Application performance monitoring – also known as APM – is the network monitoring and management of the performance and availability of software applications. APM strives to detect and diagnose application performance problems to maintain an expected level of service.

This layer of the network has become a “hacker’s playground.” Many breaches happen at the application level, as black hats are using trusted applications to exploit gaps in your perimeter security. Filtering traffic at this point helps to close those gaps and detect breaches.

Since the beginning of 2013, the application performance monitoring and management industry has become intensely competitive. From both a technology and strategy standpoint, APM vendors and their perspectives on the service are numerous and varied. With companies from unrelated backgrounds trying to break into this space – Web performance and network monitoring to application instrumentation and systems management – the marketing for APM has muddied the definition of legitimate application performance monitoring services.

Two Big Challenges

True application performance monitoring has the potential to be a huge resource for businesses, but implementing APM tools has two major challenges.

1. It’s often difficult to implement an application performance monitor, especially among parts of a given application.

2. Virtual applications widen the spectrum of applications measurements.

Virtual and cloud-based applications are challenging for APM because it’s common that several virtual machines host nearly all of the main components of a system. A business’ applications are unlikely to run on one machine, but rather transfer from one to another. This structure is designed to help vendors provide better services to their clients and deal with temporary outages, but it does not make the monitoring of their applications a simple mechanism.

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The Outlook For Application Performance Monitoring

APMdigest compiled a number of predictions from industry experts. Some of the most important ones include:

• Analytics technology will drive innovation in the APM industry to become more intelligent, proactive and preemptive. Without complete data capture, however, analysis is incomplete. That is why it is important to connect tools with a network TAP. 

•  APM will become more automated and simplified, with integration between its components and with other tools.

• The APM focus will shift to concentrate more on end users, providing them with the ability to track their system with ease, potentially from a smartphone.

• APM cloud solutions will become even more critical and create a condensing of the industry through mergers and acquisitions.

It’s clear that the APM landscape is changing at an exponential pace. With so many variables affecting the future of application performance monitoring, proper planning is more essential than ever. By partnering with a technology company that strengthens your client services, you better position yourself to withstand the current and future industry turmoil.

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