Observability is a buzzword that has gained a lot of traction in the IT industry lately. But what does it really mean, and how does it relate to the challenges that modern IT organizations face? At SolarWinds, we believe that the current analyst definitions of observability are too narrow and APM-focused. They focus too much on the cloud, neglecting critical on-premises assets and restricting where customers can deploy their observability solutions.

Lost revenue, project delays, customer frustration, damaged reputation… The immediate consequences of system downtime are profound. However, the human impact of technical disruption can have just as crippling an impact on business outcomes. As IT teams worldwide work around the clock in the wake of outages like the recent CrowdStrike event, we take a closer look at the hidden toll of downtime and how IT leaders can work to mitigate its most harmful effects.

In today’s complex digital landscape, incorporating security from the ground up is not merely a best practice—it is essential. The recent Azure and CrowdStrike outage underscores the importance of integrating robust security practices into our software development and operational processes. At SolarWinds, we are committed to the principles of Secure by Design, making security fundamental to every phase of our product lifecycle.

Every database manager knows the complexities involved in maintaining and optimizing multiple enterprise databases. But knowing the complexities of database management and having the requisite knowledge and skills (never mind the right tools) to get the job done, is a different matter. Businesses today use a wide range of database systems to support a variety of applications and data types.

Even with dedicated database staff (often with impressive technical skills), businesses need help understanding how to address database issues. IT managers and database specialists are keen to try different approaches to keeping databases working as efficiently as possible. One popular approach is ‘DevOps’. As companies navigate the complexities of digital transformation and a growing trend toward cloud migration, IT environments have become extraordinarily complex.