Today, July 28, 2023, the tech world is gearing up to celebrate one of its unsung heroes—the SysAdmins! On this special occasion of SysAdmin Appreciation Day, we take a moment to acknowledge the vital role these skilled professionals play in keeping our digital world running smoothly. Often working behind the scenes, SysAdmins are the architects of our digital infrastructure, ensuring seamless operations, robust security, and prompt troubleshooting.

To honor and recognize their invaluable contributions, we reached out to a panel of esteemed industry experts from diverse domains, ranging from cybersecurity to cloud computing. In this exclusive VMblog article, we present a round-up of thoughts and well wishes to the SysAdmin community at large.

Join us as we embark on a journey of appreciation, where these industry leaders reflect on the significance of SysAdmins in modern-day technology landscapes and highlight the extraordinary efforts these professionals undertake day in and day out to keep our digital ecosystem thriving. So, let's dive into this compilation of praise and admiration, and collectively express our gratitude to the SysAdmins who keep our digital realm secure, efficient, and up and running!

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Simon Taylor, Founder and CEO, HYCU, Inc.

"With more than 200 SaaS applications in use in enterprises across North America alone, and the number continuing to grow, the need for an enterprise-class data protection solution is paramount. You need to add SaaS backup and restore to the long list of responsibilities for any SysAdmin. As we all know, without the dedicated support and tireless work from SysAdmins around the Globe, our IT departments would never function as effectively as they do today. And, now they will be front-and-center in the fight to protect SaaS application usage for all companies. For all the SysAdmins we work with day-to-day across our growing customer and partner base, enjoy this special day. You all deserve the recognition and gratitude that goes with today's spotlight."

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Darren James, Senior Product Manager- Specops, an Outpost24 Company

"Remember all those times you forgot your password, couldn’t find a document on SharePoint, didn’t receive that important End of Quarter email or, god forbid, your headphones didn’t work during that Teams meeting – well it was the Sysadmin that fixed it all for you.

So this Friday, after work, raise a glass and think of those who are putting in the time over the weekend to fix "IT stuff" so that it’s ready for you Monday morning – and if you really want to help them out on that following Monday morning – try resetting your own password the next time you forget it!"

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Yoni Avital, Co-Founder and CPO, ControlUp

"Happy 24th SysAdmin Appreciation Day! Today, we honor the unsung heroes of the digital world who tirelessly ensure productivity, regardless of location, connectivity, or complexity. Having walked the path of a SysAdmin in my previous life, I deeply value the knowledge and skills required to navigate the ever-evolving computing landscape. Though my days of answering IT tickets have passed, my passion for delivering exceptional computing services lives on in the company I co-founded. At ControlUp, we transform how helpdesks support customers, leading to fewer tickets, reduced costs, and an enhanced desktop experience. Here's a big shout-out to all the fantastic System Admins!"    

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Chiara Regale, senior vice president of product and user experience, Forward Networks

"If it weren’t for sysadmins, business would grind to a halt because the network is the business. They work tirelessly to ensure we are securely connected to the people, systems, and applications we need to be productive from anywhere at any time. Forward Networks appreciates sysadmins today and every day."

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Stuart Donnelson, Field CTO - Americas, Liquit

"Here at Liquit, we would like to take a moment and acknowledge SysAdmin Appreciation Day.  In our world, it is quite literally SysAdmins that keep end users and companies on track. 

SysAdmins are on the front line of migrations, refreshes, and digital transformation projects.  SysAdmins must also adjust their companies' digital workplaces to support employees' capacity to work from any location, using any device, at any time, because of digital transformation and the hybrid end-user world we live in. Since the core of that workspace is application management and distribution, they must create ways to get around obstacles by utilizing the most adaptable technology.

On this special day for SysAdmins we would like to point out the advantages of the Liquit platform can provide your application delivery and management process.

• Automated patch management: Liquit's Release & Patch Management makes sure that all apps have access to the most recent security updates and patches. Liquit reduces the risk of vulnerabilities, prevents security breaches brought on by out-of-date software, and enhances compliance by automating patch deployment.
• Major time and resource savings: Liquit automation minimizes manual processes for quicker implementations by getting rid of tedious tasks and cutting down on human error, resulting in increased productivity and a shorter time-to-market.
• Reliability and consistency: Automated deployments guarantee consistency across environments to reduce configuration inconsistencies and implementation problems brought on by human mistakes while delivering a dependable and uniform imaging procedure.
• Scalability: Automation makes it possible to scale deployments to accommodate rising demand.
• Unified Management:  Liquit provides one agent to manage your Windows and MAC devices.  One console to deliver important updates to your Windows and MAC applications and one platform to plug all the gaps across your physical and virtual end-user infrastructure.

We hope all SysAdmins realize how important and valuable they are to their organizations.  Cheers!"

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Anthony Cusimano, Director of Technical Marketing, Object First

"Last time we talked about sysadmins, I mentioned them being akin to superheroes, unsung keyboard warriors who show up at a moment's notice, save the day, and then are sent back to the data center, where they grind out long days, overcaffeinated, under thanked and await the dreaded “weekend fire drill." The good news is their jobs are still in demand! The bad news, the situation hasn't improved much. If anything, it's worse.
 
With ransomware continuing to be even more of a disruptor, AI completely changing how we operate for better and for worse, and the planet getting hotter (gotta keep those cooling costs low!), it's just as thankless as it ever was with a "fun" new set of challenges and responsibilities. While many of us actively feel the current economic squeeze, sysadmins are fighting fires that many of us will never even begin to understand, and they do it completely unacknowledged.
 
