Name: Shift Happens: How to Make Your ITSM Incidentally Awesome
Start: 2025-12-03T16:00:00Z
End: 2025-12-03T16:00:31.000Z
Location: BrightTALK

Our Easy-to-Use Products Scale with You as You Grow to Meet the Ever-Changing Needs of IT. We Design Products To Empower Technology Professionals To Do Their Jobs More Effectively.

Join SolarWinds CISO Tim Brown and CTO Sai Krishna for the SolarWinds Day Closing Keynote, where they share how SolarWinds is evolving from Secure by Design to AI by Design—a bold next step in building trusted, intelligent, and future-ready IT operations. 

As organizations adopt AI-driven systems, embedding trust, transparency, and accountability into product development becomes essential. In this forward-looking discussion, Tim and Sai reveal how the AI by Design framework ensures responsible AI adoption while enhancing performance, reliability, and security. 

Discover how AI, automation, and observability converge to create smarter, more resilient operations. You’ll leave with a blueprint for applying these principles to build sustainable, ethical, and efficient IT systems.

SolarWinds Day Closing Keynote: AI by Design

Incidents happen — chaos doesn’t have to.  

In this THWACKcamp session from SolarWinds Day, discover how combining incident and observability data can turn reactive firefighting into proactive, intelligent operations. 

Join Amiya Adwitiya, SolarWinds Sr. Director of Product Management, and Holger Mundt, THWACK® MVP and Technical Architect at Loop1, as they demonstrate how to build smarter on-call rotations, cut down alert fatigue, and accelerate response times using Squadcast best practices. We’ll discuss how to correlate incidents and observability signals to create streamlined, data-driven workflows that keep your operations calm, efficient, and aligned with your service level objectives (SLOs). 

You’ll learn how to: 

• Correlate incidents and observability metrics to build smarter operational workflows 
• Automate escalation paths for faster, more effective incident response 
• Use observability data for proactive SLO management and downtime prevention

Incident vs Observability Data: KO Your SLO

Join SolarWinds Tech Evangelist Kevin Kline and CEO and Founder, Soaring Eagle Data Solutions Jeff Garbus, as they guide you through practical approaches for identifying bottlenecks, optimizing queries, and improving overall database efficiency. 

You’ll see how to apply tools like Database Performance Analyzer® (DPA) and SQL Sentry® to pinpoint problem areas, implement fixes quickly, and streamline troubleshooting. With real-world examples, we’ll illustrate how structured strategies can reduce downtime, accelerate performance, and make database management far less stressful. This THWACKcamp session from SolarWinds Day explores actionable methods to improve reliability, speed up queries, and enhance overall database efficiency. 

This session covers: 

• Identifying slow queries and problematic code paths 
• Using DPA and SQL Sentry for faster optimization 
• Practical strategies to improve database reliability and performance

SELECT Answers FROM DBA WHERE Users = 'Frustrated';

Observability doesn’t have to be a mystery.  
Join SolarWinds Tech Evangelist Chrystal Taylor and THWACK® MVP Jez Marsh, Owner of Silver Back Systems, as they crack the code on turning noisy data into actionable insights. 

Part of the THWACKcamp lineup from SolarWinds Day, in this session you’ll learn how to analyze raw logs and metrics to uncover trends, catch issues early, and make smarter, faster decisions. Discover practical techniques for linking cloud and on-premises data, reducing false alerts, and automating repetitive tasks with tools like Custom Properties. 

You’ll also get an inside look at new SolarWinds platform upgrades—including Dark Theme and enhanced scalability—built to speed up monitoring and simplify your day-to-day operations.

Observabili-Mystery Solved: From Clues to Answers in 3, 2, 1…

Get a front-row seat to the future of IT operations — powered by AI, automation, and full-stack observability.

During the SolarWinds Day Keynote, on October 8, we unveiled our latest innovations in AI and automation for predictive insights and end-to-end visibility. Discover how these advancements empower IT teams to optimize performance, streamline ITSM, and simplify database management—all without disrupting existing systems.

Hear directly from SolarWinds leadership as they share our three-year vision, the strategic thinking behind our roadmap, and a major announcement shaping the next era of IT.

