SolarWinds | IT Trends Report 2026

SolarWinds’ 2026 IT Trends Report: The Human Side of Autonomous IT explores how AI is reshaping the role of IT professionals. Based on insights from more than 1,000 IT leaders and practitioners, the report shows that IT teams are shifting from traditional operators to strategic orchestrators. While AI helps reduce manual effort and accelerate root cause analysis, it also introduces new responsibilities around governance, trust, and validation. The report highlights key challenges such as data privacy concerns, fragmented platforms, and the need to double-check AI outputs. It also reveals a gap between executive confidence and frontline readiness when it comes to AI adoption. Overall, the report emphasizes that autonomous IT is not just about smarter tools, but about empowering people with the right skills, structure, and trust. It offers valuable guidance for organizations preparing for the next era of AI-driven IT operations. Sources: SolarWinds says the report surveyed 1,000+ IT professionals, explores the shift from operators to orchestrators, and highlights blockers such as privacy/security anxiety, fragmentation, and governance gaps.