What is IT automation and why you need it yesterday

Man working on a laptop in an outdoor café using IT automation to make IT easier

 

#GoToGetsIT: This article is part of an ongoing series from GoTo’s thought leaders on the frontlines: Our Solutions Consultants deeply understand our customers’ unique challenges and connect the right solutions to meet their goals using GoTo technology. Here, they share their industry knowledge on what it takes to help businesses everywhere thrive in a remote or hybrid world.

No one has to tell you, businesses today rely heavily on technology to remain efficient and competitive. Yet with that digital shift come a number of pain points — and among the most painful, IT staff burnout. We’re seeing IT professionals overburdened by the lack of support or constant pressure to firefight issues. Without IT staff, other business areas simply wouldn’t be able to function. The result? Turnover in IT is high, leaving your small or midsize business (SMB) with less resources charged with doing more.

Consider this: A study of more than 36,200 tech workers found that “72% of IT workers who are facing high levels of burnout are considering quitting their company in the next six months, while 62% of IT professionals report being ‘physically and emotionally drained.’" Some call this a burnout crisis, others call on automation to ease the pain.

What is IT automation?

First, let’s define what IT automation is. Automation replaces repeatable or manual processes—including server backups, software updates and network monitoring.

IT automation is fast becoming a viable solution among SMBs. In fact, in a recent survey of IT leaders, 68% of IT teams are currently using IT automation software.IT automation is good for the bottom line is several ways:

Run tasks once and for all.

IT automation lets you make changes across your entire IT team and infrastructure at one time. For example, a product like GoTo Resolve lets you batch automate on a single device, on a group of devices or all of your devices, online or off, now or schedule it for later. So instead of updating patches on a one-on-one basis, you patch in one shot. What’s more, no scripting knowledge is necessary with a library of pre-written scripts and AI script writing assistance. That’s a real time-saver.

Eliminate manual tasks.

You can automate manual tasks and workflows across thousands of computers simultaneously. Plus, automating repetitive processes helps eliminate errors caused by manual processes and human error—which can be a real cost-saver.

Enhance security.

IT automation can also go a long way in enhancing security by automating vulnerability scanning, patch management and user access control. The risk of cyberattacks and data breaks can be significantly reduced by keeping these systems up to date and secure. GoTo Resolve, for instance, is built with a security-first mindset and zero trust architecture that locks out malicious actors.

Not all IT automation is created equal

IT automation is clearly the way of the future. However, which automation? GoTo Resolve's remote execution allows you to run, manage and monitor automated PowerShell commands on multiple computers without user interaction. It’s all about automating your way to more proactive IT support.

More specifically, GoTo Resolve lets you automate incident management, problem management, change management and service requests. As mentioned earlier, you can batch automate simultaneously. You can drag and drop pre-built scripts for common tasks, or build your own scripts on your own or use the GoTo Resolve AI-assisted scripts. And you can view insights and analytics on your IT processes, so you can identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

By automating IT functions, you save time and money, and free up IT staff for more strategic business goals. Equally important, you improve employee satisfaction, which is especially good for business and your bottom line.

Start using IT Automation with GoTo Resolve.

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