“Hello. IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Famous words most IT techs will recognize! IT departments globally face increasing pressure to keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. And with full cost management, too. AI in the IT industry is, perhaps, one of the most logical uses of this evolving technology. It has the power to transform how IT teams work, automating routine tasks and powering deeper insight. Let’s take a closer look at how AI is transforming how IT operations work, as well as its practical business benefits.

AI for IT Operations: A Perfect Technical Match

AI in IT Operations brings together AI’s machine learning and data analytics to help IT teams work smarter. It’s even earned its own acronym: AIOps. While IT and automated systems are hardly a new pairing, AI powers something new and valuable for IT teams globally. Proactivity. 

Traditional IT can only be reactive. IT teams can only respond to an issue after it happens. AI, however, can predict issues before they cause downtime and problems. It can monitor systems in near real-time and be taught to look for patterns that could indicate incoming problems.

In fact, this proactivity is one of the most important AI use cases in IT operations. Of course, there are many more. 

What Benefits Does AI for IT Operations Offer?

AI in the IT industry is set to change how teams think and work. Here are just a few of the key benefits of AI for IT operations.

Faster Problem Detection and Resolution

When IT systems crash, businesses lose money. With the right AI for IT operations, however, you can:

• Monitor systems 24/7 without getting tired like people do
• Spot unusual patterns that might signal a problem and act before it happens
• Suggest solutions based on similar past incidents to speed up troubleshooting
• Automatically fix common issues without human help and flag tougher problems for the team.

Take, for example, manufacturing companies. One prominent global manufacturer using AI to keep IT systems and machines up and focused on predictive maintenance found it had paid for itself within 3 months. 

Better Resource Management

Another major AI use case in IT operations is using computing resources more efficiently. AI can:

• Predict when more server capacity will be needed
• Automatically scale resources up or down based on demand
• Identify wasteful spending on unused services
• Optimize energy usage in data centers

This is why AI-powered resource management is currently in high demand. Even AI data centers themselves are using it to help improve resource use as demand soars.

Improved Security and Protection

Cybersecurity threats are growing more sophisticated every minute. This increase means companies need to find smarter and better ways to stay safe. AI helps by:

• Scanning networks for suspicious activity around the clock
• Learning what normal behavior looks like to spot potential attacks
• Responding to threats faster than human teams could while alerting those teams
• Preventing attacks before they succeed

As our lives become even more digital and “always on,” AI in the IT industry is likely to focus more and more on keeping us safe.

Real-World AI Use Cases in IT Operations

If that’s the theory of what AI can do, what does it look like in practice? Here are some growing AI use cases in IT operations.

Predictive Maintenance

Why fix equipment after it breaks? AI in the IT industry helps teams predict when hardware is most likely to fail. By analyzing data from sensors and system logs, AI can spot patterns that point to future problems. This also boosts productivity by anything from 5% to 20%.

Take, for example, a healthcare provider. With AI monitoring their server cooling, it can alert the team when the fans show early wear signs. This means the IT team can replace them during scheduled maintenance instead of emergency repairs. No outage, no emergency turnaround, just simple, everyday maintenance. 

Intelligent Ticketing Systems

Got employees with IT problems? Typically, this means a help desk ticket. And someone has to read all those tickets. AI smooths the process by:

• Automatically categorizing and routing tickets to the right specialists
• Suggesting solutions for common problems
• Predicting which issues need immediate attention
• Learning from past solutions to improve future responses

Typically, this helps make ticket resolution time in hours, not days. Simple solutions get handled almost immediately. And teams are freer to spend the time they need on complex issues. 

Network Optimization

As the world has become more reliant on IT systems, networks have become more and more complex. This makes them increasingly difficult to manage manually.  Again, AI in the IT industry can help by:

• Monitoring network traffic and identifying bottlenecks
• Automatically rerouting data during congestion
• Predicting future capacity needs
• Detecting unusual patterns that might indicate security issues

Virtual Assistants and Chatbots for Support

Hand-in-hand with more intelligent ticketing systems comes virtual assistants. Many basic IT questions can be answered without the need for people to be involved. Implementing support-focused chatbots is a great way to free up IT teams’ time. After all, they can:

• Handle password resets and account lockouts
• Guide users through basic troubleshooting
• Provide answers to frequently asked questions
• Escalate complex issues to human specialists when needed

This helps keep IT teams free from the use cases AI can’t handle, as well as managing costs more effectively. 

Is AI for IT Operations Evolving?

Naturally, nothing in the AI industry is standing still. Developments are accelerating! It’s always tough to know exactly where new technology will take us, but based on current uses of AI in IT operations, we can expect to see:

• More autonomous self-healing systems that fix problems without human intervention
• Better prediction of business impacts from IT issues
• Deeper integration between IT operations and business processes
• More natural language interfaces for technical tasks

Making the Most of AI in the IT Industry

There are so many exciting AI use cases in IT operations. However, the shift from reactive to proactive maintenance and care is the most exciting. AI and IT are working together to give us real, practical solutions that help businesses manage their costs and deliver real value. 

Don’t you think it’s time you put the many solutions AI in the IT industry offers you to work for your business? It’s time to transform your IT department from a cost center into a business enabler. Get started by reaching out to the team today— we’re always here to chat.