I’ve spent over 25 years in tech product marketing and customer support, working with pioneering companies like Dell/EMC, Apple, Keeper Security, and now, SolarWinds. In my current role, I’ve had the privilege of helping organizations of all sizes achieve comprehensive observability in their IT environments. I’ve also witnessed firsthand the challenges that can arise on this journey. The tech landscape continues to evolve dramatically, with rapid advancements in cloud, artificial intelligence, and data analytics reshaping how we approach IT. But despite these changes, the objectives of IT professionals remain the same— maintaining effective visibility into complex IT environments.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls on the Path to Observability
This year, I’ll be writing a SolarWinds blog series outlining the five most common obstacles organizations encounter as they strive to achieve a deeper understanding of their environment. Each article will provide practical strategies to avoid these pitfalls. Curious? Here’s a sneak preview of what’s in store.
- Alert Fatigue: Our first article will explore how overwhelming notifications can distract teams from critical issues. I’ll outline approaches to overcoming this issue.
- Siloed Data, Siloed Teams: The next piece addresses the structural barriers that prevent a cohesive approach to monitoring and analysis.
- Failing to Keep Pace with Cloud-Native Transformation: This article will examine how failing to adapt to new technologies impacts observability efforts, and offer insights on maintaining effective observability practices amid ongoing change.
- The Risks of Purchasing Software Directly from Your Hardware Provider: Shifting our focus to procurement strategies, this article will outline the potential downsides of purchasing software from hardware providers and present a more informed strategy for making better buying decisions.
- Overkill in Observability: In our quest to enhance monitoring practices, we sometimes introduce unnecessary complexities that can obstruct our objectives. This article will close the series by highlighting the importance of simplicity and clarity in achieving effective observability.
A Roadmap to Deep Visibility
We’ve got plenty to cover. By the end of this series, you should feel empowered with practical tips to navigate the unforeseen barriers to observability. I hope you’ll leave a little more streetwise to the challenges ahead and with the confidence to tackle them head-on. Stay tuned for the first article on alert fatigue, coming in February.
