IT observability and management software maker SolarWinds today introduced a new AI platform that when embedded into the company’s other solutions will provide generative AI capabilities to speed problem resolution, minimize downtime, and empower IT staff to improve service delivery.
SolarWinds AI, developed using SolarWinds’ AI by Design framework, is embedded in SolarWinds AI in Service Desk, an IT service management (ITSM) solution. SolarWinds AI in Service Desk uses large language models and proprietary algorithms to help service agents by summarizing complex ticket histories, providing suggested agent responses to inquiries, and generating real-time recommended steps for resolving issues, according to the company.
“In creating SolarWinds AI, we leveraged our long history of engaging with the IT community to build an AI system that could act as a valued partner to IT pros in their everyday lives and reimagine the productivity, efficiency, and innovation they’re capable of,” said Krishna Sai, senior vice president of engineering at SolarWinds, in a company statement.
SolarWinds AI in Service Desk uses both traditional AI and generative AI to help agents more quickly resolve issues and close tickets. AI helps with the automatic routing and classification of incoming incidents, according to SolarWinds, which reduces the impact of ticket misclassification and human error in the process. For service portal users—for instance, end users—AI will suggest knowledge base articles and service catalog items during the creation of a new incident, steering end users in the right direction toward resolution. Virtual agents also use AI to mimic human interaction and understand the end user’s language, asking additional questions to gain context, responding to queries in real time, and handing off to a human agent when necessary.
SolarWinds’ Sai has previously discussed the concept of AI by Design in detail, through a blog post outlining the four core principles that guide its foundation. “AI by Design is created to make certain that our clients can harness the best AI offers while mitigating potential negatives. More importantly, it is not a rigid framework but an iterative and adaptable guideline set that’s attuned to evolving discoveries,” as Sai stated in the SolarWinds blog post.
As per SolarWinds, the principles applied within their AI framework are:
In the future, SolarWinds intends to integrate its AI across the gamut of its observability and IT management solutions. SolarWinds provides its customers with a choice between perpetual and subscription-based licenses for both on-site and SaaS-based solutions.
