Australian IT teams confident in resilience but face AI gaps
Australian IT teams report high levels of confidence in operational resilience despite ongoing challenges with outages, processes, and AI readiness, according to new research from SolarWinds.
The company's 2025 IT Trends Report, based on insights from more than 600 global IT professionals including those in Australia, highlights the complexity of maintaining operational resilience in the face of both longstanding and emerging demands.
Resilience perception
The survey indicates that 90% of Australian organisations consider themselves at least 'moderately' operationally resilient, while only 38% rate themselves as 'very resilient'. The findings point to a gap between perceived and experienced resilience within Australian IT teams.
This comes at a time when organisations are under increasing regulatory scrutiny, particularly with the introduction of standards such as CPS 230, which impose stricter requirements on operational oversight for sectors including financial services.
AI readiness and distributed work
The report suggests that readiness for artificial intelligence remains an area of caution. Around 72% of Australian respondents believe they are effectively managing new and emerging AI challenges, a figure lower than the global benchmark of 83%. This suggests that Australia is somewhat behind the pace globally on AI preparedness.
In contrast, Australian organisations report greater confidence in other aspects of operational resilience. More than 90% say they are managing remote and distributed workforces effectively, and nearly 85% believe they are addressing cyber threats effectively. These numbers reflect adaptations made in response to changes in working patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Time lost to outages
The report points out that despite high confidence levels, critical issues and service disruptions remain prevalent. About 45% of surveyed Australian IT professionals spend a quarter of their working week resolving outages and disruptions, indicating resource constraints and persistent operational challenges.
Process inefficiencies present the largest barrier to resilience, cited by nearly 45% as their most significant challenge. Staffing issues (32%) and technology gaps (23%) also feature as substantial obstacles. According to the report, these process and workflow challenges are consistent with trends globally and emphasise that resilience is not solely dependent on the technology in use.
"This report reinforces what we consistently hear from customers across Australia," said Rahul Tabeck, Country Manager and Sales Director at SolarWinds ANZ and Pacific. "There's clear optimism around operational resilience, with local businesses investing time and budget into it - especially as regulatory frameworks like CPS 230 raise the bar. But many teams remain stuck in reactive mode. Technology alone isn't enough - it must be supported by skilled people, the right expertise and processes. To shift from firefighting to innovation, without compromising reliability, organisations need to embrace new ways of working."
Investment in resilience
The survey found that Australian businesses are responding to these challenges by dedicating significant resources to operational resilience. Nearly two thirds (65%) of organisations allocate up to 30% of their IT budgets to pre-empting disruption and preventing incidents before they occur.
Operational resilience extends beyond technical tools to job satisfaction. Over a third (35%) of Australian IT professionals report that resilience has a great impact on their job satisfaction and sense of security at work. Additionally, 72% view preparedness for future IT challenges as very or extremely important for their organisation's continued performance and reliability.
"In today's competitive environment, operational resilience is no longer a nice-to-have but rather a strategic imperative," said Cullen Childress, Chief Product Officer. "Achieving it requires more than just adopting new technology. Organisations must equip their IT teams with the right tools, workflows, and talent to stay agile and responsive. When obstacles are removed and resilience is built into daily operations, IT becomes a true driver of competitive advantage."
Technology, through advanced tools and automation, is recognised by nearly half (46%) of respondents as a critical enabler of quicker response and recovery, supporting improvements in key operational metrics.
Australia's approach to operational resilience reflects both progress and ongoing challenges, with attention focused on regulation, staff skills, process improvement, and strategic investment in technology as stakeholders seek to move from reactive problem-solving to proactive innovation.
