Simple IT Distribution LTD

Headwind MDM v7 Beta: New Technology Stack and Standalone Plugins

August 17, 2026 - Headwind: A major update to the Headwind MDM web console is ready for beta testing. We rebuilt the console on a modern technology stack and reworked how plugins are built and delivered.

What changed in the technology stack

We migrated Headwind MDM to actively maintained platforms and libraries:

• Java (OpenJDK 21)

• Tomcat 10+

• Angular

The web interface was redesigned and rebuilt following modern admin console and dashboard practices. Navigation, device lists, and configuration screens all changed.

Plugins now ship as standalone WAR files

In previous versions, a custom plugin required rebuilding the entire project. In v7, plugins are developed and packaged as standalone WAR files. Developers can build plugins on the Community Edition and distribute them to Enterprise customers.

This removes the main obstacle for teams that maintain their own extensions. Plugin updates no longer depend on the release cycle of the core product.

Alerts arrive over WebSockets

The web console now receives backend alerts over WebSockets and displays them as pop-up notifications. Administrators see events as they happen instead of waiting for a page refresh.

Shared libraries reduce update size

Most libraries used by Headwind MDM now deploy to the Tomcat lib directory. Web application updates became smaller, which matters for self-hosted setups on limited bandwidth and for air-gapped networks where updates are transferred manually.

Deployment and migration

The recommended platform for Headwind MDM v7 is Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Existing users on Ubuntu 22.04 can move to v7 by running the migration script.

Community, Premium, and Enterprise editions are all available for the beta.

Take a snapshot of your instance before you update. The migration cannot be rolled back. Run the beta on a test instance first and keep your production server on the current stable version.

How to get the beta

Email us at info@h-mdm.com and we will send you the v7 installer along with installation instructions.

This is a beta release. The build may contain bugs, and there’s no rollback option. We recommend testing it on a separate instance, and using it in production with care and only after taking a backup.

Headwind MDM solutions are available in UK through Simple IT Distribution LTD, Headwind Partner in the UK.

About Simple IT Distribution LTD

Simple IT Distribution LTD is backed by 10 years of experience in Value Added IT Distribution. What sets us apart from the crowd is our customer-centric approach, the quality services (consulting, implementation, training, support), and the people behind them, which are experienced and certified proffessionals. We provide sales and technical advice and deliver the solutions that best meed our customers' diverse technology needs. Our partners are hand-picked from the top vendors, and we back up their solutions with certified professionals, to give you nothing but the best.

For more information, please visit www.simpleit-distribution.co.uk .