms legacy ABL systems with REST integration, refactoring tools, modern architectures and modern web frontends.
Download the slides here
Using Windsurf IDE as an AI Coding Assistant for OpenEdge
Learn how Windsurf enhances OpenEdge development with conversational coding, intelligent completion, and MCP-based deep integration.
Download the slides here
Understanding PASOE: A Beginner's Guide to the Application Server
A foundational introduction to PASOE architecture, configuration, transports, and administrative routines.
Download the slides here
Understanding OpenEdge Client Startup Parameters
A deep dive into the essential startup parameters — what they do, how to configure them, and how they impact performance.
Download the slides here
Implementing MCP Servers with OpenEdge
Refactoring OpenEdge TTY or GUI Applications refactoring for Modern Web Applications
Peter Judge
Senior Architect
Is Your PAS Instance Ready for Production?
Best practices for staging, securing, monitoring, and automating PASOE for production environments.
Download the slides here
What’s Happening with My Temp-Tables?
Seamless Integration of Word & Excel within ABL
Generate Word and Excel documents using .NET Core and OpenXml — without OCXs or Windows-only limitations.
Download the slides here
True or false: any index will do
Janine Keser
Software Developer
VS Code Extension Development for Dummies
A beginner-friendly introduction to building, packaging, and publishing your own VS Code extensions.
Download the slides here
Meaningful Conversations & Community Spirit
Across both conferences, we engaged in rich and inspiring discussions with
attendees exploring modernAIzation, the influence of AI in general, API adoption, architecture patterns,
cloud-readiness, and DevOps strategies. These conversations continue to shape
the evolution of our tools and frameworks.
Whether during workshops, the presentations, at the booth, over coffee, at the
Sponsor’s Reception, or during the Fussball Challenge - the community
once again demonstrated enthusiasm, expertise, and curiosity.
Thank You, Boston & Valencia
We want to thank:
- The organizers of both PUG Challenge events
- Everyone who attended our sessions
- Visitors who explored our demos and spoke with us
- All players of the Fussball Challenge
- Guests at the Sponsor’s Reception
Your engagement made both events unforgettable.
What’s Next?
If you’d like guidance on modernization, PASOE, AI integration, the
SmartComponent Library, or architecture planning - we’re always happy to
help.
We look forward to seeing you again at
PUG Challenge 2026 in Amsterdam (November 4th - 6th)
In the meantime, we invite you to join our upcoming webinar on December 4th, Integrating Chatbots with OpenEdge Applications, and to meet us at the PUG NL Winter Edition on December 11th in Utrecht
The Consultingwerk Team (and CWerky!)