Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

IT leadership best practices fail when organizations focus on tools instead of people. In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, hosts Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring speak with Jon Collins, Field CTO and VP of Engagement at GigaOm, about what truly drives success in IT leadership—people, culture, and principles. This expert discussion breaks down why frameworks like Agile, ITIL, DevOps, and AI-driven operations succeed or fail based on leadership behaviors, prioritization, and trust—not technology alone.

We’re more dependent on technology than ever—and AI is changing how we make decisions. But what happens when the systems fail? Or when bad actors decide to “pull the plug”? This clip dives into a scary but necessary question: Are we losing our ability to critically think and problem-solve by relying too much on AI? Is AI leveling the playing field—or quietly taking over human decision-making? A must-watch conversation about innovation, outages, AI risk, and why having a backup plan matters more than ever.

SolarWinds technical trainer Cheryl Nomanson presents a systematic approach to optimizing and building custom SNMP pollers. The tutorial walks through a step-by-step process starting with adding devices for SNMP monitoring using default pollers, then identifying missing metrics and checking if the required OIDs exist. If OIDs don't exist, she explains how to use alternative OIDs or data transformation tools.

This training video from SolarWinds Academy provides a high-level overview of how the alerting process works within SolarWinds software. Technical trainer Cheryl Nomanson explains the step-by-step workflow, starting with the alerting engine continuously scanning the database for conditions that meet alert trigger thresholds. She covers how triggered elements are evaluated for suppressions (like time-of-day restrictions and scoping), and explains that only fully qualified conditions become actual alerts. The video details how alerts always display in the web console and may trigger additional actions like emails or scripts.

Artificial intelligence isn’t just about innovation and efficiency — it comes with hidden costs. From massive data centers and rising energy consumption to layoffs, governance, and long-term business impact, the real price of AI is often ignored. Companies rush to adopt AI, but are they calculating the true cost for the environment and their bottom line?

When every second counts, your IT systems can’t afford blind spots. SolarWinds Observability delivers AI-powered, contextual awareness to help IT teams keep critical services running no matter the complexity. Connect the dots across networks, applications, cloud environments, and physical infrastructure with one comprehensive observability platform. With intelligent insights and real-time visibility, SolarWinds helps you prevent downtime, troubleshoot faster, and resolve issues before they impact users even in the most demanding environments.

Shadow AI and “vibe apps” allow employees to build powerful automations without governance. SolarWinds experts explain why this trend could explode in 2026 — and what IT leaders should watch for.

SolarWinds TechPod returns with its annual IT trends and predictions episode — and 2026 is all about Agentic AI. In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, hosts Sean Sebring and Chrystal Taylor are joined by Sascha Giese (SolarWinds) and Lauren Okruch (SolarWinds Product Marketing) to break down how AI, ITSM, automation, governance, and resilience will shape IT operations in 2026.

Don't just read the report—learn how to replicate its most impressive results. In our 2025 State of ITSM Report, a select group of top-performing organizations achieved a staggering 54.3% reduction in resolution time by strategically integrating GenAI. This live session moves beyond the data to share their playbook. We'll provide a step-by-step guide on how to pair GenAI with foundational ITSM practices and demonstrate how to weave these tools into your team's daily workflows to achieve maximum efficiency.

In this video, SolarWinds Tech Evangelist Chrystal Taylor and Staff Technical Trainer Cheryl Nomanson walk through a hands-on demo of the SolarWinds AI Agent, currently available for tech preview in SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted.