Msp Techpod

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m too busy putting out fires”? What if the only way to get ahead of those fires was to make way for change—to improve the foundations and infrastructure to reduce the fires you had to put out? This episode will discuss the fantastical balancing act of maintaining operational excellence while creating space for growth and improvement.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved

When you started as a systems administrator, you might have connected servers, swapped out hard drives, run down spare components, and dragged around a crash cart. Those days might not be completely over, but the chances you physically interact with your systems grow smaller and smaller each day. In an era of virtualization, cloud-first, and software as a service, where does this leave the lowly systems administrator? These questions and more are discussed and debated by Technical Content Manager for the SolarWinds® Community Kevin M. Sparenberg and SolarWinds Manager of Information Technology Noel Barbee on this episode. How you do your job may have changed, but the role in your organization is as important as ever.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

When we think of alerts, we don’t necessarily think of them as things of beauty—until now. Join THWACK® Community Manager Ben Keen and Technical Content Manager Kevin M. Sparenberg in an energetic discussion on taking your data to the next level. Ben and Kevin discuss the importance of making your data appealing to improve the user experience, help make sense of your data, and benefit your end users with a cleaner and prettier experience. © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

The SolarWinds community, THWACK.com, has a new community manager. Ben Keen has been an active voice in the community for years as a THWACK MVP and has now decided to join SolarWinds’ efforts to continue to have the greatest community out there. Ben will be joining as a regular voice here on TechPod as well bringing his many years of IT experience and passion for community to our conversations. In this episode, we’ll dive into his experience and hopes for the future of THWACK.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

SolarWinds own Senior Director of IT, Brad Cline, and Director of IT, Dr. Humberto Amador, join Head Geek Chrystal Taylor to discuss expanding the business’ view of IT as a cost center. Communication, collaboration, and documentation are all key skills used to be more effective and efficient in aligning with business leaders. Colored with stories and tactics from within the SolarWinds IT organization, our guests discuss these factors and share advice on improving relations between the business as a whole and the IT department.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, Head Geek Chrystal Taylor is joined by Hannah Kohr and Katie Schraeder to discuss the benefits of communication and advocating for yourself to help tackle challenging conversations and grow your career. With differing backgrounds and experiences in tech, Chrystal, Hannah, and Katie aim to bring new perspectives and guidance for navigating the industry as a woman in tech.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Join SolarWinds Technical Content Manager for Community, Kevin M. Sparenberg, and Head Geek, Chrystal Taylor, as they reminisce on the 10-year history of SolarWinds virtual event, THWACKcamp. Whether you’re curious about the type of content you can expect at this year’s event or simply want to join them on memory lane, this TechPod will answer the question: Why THWACKcamp?  Join the SolarWinds community, THWACK, in celebrating 10 years of THWACKcamp – the always free and completely virtual event for IT pros hoping to learn something new.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

While IT handles layered problems and often speaks in acronyms among other technical terms, we’re also challenged to collaborate with other departments who seemingly speak in a different language. How can we bridge the gap and work towards the same organizational goals, unifying our strategies and operations? Join us as we sit down with Dr. Humberto Amador, to discuss his IT journey and experiences, particularly his focus and affinity for uniting teams through strategic IT-business alignment.  © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Join our Head Geeks in Part 2 of our 2022 Tech Predictions TechPod series where they share their thoughts on the rise of Chief Data Officers and data governance principles, risk aversion, and the need for tech pros to fine-tune nontechnical skill sets for career advancement.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

It's a new year, ripe with new trends and technology. Join our Head Geeks as they dive into their 2022 Tech Predictions, beginning with observability – a term becoming prevalent among tech pros. Listen in as they share how cloud investments; the rise of AI/ML services; and the re-evaluation of tools, technology, and processes are driving the observability conversation.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

As part of our ongoing mini-series on Monitoring for Managers, Head Geek and database aficionado Kevin Kline teams up with fellow Head Geek Leon Adato to break down the essential things about databases and database monitoring a manager might need to know.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

IT pros juggle a lofty list of responsibilities. They’re tasked with navigating new technology, maintaining continuity for hybrid work environments, devising creative solutions, all while ensuring those they support are successful. In our day-to-day interactions, we often see IT pros’ hard, technology skills at play but rarely do we see or know the paths that brought them to where they are now.   SolarWinds Head Geeks Chrystal Taylor, Kevin Kline, and Liz Beavers shine a light on the people behind the technology. No matter where you start or how far you’ve come, there’s always an opportunity to grow. Our 2021 IT Pro Day Award winners will join Head Geeks to dive into how they found their footing in IT, monumental experiences, and lessons they’ve learned along the way.  Timestamps: 0:56 - 2021 IT Rookie of the Year: Praharshita Gaur 26:28 - 2021 IT Trailblazer of the Year: Diana Awde 51:56 - 2021 IT Mentor of the Ye

When you hear the term service desk, what generally comes to mind? Perhaps it’s to get a password reset, maybe ordering a new laptop, your run-of-the-mill asks for IT. Have you ever considered how the service desk could become a more central resource to the business, providing more than services for IT alone? SolarWinds® Head Geek™ Liz Beavers sits down with a panel of internal service providers from SolarWinds as they discuss their journey implementing an ITSM platform and successfully growing its footprint beyond IT.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

A good DBA is hard to find. This is because a good DBA wears many hats, often equating to 3 – 4 full time jobs. How can this be achieved or sustained? The secret is automation, and automation is also the reason the DBA is disappearing. In this final episode of our three-part series exploring the disappearing DBA, Head Geeks Thomas LaRock and Kevin Kline along with GitHub Star and Dual Microsoft MVP Chrissy LeMaire offer advice to data professionals looking to advance their careers by embracing automation.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Being in IT as part of the armed services is a different type of work experience than the private sector, with military values, culture, and restrictions blending to create a unique type of IT experience. In this Veteran’s Day episode of SolarWinds® TechPod™, Head Geek™ Leon Adato is joined by Marlys (Marcie) May, VP of Service Delivery at Atlantic Digital; and Greg Fetterhoff, VP and general manager at Monalytic. They explore what it means to work in tech in the various branches of the military, and what advantages and challenges it presents for folks who want to continue their IT career once they transition into civilian IT life.   This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

In this episode of TechPod, George Westerman and Head Geek™ Thomas LaRock discuss digital transformation, how to build the culture necessary for change, and where workplace learning has fallen short. George Westerman is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a principal research scientist, J-WEL Workforce Learning. George works at the dynamic intersection of executive leadership and technology strategy.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

William Hurley (or “whurley” as he prefers to be called) is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and open-source advocate, whose work at Apple, IBM, and in the area of quantum computing is world-renowned. Picking up where we left off in part 1, SolarWinds Head Geek Leon Adato and whurley explore a range of topics – everything from the state of the tech industry in Austin; to career advice for those just starting out (as well as those who’ve been around the NOC a few times); to the things whurley wishes people would ask him. Give it a listen or read the transcript.   This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

William Hurley (or “whurley” as he prefers to be called) is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and open-source advocate, who’s achieved what many geeks only dream of, including critically recognized work at Apple, IBM, and CERN. He’s started and sold businesses; invented, invested, published, advised, and mentored. Currently, he’s best known his thoughts on—and experience with— quantum computing. SolarWinds Head Geek Leon Adato asks about the insights whurley’s gleaned from his work in quantum computing as it applies to everyday IT. But the conversation didn’t stop there. Listen in (or read the transcript) to find out more.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

The DBA role is complex. Pitfalls exist everywhere you turn, and it can be difficult to survive and thrive. On this episode of TechPod, we'll help accidental DBAs become a DBA survivors with career advice from SolarWinds Head Geeks Thomas LaRock and Kevin Kline as well as Denny Cherry, CEO and founder, Denny Cherry & Associates. This podcast is provided for informational purposes only. © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Lesley Carhart is recognized as one of the leading voices in digital forensics and cybersecurity. But her career began – and is still firmly rooted – with her service in the Guard and Reserves. She devotes a significant amount of time to helping others make the transition into tech, both within the armed services and as part of their transition to civilian life. Leslie sits down with Head Geek™ Leon Adato to discuss her professional and volunteer work and share some of her hard-won advice.  This podcast is provided for informational purposes only.  © 2021 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.