In this session, you’ll:
• Discover how SolarWinds AI predicts and prevents issues before they impact performance
• Learn how to modernize operations without overhauling your stack
• Hear from industry leaders on tackling real-world IT challenges with intelligence and agility

SolarWinds Day Keynote: The Future of IT Has Arrived

What if you could work towards giving your service teams hours back each week—without hiring more agents? In the final chapter of our Effortless ITSM series, we shift from strategy to execution, showing how you can translate ITSM best practices into real, measurable results inside SolarWinds Service Desk. 


This session goes beyond theory to give you concrete, in-product strategies that dramatically reduce time spent per ticket—without sacrificing quality or control. We'll walk through high-impact workflows, AI-powered automations, and smart configurations that cut down resolution time, eliminate repetitive tasks, and keep agents focused on what matters most. 


Join us to learn how to: 

Automate smarter – Use intelligent workflows and rules to triage and route tickets instantly. 

Eliminate redundant effort – Tap into AI, dynamic forms, and self-service to reduce back-and-forth. 

Surface what matters – Leverage asset and knowledge integration to accelerate decision-making and resolution. 

Design once, reuse often – Build modular automation and templates that scale across teams and request types. 

Track the impact – Use reporting to prove and improve your time savings and performance over time. 


Whether you're a current SolarWinds customer or just exploring new tools, this session will help you unlock the full potential of your ITSM platform—so your teams can save time, reduce stress, and deliver exceptional service with ease.

Effortless ITSM: Save HOURS Per Ticket with SolarWinds Service Desk

Modern observability teams are overwhelmed—too many alerts, not enough clarity, and growing pressure to respond faster than ever. Unified visibility is only the beginning. Once your metrics, logs, and traces are connected you face a new challenge, noise. A single database failure can trigger alerts across servers, networks, apps, and support channels, overwhelming teams and hiding the real issue. 

In this master class, you'll learn how to turn an alert storm into clear, actionable insights. You’ll learn how service mapping and systems thinking can help you understand how your systems connect, which alerts matter, and how to respond with confidence. We’ll also explore how Squadcast can support intelligent incident response so the right teams can focus on the right issues at the right time. 

You’ll walk away with:

• Practical ways to reduce alert noise by understanding service dependencies
• How to build a smarter escalation and triage plan
• Why true intelligent response requires more than just monitoring
 
If alert fatigue is slowing your team down, this master class is your roadmap to cutting through the chaos and taking back control.

Session 2: Go from "Uh-oh" to "All-Fixed" in the Age of Alert Fatigue

In the race to meet service level agreements (SLAs), every second counts. But meeting—or surpassing—your SLAs isn’t just about speed; it’s about efficiency, precision, and the right technology. In this webinar, SolarWinds will dive deeper into how you can leverage AI, automation, and modern UX to crush your SLAs and ensure exceptional service delivery every time.

In this session, we’ll cover:

• Why SLAs Matter: Understand the critical role SLAs play in maintaining high-quality IT service and the direct impact they have on your organization’s reputation and success.

• How SLAs Affect Resolution Times: Learn how SLAs influence response and resolution speeds and how optimizing them can drastically improve service efficiency and business outcomes.

• Solutions, Strategies, and Tools for Enhancing SLAs: Discover how automation, AI, knowledge management, asset management, and self-service portals can elevate your ability to meet SLAs faster and with greater accuracy.

• The Right Technology Is Key: Learn how SolarWinds’ solutions can empower your IT teams to meet SLAs effortlessly, combining the power of intelligent automation and a user-friendly experience.

This session is essential for IT leaders looking to level up their service delivery and create an efficient, responsive ITSM operation that consistently exceeds expectations.

Effortless ITSM: Crush your SLAs with AI, Automation, and UX

A problem is a problem even if you can’t see it

Does your IT team lose hours every week chasing down problems they can’t see? Are blind spots in your network, infrastructure, or cloud delaying your response times?

Introducing The Observability Masterclass—a new expert-led series designed to help IT professionals make sense of observability in today’s complex, hybrid environments.

In session one, you’ll learn: 
• What “visibility” means across network, infrastructure, and cloud environments
• Where visibility commonly breaks down—and why
• Real-world consequences of blind spots (e.g. performance hits, longer MTTR, silos) 

You’ll also see a practical demo and hear from our panel in a dynamic discussion aimed at helping you take control of your hybrid IT stack.

Hosted by SolarWinds Product Evangelist Chrystal Taylor, this series brings together SolarWinds experts and guest speakers to unpack core observability concepts, share real-world experiences, and show you how to turn insights into action across your hybrid IT environment.

