SolarWinds TechPod

Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring react to the sudden departure of Xbox CEO Phil Spencer and discuss where they are on the spectrum of excitement for the possibilities of AI in gaming to fear of the unknown.

In this SolarWinds TechPod episode, hosts Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring talk with Cheryl Nomanson, a SolarWinds Academy trainer with 14 years at the company. They discuss the importance of technical education for complex software and networks, exploring SolarWinds' comprehensive training offerings including the SolarWinds Academy with its on-demand courses, instructor-led virtual classes, and office hours format. Cheryl explains the SolarWinds Certified Professional (SCP) certification program and the newer SolarWinds Certified Instructor (SCI) program for training partners globally. The conversation covers different learning formats, comparing virtual versus in-person instruction challenges and benefits, the importance of customer feedback in developing training content, and best practices for internal employee education. They emphasize how proper training helps customers realize the full value of SolarWinds products by providing not just functional knowledge but strategic understanding of why features work the way they do.

IT leadership isn’t about tools — it’s about people. In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, hosts Chrystal Taylor and Sean Sebring sit down with Jon Collins, Field CTO & VP of Engagement at GigaOm, to explore the human side of technology leadership.
From gurus to cowboys to misfits and mavericks, this conversation dives deep into why processes fail when people are ignored — and how leaders can build resilient, high-performing teams in an ever-changing IT landscape.

SolarWinds TechPod returns with its annual IT trends and predictions episode — and 2026 is all about Agentic AI.
In this episode of SolarWinds TechPod, hosts Sean Sebring and Chrystal Taylor are joined by Sascha Giese (SolarWinds) and Lauren Okruch (SolarWinds Product Marketing) to break down how AI, ITSM, automation, governance, and resilience will shape IT operations in 2026.
As a leader in IT management, observability, and IT service management, SolarWinds offers a unique perspective on how Agentic AI is moving IT from automation to autonomous action — and what that means for governance, security, and the evolving role of IT teams.

Topics covered in this SolarWinds TechPod episode:
What Agentic AI means for modern IT organizations
How SolarWinds sees AI evolving beyond traditional automation
The rise of shadow AI and shadow IT in enterprise environments
Why IT governance and trust are critical in 2026
How ITSM is changing with AI-driven workflows
Energy, sustainability, and cost considerations of AI at scale
Resilience, multi-cloud strategies, and right-compute decision making
Why IT is no longer just a cost center — but an innovation engine

This episode is essential listening for SolarWinds users, IT leaders, sysadmins, service desk teams, and technology decision-makers preparing for the next era of AI-powered IT operations.
Subscribe to SolarWinds TechPod for expert insights on ITSM, observability, AI in IT, automation, and digital transformation — straight from the SolarWinds community.

In this special holiday episode of SolarWinds TechPod, hosts Sean Sebring and Chrystal Taylor are joined by Movies & Mainframes host Andy Garibay to unpack the perfect Holiday Tech Survival Kit — from must-have travel gadgets to kitchen tech that saves your holiday dinner, how to deck the halls with smart lighting, and surviving every IT pro’s nightmare: holiday tech support for family. Whether you're traveling, cooking, gaming, or helping parents remember their Wi-Fi passwords, this episode is filled with relatable stories, practical advice, and plenty of laughs.