SolarWinds, a prominent provider of secure observability and IT management software is celebrating its 25th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the company has released the SolarWinds IT Evolution Survey, which provides insights from professionals with over two decades of experience in the tech industry. The survey reflects on the transformation the field has undergone in the past 25 years.

According to the survey, cloud technology has had the greatest impact on the IT sector, as perceived by almost half of the respondents. Nonetheless, challenges such as limited resources and cybersecurity continue to be pressing concerns. Notably, 70.5% of the survey respondents anticipate that AI and machine learning will be the primary forces shaping the industry in the forthcoming 25 years.

Sudhakar Ramakrishna, President and CEO of SolarWinds, remarked on the company's significant milestone: "The past 25 years have witnessed an extraordinary evolution in the needs of IT professionals. We started in 1999 with a simple mission to make the lives of IT teams easier. Today, SolarWinds proudly serves over 300,000 customers around the globe, and our solutions help accelerate our customers' business transformations."

"Our purpose of enriching the lives of the people we serve and our focus on customer success fuel our commitment to adapting and innovating to meet the needs of today, and the challenges of tomorrow," he continued.

The SolarWinds IT Evolution Survey reflects the seismic shifts in the enterprise technology landscape over the past quarter-century. Notably, almost half (45.4%) of IT pros agreed that cloud technology has had the most significant impact on IT in this period. Open-source software and data storage and management solutions were also seen as notable advancements.

While rapid technological progress has brought about profound changes, it has also introduced challenges. Becoming a popular response, survey respondents stated that they struggle with inadequate budgets and resources, balancing security with user-friendliness, and adapting to rapid technological fluctuations. Moreover, the increasing complexity of hybrid IT is expected to pose continuous challenges.

The survey participants foresee a profound impact of AI and machine learning, with 70.5% stating that these technologies will be the most crucial driving factors for the industry in the next quarter-century. Cybersecurity threats were highlighted as the most significant IT hurdles and the largest anticipated risks over the past 25 years.

SolarWinds, committed to simplifying IT management, has built a robust community of nearly 200,000 IT professionals around the world. They host an annual learning event, THWACKcamp, that provides expert insights into the dynamically changing IT landscape. The 2024 THWACKcamp will be conducted virtually on April 17-18 and will feature numerous speakers from prominent roles within the tech industry.