The Fundamentals of Unified Visibility: Why It Matters Across Your Hybrid Stack

In this 45-minute session, Technical Evangelist, Database at SolarWinds, Kevin Kline, teaches critical techniques to transform database efficiency. Learn how to write SQL SELECT statements for maximum efficiency.

Optimizing Database Performance - Episode 2: SQL Best Practices

The Era of Operational Resilience is Here. Are You Ready?

Despite digital transformation, cost optimization, and tool consolidation, some organizations' IT systems still fall apart when something goes wrong. Why? Because hybrid IT ecosystems are evolving at an unprecedented pace. IT teams need a new approach to observability and service management.

Join us for our SolarWinds Day: The Era of Operational Resilience virtual event and be among the first to hear our exciting announcement—where we finally bring IT all together. By connecting people, processes, and technology, we enable learning and adaptation to build a more agile, future-ready IT ecosystem. 

You will... 
- Discover the latest innovations in our artificial intelligence-powered observability, database, and service management portfolios. 
- Get a first look at Squadcast, the newest addition to SolarWinds, designed to enhance operational resilience and transform incident response.  
- Engage in a round table discussion featuring Torsten Volk, principal analyst from Enterprise Strategy Group, that will explore the evolving IT landscape and the future of hybrid IT. 

Overcome complexity and take control of hybrid IT environments with a more innovative

SolarWinds Day: The Era of Operational Resilience

In this 45-minute session, Technical Evangelist, Database at SolarWinds, Kevin Kline, teaches critical techniques to transform database efficiency. Learn how strategic design drives database performance, scalability, and resilience.

What We'll Cover:
- Key Design Principles: The foundational elements for creating efficient tables and indexes.
- Transaction Workflows: Understanding how relational databases utilize memory, CPU, and I/O to handle workloads.
- Performance Pitfalls: Strategies to prevent locking, blocking, and deadlocking by making smarter design choices.

At the end of the session, Kevin will be available to answer your database design questions!

Prerequisites: Basic SQL skills

Presenter Bio: Kevin Kline is a database expert with 35 years of experience. Kevin is an 18-time Microsoft Data Platform MVP, dedicated to empowering database professionals through technology leadership and innovative solutions.
See less

Optimizing Database Performance - Episode 1: The Solid Foundations of Database Design

SolarWinds' own tech evangelist, Kevin Kline discusses how database performance is often difficult to ensure, but it's even harder when the database server is misconfigured. Unfortunately, most SQL Servers are misconfigured right out of the box. In this discussion you learn about which problematic default settings should always be set manually.

The Data Table - Misconfigured Database Servers

SolarWinds' own tech evangelist, Kevin Kline discusses how Database Administrators (DBA) are responsible for keeping database systems available, recoverable, and performing well. Database Engineers (DBE) are responsible for moving data between systems, transforming data for ingestion into other systems, and orchestrating the resulting complexities. In this session, we will explain the overlap and the differences between the two careers.

The Data Table - From DBA to DBE

SolarWinds' own tech evangelist, Kevin Kline discusses how automation is the most important skill for database professionals to scale up their work. And the most popular tool for automation of DBA work is PowerShell. In this webcast you will learn the basics of PowerShell with SQL Server & Azure SQL.

The Data Table - PowerShell Unveiling the Basics

SolarWinds' own tech evangelist, Kevin Kline, discusses a variety of techniques to save big money on your licensing costs for SQL Server on-premises and in the cloud, and much more!

The Data Table - Leap into Savings: Unleashing Database Cost Optimization

SolarWinds' own tech evangelist, Kevin Kline, discusses how any IT pro who has worked on-call shifts will tell you it is one of the least favorite parts of the job. Kevin discusses what steps we can take to reduce late-night interruptions and improve work-life balance, with a variety of solutions and partial solutions, such as smarter alerting, change control management, and anomaly detection.

The Data Table - Pull the Plug on Pager Duty Regain Your Nights and Weekends

We have entered the age of artificial intelligence.  

AI and machine learning promises to transform numerous domains in the coming years. And while there are plenty of reasons to be excited, no shift this significant comes without potential pitfalls.  

Understanding these challenges begins with an open dialogue. This SolarWinds Day, we’re scouting ahead to map the future of AI in IT. In fireside chats with industry leaders, we’ll explore strategies for optimizing how your enterprise uses AI and identify the risks of this new technology—before they impact your organization.  

