Autonomous IT

Maddie Regis (00:02)
Hey everyone! This is Maddie Regis, Paid Media Manager at Automox, and I'm back with another episode of IT Insiders—Automox's podcast that introduces you to the people behind the product. Today, we're talking about how data supports endpoint management. It might not sound flashy, but we've got two fun guests, and I think you'll learn a lot—and maybe even have some fun.

Our first guest is Peter Pflaster, Senior Manager of Product Marketing. You may recognize him from the Product Talk podcast. Also joining us is Kelly Carlson, Senior Product Marketing Manager. Both have great insights on the role of data in managing endpoints. Thanks for joining, guys.

Peter Pflaster (00:48)
Thanks for having me.

Kelly (00:50)
Happy to be here.

Maddie Regis (00:53)
Let’s start with some career background. Kelly, you’re up first. I noticed on your LinkedIn that you once planned marketing strategy for events like the Vans Warped Tour. That was a big deal back in the day!

Kelly (01:23)
Yeah, that one goes way back. I have a varied career history. The Warped Tour and other events were pre-career—college gigs, really. I got into it by accident when a friend asked me to fill in at a radio station event. That turned into more opportunities, like work with Mall of America and Red Bull. I was exploring possibilities while majoring in journalism and mass communications.

After graduating, I landed a role as an account planner at an ad agency. I dove into market research, audience insights, and analytics—foundational work that shaped my career. About eight years ago, I started leading marketing at a tech startup focused on color management software. That’s when I fell in love with SaaS and software marketing. Since then, I’ve worked with several SaaS startups, applying all that early experience.

Maddie Regis (04:21)
Awesome. That agency background definitely carries over into SaaS. Peter, how about you?

Peter Pflaster (04:47)
Glad you enjoyed the pun, Maddie! I’m originally from the Midwest and went to school in Wisconsin. I come from a medical family and thought I’d follow the same path—did all the pre-med work, even took the MCAT. But when it got real, I realized more years of school wasn’t for me.

I still wanted to stay in medicine and found a role at Epic, working on software implementation for electronic medical records. I was there for four years. If you've been to the doctor in the U.S., chances are you’ve interacted with Epic. Then I joined Automox, focusing on technical product marketing, demos, and eventually leading the team. That’s been the last 10 years or so.

Maddie Regis (06:53)
Ten years in three sentences—nice! Let’s talk about data-driven endpoint management. What are the top three most essential data points for IT pros?

Kelly (07:46)
Tough question! I love data. But I’d say:

1. **Patch status**—it’s the heartbeat of your environment. Know what’s patched, what’s vulnerable, and what failed.
2. **Device compliance**—understand if endpoints align with policies or compliance frameworks.
3. **User or device activity trends**—look for unusual behavior like CPU spikes or login anomalies. They often signal issues before they escalate.

Maddie Regis (08:55)
I’m the same—don’t make me choose! Peter?

Peter Pflaster (09:02)
Totally agree. In the past, growth was the main focus. But now, teams need both speed and efficiency. That means tracking:

1. **MTTR (Mean Time to Remediate)** or **MTTP (Mean Time to Patch)**—measuring how quickly you fix issues.
2. **Efficiency**—how many devices you manage and how much time or how many people it takes.
3. **Actionable insights**—reports that help you pinpoint where to improve speed and efficiency, not just raw data.

Maddie Regis (12:50)
Right—both of you hit on the need to prove value to leadership. So what should IT pros look for in reporting capabilities?

Peter Pflaster (13:56)
Tools should justify their value to leadership. If they don’t include reporting, you’ll end up cobbling it together manually. That’s risky when budgets tighten.

Kelly (15:06)
Exactly. Autonomous endpoint management doesn’t mean giving up control. It means being responsive and informed. Reporting should give:

* **Visibility and control**
* **Real-time or near-real-time updates**
* **Actionability**—you should go from insight to resolution in a few clicks

Autonomy without visibility is dangerous. Visibility without autonomy is overwhelming. You need both.

Maddie Regis (16:52)
Absolutely. Even in marketing, automation helps me focus on strategy instead of repetitive tasks. Same goes for IT.

All right, let’s wrap up with our game: *Data Can Be Fun.* Trivia time!

Question 1: Data is the name of an android from which franchise—Star Wars, Star Trek, or Battlestar Galactica?

Kelly (18:13)
Star Trek, right? Love Data!

Maddie Regis (18:14)
Correct!

Peter Pflaster (18:18)
Didn’t know that one. I’m more of a Star Wars guy.

Question 2: How much data does MLB store per season—5, 25, or 100 terabytes?

Peter Pflaster (19:18)
25 terabytes.

Maddie Regis (19:21)
Right again!

Question 3: If you burned all data created in one day to DVDs, stacking them would reach which location twice—Moon, China, or Pluto?

Both (20:12)
The Moon!

Maddie Regis (20:16)
Correct again. 100%! Your prize? Bragging rights—and maybe another invite.

Peter Pflaster (20:54)
We’ll take it!

Kelly (20:58)
100%—a great stat!

Maddie Regis (21:16)
Thanks for joining. Remember—data and reporting aren’t just useful, they can be fun too. Catch the next *Automox Insiders* every Tuesday and Thursday!