appCURE launches AI tool for Windows app packaging

appCURE has launched Automagical, an artificial intelligence-based tool for Windows application packaging aimed at organisations updating legacy applications for cloud and virtual desktop use.

The software automates one of the more labour-intensive parts of IT modernisation: repackaging older Windows applications for deployment in newer environments. That process has commonly been handled manually, creating delays for businesses with hundreds or thousands of applications.

Automagical converts legacy installers into MSIX packages, a format Microsoft supports for Windows application delivery. The platform also identifies compatibility issues during conversion and applies remediation where needed.

The launch comes as many organisations continue shifting workloads to cloud and virtual desktop infrastructure, where older application formats can create deployment and management problems. Repackaging software for those environments has often required specialist administrators to work through application estates one by one.

Process change

appCURE says its software uses AI-based analysis and distributed processing to run packaging tasks in parallel rather than sequentially. That allows large batches of applications to be handled through a repeatable workflow instead of a manual, case-by-case process.

According to appCURE, batches of about 400 applications can be processed in around 60 minutes. By contrast, a single application can often take between one and five days to package manually, meaning large estates can take months to complete.

The platform is designed to support deployment across cloud, virtual and physical environments without repackaging the same application for each platform. It can also operate in both online and offline settings, which may matter for organisations with tighter operational or security constraints.

For many IT teams, application packaging remains a persistent bottleneck despite wider automation in infrastructure management, device provisioning and software delivery. The issue is especially acute in virtual desktop projects, where application readiness can determine how quickly users move from older systems.

Steve Horne, chief executive officer at appCURE, set out the company's view of the problem. "Application packaging has traditionally been slow and resource-intensive, particularly in larger environments. What we're seeing now is that much of this work can be automated at scale, significantly reducing both the time and cost involved, which allows organisations to move faster and use specialist expertise where it is most needed," Horne said.

Microsoft context

Microsoft also commented on the role of MSIX in modern Windows deployments. The format has been positioned as a cleaner, more standardised way to install and remove applications, particularly in managed desktop and virtual desktop environments.

"MSIX is the foundation for modern Windows app packaging - secured by default with clean install and uninstall," said Eric Orman, principal PM manager at Microsoft. "By making it easier to convert existing application packages into App attach, we're helping customers standardize on MSIX and simplify application delivery in virtual environments."

appCURE says the system includes a self-learning AI engine that improves as it processes more applications. It argues that this should increase automation over time, although it did not provide technical detail on how often manual intervention may still be required for more complex applications.

The company also says organisations can reduce both packaging time and cost by using the new tool. In materials accompanying the launch, appCURE described automation as a way to reduce administrative effort and free specialist staff for work that still requires manual attention.

The wider significance for IT departments is that application modernisation has often lagged behind broader infrastructure changes. Companies may adopt cloud services or virtual desktops relatively quickly, but inherited software estates can slow those plans if applications were built for older Windows environments and need testing, conversion and remediation before use.

That has helped create a market for tools that can standardise application conversion and reduce dependence on specialist packaging teams. In larger organisations, those teams may face backlogs of hundreds of applications, particularly after mergers, divestments or major workplace technology projects.

Horne said the scale of that change calls older working practices into question. "Manual packaging has shaped how the industry has worked for years, but it's no longer fit for purpose at scale. If most applications can now be handled automatically, it raises a fundamental question about why that work is still being done manually at all," he said.