Honoring the Digital Guardians: SysAdmin Day 2025
This July 25th marks another SysAdmin Day, our annual tribute to the dedicated IT professionals who serve as the backbone of our increasingly digital world. As we navigate 2025’s complex technological landscape-from AI integration and cloud migrations to cybersecurity threats and hybrid work environments-System Administrators remain the steadfast guardians ensuring business continuity, data protection, and seamless user experiences.
SysAdmins are more than troubleshooters; they’re strategic architects of digital transformation, security sentinels protecting against evolving threats, and innovation enablers who transform complex technologies into business solutions. They work behind the scenes, often unnoticed until something goes wrong, yet their expertise keeps millions of applications running, networks flowing, and organizations thriving in our hyperconnected economy.
For SysAdmin Day 2025, VMblog has assembled insights from industry veterans and thought leaders who understand the critical value these professionals bring to modern enterprises. Join us as we explore the evolving role of System Administrators, celebrate their indispensable contributions, and recognize the technical mastery and dedication that keeps our digital infrastructure resilient and responsive. It’s time to shine a spotlight on the professionals who make our connected world possible-the SysAdmins who ensure tomorrow’s technology works today.
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Bill Andrews, President and CEO, ExaGrid
I have been working with IT data centers since the 1980s and have met and worked with tens of thousands of system administrators. These are the folks that make everything run without them, there would be no IT. They do all the setups, all the management, all the moves/adds/changes, etc. They are also firefighters, because when something breaks they are the ones that fix it. I have the fullest respect for all system administrators. For the last 20 years, ExaGrid has been working with backup administrators and the same applies. They are the backbone of backup!
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SHANE BARNEY, CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER, KEEPER SECURITY
System administrators are often the quiet force behind operational resilience – anticipating issues, resolving them before they surface and holding steady when systems or security are under pressure. They balance immense technical complexity with a calm, methodical approach that keeps everything running securely and efficiently. At Keeper Security, we work closely with sysadmins across every kind of organization and industry. They’re managing expanding attack surfaces, tightening access controls and building layered defenses – all while keeping teams productive. It’s no small task.
On SysAdmin Appreciation Day, we’re proud to recognize the professionals who make security real, day in and day out. Their work may not always be visible – but their impact is undeniable. Thank you for your commitment, your vigilance and everything you do to keep systems secure.
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Trentent Tye, Technical Marketing Manager at ControlUp
In today’s world, system administrators touch all facets of a business. With their actions on keeping the environment secure, the network operational, databases performant, and services accessible, they are the superheroes ensuring people are able to work as efficiently and effectively as possible. System Administrators have to be giants that the business stands on to help the organization succeed. The pressure of trying to be invisible when things are good, but to be the owner when things go bad is immense and you do it with aplomb.
Here’s a great big thanks to all of you who make it happen! Thank you, for all you do, everyday!
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Geoff Burke, Senior Technology Advisor, Object First
In the past year, generative AI and AI agents have upended the world of ITOps. The role of System Administrators has become even more vital as they navigate how to use and control this ultra-powerful new technology. Protecting customer data from the potential effects of AI-generated attacks and security shortcomings has quickly become a top concern for system and backup administrators, and I encourage them to research and understand the benefits of immutable backup storage and what makes a backup solution truly immune to ransomware. But even more than that, this System Administrators Appreciation Day I encourage those overseeing SysAdmins – the IT leaders and CIOs of the world – to respect and listen to their recommendations when it comes to data security.
I also want to issue a warning to my fellow SysAdmins to use AI with caution. It is an incredibly powerful tool, and yes can accelerate your work, but it is not a replacement for a good System Administrator. Don’t sell yourself short by over relying on AI to do your work for you; it can make mistakes just as easy, if not easier, than any human ITOps employee.
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Carl Gersh, SVP Marketing at IGEL
System administrators are the steady force behind resilient, high-performing organizations. Their expertise keeps operations moving, data protected, and users productive, often anticipating challenges before they arise. At IGEL, we’re committed to helping SysAdmins focus on strategy instead of firefighting, by eliminating complexity and preventing risk at the endpoint. Today, we recognize the professionals who make business continuity look simple, and we’re proud to build solutions that empower their success.
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Rick Vanover, Senior Director of Product Strategy, Veeam
This year on SysAdmin Day, I’m more encouraged than ever by how the sysadmin role continues to evolve and remain essential. While AI is everywhere, it doesn’t replace the judgment, resilience, and deep systems knowledge that sysadmins bring to every organization – instead, it amplifies their impact. I see administrators using AI to rapidly generate scripts, solve configuration challenges, and even anticipate threats, regardless of their automation background. Modern environments still need smart, dedicated humans behind them. Sysadmins sit at the intersection of performance, protection, and progress. In 2025, they are not only the unsung heroes keeping systems resilient against outages, ransomware, and disasters – they’re also the innovation drivers shaping the future of IT.
