What is IT Automation? A Complete Guide for IT Teams

IT automation refers to the deployment of instructions to establish a clear and consistent process, minimizing the need for manual intervention by IT professionals in data centers and cloud setups. Automation software tools allow for streamlined processes, requiring minimal administrator oversight. It covers a broad spectrum, ranging from single actions to complex sequences, ultimately evolving into autonomous IT deployments that respond to administrative needs, user activity, and other cues.

In today's technological landscape, IT automation has become fundamental to enhancing business performance at both technical and operational levels:

• At the technical level, IT automation provides repeatable results with reduced human input, allowing administrators to expedite resource-heavy, error-prone tasks effectively.
• At the operational level, the clarity and documentation requirements of automation ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards, thereby supporting businesses in meeting their compliance obligations.

Moreover, while IT automation often parallels the term orchestration, they represent different functions. Automation focuses on executing tasks consistently without human input, while orchestration collaborates with automated tasks to create comprehensive workflows.

This guide will delve into the multifaceted nature of IT automation—covering its benefits, challenges, and emergent trends—while equipping IT teams with insights to advocate for automation adoption and the integration of AI-powered tools into their processes.