We caught up with SolarWinds Product Marketing Managers Simon Abrahams and Lauren Okruch to hear their reflections on the conversations, questions, and challenges that came up on the ground.
IT Pros Are Eager to Evolve
Simon Abrahams had the chance to touch base with long-term SolarWinds customers at the London stop of the tour. “They've been faithful SolarWinds customers, and they've evolved what they're doing with SolarWinds as we've evolved what we offered to the market.” Lauren Okruch, who joined the Warsaw leg of the tour, echoed the sense of a shared journey: “The people that were there were very proud, very dedicated SolarWinds customers and partners,” she says. “It felt like we were evolving together. The sentiment wasn’t just, ‘what do you have to offer me?’ but, ‘what are we doing next together?’ Simon underscores the value of the in-person encounters that the tour facilitates: “You get people in a room where they won’t be interrupted by their email or support tickets, and they have time and space to think about how they’ll get the most value from what we're working on next.”
Simplification and Automation Remain Top Priorities
Automation was a hot topic. “Ideally, they all want to automate anything that can be automated,” says Simon. “But the reality is, they still have a ton of stuff that's not worth the time to automate. If the development required to automate is large, and the chore is low effort, they'll keep doing something manual as a non-fix. They'll live with the creaking door rather than replace the whole door and door frame.”
Not everything can be automated. But both in London and Warsaw, customers expressed a consistent theme: simplification is essential: “If they're going to live with human beings looking at screens, they want to minimize the number of screens.” The ideal of a ‘single pane of glass’ may be elusive, but the aspiration is clear: reduce complexity, streamline workflows, and eliminate noise. “People told me, ‘I just have more information now than I've ever had—with less resources,’” Lauren says. “They want to make sure the way they implement the tool reduces friction, not adds to it.”
When Teams Get Smaller, Roles Expand
Another recurring conversation focused on the changing shape of IT teams. With shrinking budgets, talent shortages, and increased expectations, professionals are asked to stretch beyond their specialties. “You inherit teams where people identify as storage specialists or firewall specialists,” says Simon. “But now you're asking everyone to pitch in across domains because the team has shrunk and you're not allowed to hire, or you’re asked to hire at a lower level.” The challenge isn't just about doing more with less—it's about helping teams adapt without burning out. “That’s where intuitive tools come in,” Simon notes. “Tools that let your experienced network person get involved with servers and applications. Or let your new hire, fresh out of school, ramp up without six months of training.” Lauren points out the invisible stress this puts on teams, even when headcount remains stable. “IT is now more central to operations than ever before,” she says. “Even if your team size doesn’t change, your workload does, because the whole business depends on digital services.”
Regulated Industries Require Tailored Approaches
The events in London and Warsaw drew a mix of industries, each bringing its own perspective and requirements. In London, there was strong representation from the public sector and finance. “Government and adjacent sectors like healthcare or education have specific needs around data sovereignty,” Simon explains. “This drives a lot of demand for self-hosted solutions, where users know exactly where the data is, and control how, when, and where it's backed up.” Lauren, by contrast, saw a different energy in Warsaw. “There was high-impact public sector representation, but also a lot of energy and autonomy from industries like energy, automotive, and science. That allowed for a more open attitude toward innovation and SaaS adoption.”
AI Needs to Be Practical, Not Aspirational
AI was, predictably, a talking point, but IT pros were more grounded than speculative. “Attendees were concentrating on the here and now; nobody was asking about quantum computing,” says Simon. “It was all: what can we use today or in the next year? They were practical. Focused. If something wasn’t actionable, they weren’t interested.” For many mid-sized organizations, AI isn’t something they can build internally. “AI skills are too hard to find and too expensive to hire,” Simon explains. “So, their route to AI is through vendors. They want us to build AI into the tools they already use and trust.” Lauren agrees: “They want automation, but they also want to understand how it helps with the problems they’re facing right now. A lot of the time, AI is interesting to them only in the context of a tool they’re already familiar with.” Agentic AI came up in Warsaw. “It’s good when they ask about the new stuff,” Lauren says, “because it tells us what they’re reading about, what they’re worried about, and what they think is coming next. That feedback helps shape what we build.”
Customers Let Their Guard Down
A defining feature of both events was the candid way attendees discussed their pain points. “The surprising thing for me,” says Simon, “was how willing our customers were to be open—and even vulnerable—about their issues in front of each other. There was a real spirit of idea sharing. They were talking openly about being fully air-gapped, and the realities that come with managing that kind of environment.” Lauren saw a similar openness in Warsaw. “Where people let their walls down was when we acknowledged the challenges they face day to day,” she says. “That’s when trust starts to grow. That’s when you start talking about solutions that matter.”
Want to join the conversation? Learn more about upcoming SolarWinds World Tour stops and register for an event near you.