My ask to you is simple—this SysAdmin Appreciation Day, thank your local IT person. Weird, I know, but if you aren't the person pulling the cables and screaming at your network switch, find out who they are and thank them. Not only will you shine a light on someone who makes your life better in ways you will never comprehend, but also you will make a friend and better understand the world in which they create to make us all more productive, secure, and able to do business.
 
To all the sysadmins reading this post: thank you!"

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Chris Walker – Snr. Systems Engineer, Liquidware

"Over many years in the IT Industry I have Administered many different types of systems and worked with many different types of SysAdmins. The only constant (in IT and life) is that change is inevitable. Embrace it, don’t hide or run from it. Lots of new technology comes out every year with new ways to solve old/new problems. Some of the technology is good and others will die over time.
 
I personally think that everyone in IT should be able to code in some language, even if it is only PowerShell. Coding helps you automate and be more efficient at your job. If I have to do a task more than 2-3 times I’m writing an application, or finding some script on the Internet that someone else has already done.
 
Please note that developers, just like SysAdmins are not perfect… we ALL make mistakes. So, on this SysAdmin Appreciation Day, let’s give a big shout out to those ‘back room’ folks that keep our IT infrastructures running – thank you all!"

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Kevin Kline, Database Technology Evangelist at SolarWinds

"Managing applications, digital services, and data is tougher than ever before. SysAdmin Day recognizes the unsung heroes of the digital age. The global, interconnected, hybrid workplace model of today could not exist as we know it today without SysAdmins. System administrators are the stewards that protect the quality, integrity, security, and usability of IT infrastructure, despite the many layers and complexities that continue to emerge and evolve. We at SolarWinds salute all SysAdmins today."

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Ken Barth, CEO of Catalogic Software

"SysAdmins are the unsung heroes working tirelessly behind the digital curtains, propelling us forward and safeguarding our businesses with unwavering dedication. From fortifying defenses against ransomware, phishing, and viruses to orchestrating seamless cloud migrations, updates, and infrastructure, and ensuring foolproof backups, they ensure our digital world remains impenetrable.

In an ever-evolving profession, SysAdmins remain in perpetual motion, learning and adapting to new challenges. They are the silent guardians, harmonizing our digital existence with their profound expertise."

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Alex Reid, Product Architect, 11:11 Systems

"It's not possible to overstate the importance of SysAdmins in any organization of any size. Understanding the inner workings of your most critical infrastructure is just the beginning of their responsibility. The amount of patience, resilience, and attention to detail required for the job is enormous. Cyber defense would be pretty bleak without someone patching vulnerabilities, securing networks, and responding to emergencies. The job hasn't gotten any easier in recent years with the introduction of DevOps and Infrastructure-as-Code; it seems like the job description just keeps getting harder every year! "Keeping things running" is a simple phrase but an incredibly complicated process, and SysAdmins do an amazing job of making it look easy so that we can all just "relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights". Happy SysAdmin Day 2023!"

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Kevin Cole, global director of product marketing, Zerto

"System administrators have an invaluable role in keeping businesses running. The core of a SysAdmin’s job is keeping the company online, which can be much more complicated and challenging than one might expect. A SysAdmin’s role ranges from maintaining normal network and computer system functions to overcoming IT disasters like ransomware attacks and damaging weather incidents. Their work is essential, and without it, businesses would not be able to function.
 
One key way organizations can show appreciation for their SysAdmins and help them with their day-to-day tasks is by providing them with the finest tools and disaster recovery solutions to overcome challenges quickly and easily. Organizations should make sure they are spending money on resilient infrastructure across backup, cloud mobility, and disaster recovery to support their SysAdmins. Companies need a disaster recovery plan that goes beyond just creating an extra copy and specifically focuses on minimizing downtime and bringing operations back online as quickly as possible.
 
When businesses invest in first-rate infrastructure, they free up time for SysAdmins to focus on the core function of their job: building and managing systems for agile, always-on services. Choosing a disaster recovery system which can bring systems online in minutes or seconds — not days or weeks — will show SysAdmins how much their organization appreciates them."

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Manu Heirbaut, Vice President of Engineering, Datadobi

"SysAdmin Day reminds us of the significance of those working tirelessly to provide IT services to their respective organizations around the globe. System Administrators deserve recognition for their efforts to maintain organizational infrastructure for everyone, and we must be mindful of their importance not only on SysAdmin Day but every day. We can do this by investing in their craft and providing them with tools to automate tasks and address financial, sustainability, and organizational challenges associated with systems, improving the value of unstructured data. These unstructured data solutions can improve SysAdmins' jobs and streamline business processes to make their work even more efficient."

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Steve Santamaria, CEO, Folio Photonics

"Sysadmins are the unsung heroes of the business world, whose importance cannot be overstated. They are the masterminds behind the scenes, tirelessly working to keep technology systems running smoothly and seamlessly. Without their expertise, businesses would face constant disruptions, downtimes, and vulnerabilities.

These dedicated professionals ensure the reliability and availability of critical systems, enabling employees to work efficiently and without hindrance. They are the guardians of data security, implementing robust measures to protect sensitive information from ever-evolving cyber threats. Sysadmins also play a crucial role in disaster recovery planning, ensuring that organizations can swiftly recover from unforeseen incidents and maintain uninterrupted operations. Their tireless efforts in integrating new technologies, troubleshooting technical issues, and providing prompt support to end-users ensure that businesses stay at the forefront of innovation and maximize productivity. Sysadmins possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise, continuously adapting to new technologies and industry best practices to keep businesses ahead of the curve.

In a world where technology drives the success of organizations, sysadmins are the pillars of stability, reliability, and progress. They deserve our utmost appreciation and recognition for their unwavering dedication and indispensable contributions to the success of businesses everywhere."

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