We’ll tackle questions like… 

• What are the critical factors to consider when selecting AI technologies for IT implementation? Are you confident that AIOps is supporting your organization's needs? 
• What cybersecurity risks are associated with AI, including vulnerabilities to hacking, data breaches, or adversarial attacks? 
• How can organizations navigate regulatory considerations when implementing AI technologies? 
• What ethical dilemmas might arise from using AI in IT, such as algorithmic bias, privacy concerns, or job displacement, and how can organizations address these challenges proactively? 
• What key skills will IT professionals need to develop as AI becomes more prevalent in the industry? 

We hope you can join us for this timely conversation, aimed at equipping you with the tools and resources you need to navigate the intricacies of the AI revolution.

SolarWinds Day AI: Friend or Foe?

2023 saw hiring slowdowns and budget cuts with higher demands on IT teams, leading to teams feeling understaffed, underequipped, overcapacity, overwhelmed, and falling behind. 

Sound familiar?

If this past year was a struggle, we want to show you that 2024 doesn’t have to be. SolarWinds customers found repeated success and we want to show you how. We’ll talk about what got these companies through and how they’re preparing for the year ahead, as well as how SolarWinds Service Desk aided in their adjustments.

Join us in this webcast, to hear from one of our Solutions Architects and expert in this field, David Russel, as we dive into how SolarWinds customers still find success despite strong headwinds. David will be joined by RJ Gazarek, Principal Product Marketing Manager for ITSM.

We’ll talk about:

* What success looked like for customers in 2023
* How they’re set up even better in 2024
* The power of Automations, Workflows, and Runbooks

Too Many IT Requests? Automate Your Way to Success

SolarWinds®️ Service Desk is a critical strategic solution within the SolarWinds portfolio. Its continued phenomenal growth in 2023 is a testament to our customers, the primary drivers for improving and adding new capabilities to support today’s service management requirements. Our partnership has helped us keep our commitment to continually enhancing Service Desk and ensuring it continues to be the modern, intelligent, and easy-to-use cloud-based IT service management (ITSM) solution you expect.

Join our product team for a live Q4 2023 product update as we take you through the enhancements we’ve made to the product since our last update and give insights into our continued investment plans for 2023 and 2024.

During this session, we’ll discuss the following:

Features released since our last update
Features about to be released
2023 & 2024 key investments
Q&A

SolarWinds Service Desk Quarterly Product Update

Your IT service management (ITSM) teams leverage a set of practices, policies, and processes to design, deliver, manage, and improve the IT services they provide to other employees. 

Now it’s time to take what you do well and go beyond IT.

In this hands-on webcast, we’ll cover the benefits of bringing multiple departments to an ITSM platform with Enterprise Service Management (ESM) capabilities and provide real-world examples of how ESM gives your departments the power of: 
• Accelerated service delivery: Streamlined service delivery times, leading to quicker resolutions and improved user satisfaction. 
• Data privacy: Protection of sensitive information, handled with the same level of security and compliance throughout the organization. 
• Structured service delivery: A way to provide consistent processes across all departments, reducing operational chaos and ensuring standardized service delivery. 
• Service accessibility: Enable employees to request services from multiple domains through a single, user-friendly interface accessible by a centralized company-wide service portal. 
• Visibility of service quality: Provide real-time insights into service quality and enable proactive improvements.

Build Efficient Service Processes Across the Enterprise

Now more than ever, it is important for professionals across various roles, levels, and functions to easily access and use operational tools designed to add value and accelerate the business. To achieve this, tools must be simple to use and integrate.  

Join us for our next SolarWinds Day virtual event, where we will share how we are making it easier than ever to access and use IT operational tools. We will introduce our latest innovations that expand the availability of our Service Desk and Database Management solutions beyond IT.   

During the event, you will:    
• Learn how we are expanding the availability of SolarWinds Service Desk to additional functions across the enterprise, standardizing processes and enhancing the delivery and management of their services.     
• Discover how we are making it easier than ever for database professionals to quickly detect, remediate, and prevent issues with the latest SQL Sentry® release. 
• See live demos and get your questions answered by subject matter experts.

SolarWinds Day: ITSM & Database Monitoring For All

This webcast is part of our ongoing series “When ITIL & IT Teams Meet,” where we share our real-world experience of successful ITSM programs grounded in the reality of what really happens out there.  

While we wish every ITSM implementation was smooth sailing, our years of experience have taught us this isn’t always the case. So what do we do about that then?  

