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Q&A: AppDynamics Talks About APM - Part 2

Pete Goldin
Editor and Publisher
APMdigest

In Part 2 of APMdigest's exclusive interview, AppDynamics talks about Application Performance Management (APM) for cloud and mobile. Bhaskar Sunkara is AppDynamics CTO and SVP of Product Management. Jonah Kowall is VP of Market Development and Insights at AppDynamics.

Start with Part 1 of the Interview

APM: The 2015 APM Tools Survey also mentioned cloud-readiness as a perceived must-have. In terms of APM, do you agree that cloud-readiness is a top priority? If so, what does it take to be truly cloud-ready in terms of managing app performance?

Sunkara: Cloud is a key strategy for most IT organizations. As you start migrating apps to cloud or building on the cloud, APM has to cover visibility. Migration to the cloud is happening across most organizations, so APM is essential for cloud-readiness.

Kowall: As organizations increasingly virtualize and create more abstraction in their applications and infrastructure, monitoring has to be more lightweight and more fluid. Software has to be more adaptable to the environment and architecture changes, such as when cloud is adopted or new technologies are augmented into a software application. This is something we focus on with our product — supporting new technologies, and being critical to every organization’s cloud strategy.

APM: Is flexible deployment important for public cloud?

Sunkara: Sometimes customers have different types of applications — some businesses are more sensitive and don’t want to send data to the cloud and want the option of on-premises deployment. However, these same businesses could also have some applications that they’re okay having completely in the cloud. Customers need to have flexibility in terms of deployment, so they can make the decision themselves based on their strategy and direction.

Kowall: The amount of regulations businesses are expected to abide by is different around the world and vary by country. Surveillance of information, as well as exposure of surveillance by whistleblowers and others, has created reluctance among businesses to share data outside of their borders. With these points, it is critical to offer flexible deployments to meet different needs as our world evolves faster than it ever has.

APM: Does APM need to change to meet the coming shift to mobile apps?

Kowall: Mobile is just one of the trends that impacts the way information is consumed. Other disruptive technologies, such as wearables and internet of things (IoT), are all contributing to the way we consume information and interact with software. APM will need to evolve with these new methods of consumption in order to enable companies to continue to see inside software and understand user interactions. Mobile is just the first of many technologies that will force APM to evolve.

APM: What are the most important points about application performance and/or APM that every CEO should know?

Kowall: Your users and your software are your business. As a CEO,  you need to not only ensure your company’s software is functioning, but also have the ability to abstract insight from that software.

Read Q&A: AppDynamics Talks About APM - Part 3

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Q&A: AppDynamics Talks About APM - Part 2

Pete Goldin
Editor and Publisher
APMdigest

In Part 2 of APMdigest's exclusive interview, AppDynamics talks about Application Performance Management (APM) for cloud and mobile. Bhaskar Sunkara is AppDynamics CTO and SVP of Product Management. Jonah Kowall is VP of Market Development and Insights at AppDynamics.

Start with Part 1 of the Interview

APM: The 2015 APM Tools Survey also mentioned cloud-readiness as a perceived must-have. In terms of APM, do you agree that cloud-readiness is a top priority? If so, what does it take to be truly cloud-ready in terms of managing app performance?

Sunkara: Cloud is a key strategy for most IT organizations. As you start migrating apps to cloud or building on the cloud, APM has to cover visibility. Migration to the cloud is happening across most organizations, so APM is essential for cloud-readiness.

Kowall: As organizations increasingly virtualize and create more abstraction in their applications and infrastructure, monitoring has to be more lightweight and more fluid. Software has to be more adaptable to the environment and architecture changes, such as when cloud is adopted or new technologies are augmented into a software application. This is something we focus on with our product — supporting new technologies, and being critical to every organization’s cloud strategy.

APM: Is flexible deployment important for public cloud?

Sunkara: Sometimes customers have different types of applications — some businesses are more sensitive and don’t want to send data to the cloud and want the option of on-premises deployment. However, these same businesses could also have some applications that they’re okay having completely in the cloud. Customers need to have flexibility in terms of deployment, so they can make the decision themselves based on their strategy and direction.

Kowall: The amount of regulations businesses are expected to abide by is different around the world and vary by country. Surveillance of information, as well as exposure of surveillance by whistleblowers and others, has created reluctance among businesses to share data outside of their borders. With these points, it is critical to offer flexible deployments to meet different needs as our world evolves faster than it ever has.

APM: Does APM need to change to meet the coming shift to mobile apps?

Kowall: Mobile is just one of the trends that impacts the way information is consumed. Other disruptive technologies, such as wearables and internet of things (IoT), are all contributing to the way we consume information and interact with software. APM will need to evolve with these new methods of consumption in order to enable companies to continue to see inside software and understand user interactions. Mobile is just the first of many technologies that will force APM to evolve.

APM: What are the most important points about application performance and/or APM that every CEO should know?

Kowall: Your users and your software are your business. As a CEO,  you need to not only ensure your company’s software is functioning, but also have the ability to abstract insight from that software.

Read Q&A: AppDynamics Talks About APM - Part 3

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Businesses that face downtime or outages risk financial and reputational damage, as well as reducing partner, shareholder, and customer trust. One of the major challenges that enterprises face is implementing a robust business continuity plan. What's the solution? The answer may lie in disaster recovery tactics such as truly immutable storage and regular disaster recovery testing ...

IT spending is expected to jump nearly 10% in 2025, and organizations are now facing pressure to manage costs without slowing down critical functions like observability. To meet the challenge, leaders are turning to smarter, more cost effective business strategies. Enter stage right: OpenTelemetry, the missing piece of the puzzle that is no longer just an option but rather a strategic advantage ...

Amidst the threat of cyberhacks and data breaches, companies install several security measures to keep their business safely afloat. These measures aim to protect businesses, employees, and crucial data. Yet, employees perceive them as burdensome. Frustrated with complex logins, slow access, and constant security checks, workers decide to completely bypass all security set-ups ...

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Cloudbrink's Personal SASE services provide last-mile acceleration and reduction in latency

In MEAN TIME TO INSIGHT Episode 13, Shamus McGillicuddy, VP of Research, Network Infrastructure and Operations, at EMA discusses hybrid multi-cloud networking strategy ... 

In high-traffic environments, the sheer volume and unpredictable nature of network incidents can quickly overwhelm even the most skilled teams, hindering their ability to react swiftly and effectively, potentially impacting service availability and overall business performance. This is where closed-loop remediation comes into the picture: an IT management concept designed to address the escalating complexity of modern networks ...

In 2025, enterprise workflows are undergoing a seismic shift. Propelled by breakthroughs in generative AI (GenAI), large language models (LLMs), and natural language processing (NLP), a new paradigm is emerging — agentic AI. This technology is not just automating tasks; it's reimagining how organizations make decisions, engage customers, and operate at scale ...

In the early days of the cloud revolution, business leaders perceived cloud services as a means of sidelining IT organizations. IT was too slow, too expensive, or incapable of supporting new technologies. With a team of developers, line of business managers could deploy new applications and services in the cloud. IT has been fighting to retake control ever since. Today, IT is back in the driver's seat, according to new research by Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) ...

In today's fast-paced and increasingly complex network environments, Network Operations Centers (NOCs) are the backbone of ensuring continuous uptime, smooth service delivery, and rapid issue resolution. However, the challenges faced by NOC teams are only growing. In a recent study, 78% state network complexity has grown significantly over the last few years while 84% regularly learn about network issues from users. It is imperative we adopt a new approach to managing today's network experiences ...

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