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Andrius Ulenskas, Technical Director at Hyve Managed Hosting
System Administrators keep Hyve running. From managing infrastructure and troubleshooting technical challenges to maintaining networks and performing regular security checks. They are the backbone of our operations and essential to our clients’ uptime and performance.
SysAdmins bridge the gap between systems and humans. As the cloud evolves and the technical skills gap widens, their expertise becomes even more invaluable.
At Hyve, we believe it’s our responsibility to empower them with the right tools, including AI-powered solutions, and provide ongoing training to help them thrive. Their work is mission-critical, and it deserves recognition every day, not just once a year.
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Don Boxley, CEO and Co-Founder, DH2i
At DH2i, we know that behind every resilient IT system is at least one rockstar sysadmin who’s quietly holding everything together. These are the folks who jump in when servers crash, who catch vulnerabilities before they become disasters, and who do everything they can to keep the business humming at maximum efficiency. Even if it means working late, getting up early, or answering that 3 a.m. “everything’s down” call. When things are working smoothly, it’s easy to take all of that for granted. However, none of that magic happens without real people doing seriously hard work – and SysAdmin Appreciation Day is a reminder of that.
So, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to every system administrator out there. Your work may happen behind the scenes, but it makes everything possible. From daily logins to massive data migrations. At DH2i, we’re constantly thinking about how to make your job easier, more secure, and less stressful. Because you’ve got enough on your plate. Here’s to you: the quiet heroes of IT.
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Roger Brulotte, CEO, Leaseweb Canada
Without system administrators, our workdays would look very different – think constant crashes, security hiccups, and downtime. SysAdmin Appreciation Day is a reminder to say thank you to the professionals who quietly keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. It’s also a chance to recognize how much their role has evolved. Today’s sysadmins aren’t just managing local servers – they play a key role in building and maintaining hybrid environments that span on-prem, specialized cloud services providers, and massive hyperscalers. They make sure all the moving parts work together securely and reliably, no matter how complex the setup.
So, on SysAdmin Appreciation Day – but better yet, all year long – take the time to offer your SysAdmin your gratitude – whether it’s a small gesture or a big shoutout, taking time to show your appreciation means more than you might think.
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Doug Murray, CEO, Auvik
System Administrators are the backbone of modern IT infrastructure, managing chaos and ensuring organizations remain operationally efficient behind the scenes. In today’s digital world, they face a relentless wave of challenges – ranging from outdated documentation and mislabeled assets, to the growing burden of SaaS bloat and concerns related to shadow IT. As tool sprawl becomes more prominent, with growing numbers of employees utilizing third-party applications and generative AI tools like ChatGPT, things become even more complex. According to Auvik’s 2025 IT Trends Report, 50% of MSPs report using 10 or more network tools for a single business role, posing challenges related to visibility and efficiency. SysAdmins are on the front line for ensuring these obstacles are addressed before they lead to issues like slower onboarding, more errors, and the erosion of trust.
The threats go far beyond inefficiency. Shadow IT and Shadow AI have exposed companies to risks of data leakage, improper credentials, password sharing, and insufficient backups and protection for SaaS solutions. IT teams must sift through noise while critical threats slip through the cracks. Combine all of this with the constant onslaught of daily end-user requests (which 58% of IT professionals report spending at least half their work week resolving), and these individuals are consistently juggling a multitude of critical responsibilities that often go overlooked and under-recognized. SysAdmin Day is a reminder for organizations to empower their system administrators with the tools they need to stay ahead, including automated network visibility, streamlined asset management, and proactive threat detection.
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John Peluso, Chief Technology Officer, AvePoint
System administrators are caught in a tough position today. They’re responsible for securing and governing increasingly complex digital environments, yet they’re constantly pressured to rapidly deploy new technologies that everyone wants but no one fully understands yet. When they take the time to properly evaluate risks and implement the right security frameworks – which is exactly what they should be doing – they’re labeled as roadblocks to productivity. It’s an unfair characterization of the professionals who keep our digital infrastructure running.
At AvePoint, we recognize this challenge and we’re committed to helping system administrators navigate it successfully. Our solutions provide a centralized management and governance framework that allows sysadmins to quickly and safely ingest new innovations while maintaining the security and control standards their organizations depend on. We’re essentially helping them balance collaboration with control – empowering the business with the tools they need while giving system administrators the confidence that proper governance is in place.
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Bruce Kornfeld, Chief Product Officer at StorMagic
System administrators are the backbone of resilient IT. As organizations rethink infrastructure strategies due to rising hardware costs, licensing changes and the need to support new requirements for real-time analytics, SysAdmins are the ones keeping everything running smoothly. They’re the people who make sure mission-critical applications stay online, even when cloud services falter or hardware fails at just the wrong time.
Today’s IT environment demands flexibility, whether it’s managing hyperconverged infrastructure at remote sites, supporting real-time data at the edge or navigating vendor transitions. SysAdmins are doing all of this while adapting to new and complex technologies like AI and software-defined systems. On SysAdmin Day, we recognize that they are often the unsung hero of organizations – navigating disruptions, reducing complexity and helping businesses stay ahead.
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