In any organization there will always be a fine line and realistic balance between moving a gigantic ship towards a better future and orienting yourself for personal success. Knowing how to navigate those waters means the difference between someone who finds success even in catastrophic failure and someone who’s dragged under.  
 
In this webcast, we’ll talk about that fine line, how to make progress that truly matters while setting yourself up for a successful career no matter the situation. 

Join us in this webcast, to hear from one of our Solutions Architects and expert in this field, Sean Sebring, ITIL 4 MP, as we dive into what really happens when ITIL and IT teams meet. Sean will be joined by RJ Gazarek, Principal Product Marketing Manager and expert on systems thinking. We’ll talk about: 

- How to make progress that matters 

- What to do when things go wrong 

- Taking those hard lessons with you 

- Accelerating your career as an IT Professional

When IT & ITIL Meet: Setting Yourself Up for Personal Success

Many IT teams are doing a great job with their incident management but tend to ignore problem management. Problem management can help identify and track underlying issues at the root of reported incidents. By identifying and documenting these problems, IT teams can minimize their impact and prevent incidents from occurring. And if incidents do occur, they can prevent them from occurring again.

In this webcast, hear from Director of Product Marketing Seyi Verma and Senior Onboarding Specialist Romalyn Escosura to learn how to effectively use the problem management module to minimize problem impact and prevent incidents. They’ll talk about how problem management can support incident and change management and discuss many of the benefits of problem management, such as tracking known issues, responding to multiple tickets, and its ability to drive change management.

Elevate Your Service Desk Operations With Problem Management

IT service management has evolved from just being an IT ticketing system to a solution encompassing the automation and delivery of services for departments outside of IT. Even though the service catalog is built into IT service management solutions, it’s a regularly underutilized feature. The use cases of the service catalog for IT are mind-blowing, and the perks associated with it can change processes for the better and drive success across an organization. 

In this webcast, you’ll hear from Director of Product Marketing Seyi Verma and Sales Engineer David Russell to learn how a service catalog does the following:

• Enriches service experience for employees
• Promotes collaboration between departments—HR, facilities, legal, finance, etc.
• Helps improve employee efficiency
• Is implemented in SolarWinds® Service Desk

Enriching Employee Experience via IT Service Management Service Catalog

As you evaluate service desk providers in the marketplace, you likely have a handle on the features and functionality offered by various IT service management (ITSM) solutions. But are you aware of some additional and equally important factors to consider as you search for a cloud-based service desk solution? Not including these considerations when evaluating solutions can cause undue stress and problems for IT professionals.

Join this webcast and hear from Director of Product Marketing Seyi Verma to understand these additional factors to consider when moving your ITSM solution to the cloud for higher flexibility and cost savings.

Five Unexpected Considerations for Selecting a Cloud-Based ITSM Solution

Making change decisions in the ever-changing landscape of your organization is complicated without the right data. Knowing where your assets are located, how your processes and infrastructure are interconnected, and who uses what helps make those decisions easier. 

Join this webcast to see how having a robust configuration management database (CMDB) makes it easier to make changes and big decisions within your organization. You’ll also learn how automation and discovery can make managing your CMDB easy.

In this webcast, you’ll hear from Joey Brown, senior product manager, on why it’s important to keep your CMDB up-to-date and what to look for in a CMDB solution.

Elevate Your ITSM Operations With a Robust Configuration Management Database

ITSM Webcast Series

A modern service desk goes far beyond basic ticketing, serving as the central engine for IT operations. This THWACKcamp session from SolarWinds Day reveals how to streamline and standardize ITSM workflows, transforming the service desk into a strategic asset that eliminates administrative headaches. SolarWinds Sr. PMM Lauren Okruch and THWACK MVP Jeremy Mayfield, Director of IT at National Sugar Marketing, explore how modern service desks go beyond ticketing to become the hub of IT operations.  

Session topics include: 

• Centralizing and standardizing ITSM workflows for improved efficiency 
• Efficiently routing alerts, invoices, and vendor communications through the service desk 
• Building user-friendly, auditable service catalogs to support compliance and transparency 

Go beyond just managing tickets—turn your service desk into the operational heart of your IT business.

Shift Happens: How to Make Your ITSM Incidentally Awesome

THWACKcamp

ITSM workflows

service desk

National Sugar Marketing

auditable service catalogs

IT business

managing tickets

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IT Service Management

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Shift Happens: How to Make Your ITSM Incidentally Awesome

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SolarWinds