The Stonebranch Top 10: Most Popular IT Automation Research, Success Stories, Reports, and More from 2024

As we all gear up for a new year of IT automation and orchestration innovation, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the standout moments, resources, and innovations that resonated most with our community in 2024. From recent research to inspiring success stories and engaging events, these highlights showcase the breadth of value delivered by the Stonebranch ecosystem.

There’s one theme that unifies the blog posts, videos, white papers, and success stories below: change for the better. Each of these resources focuses on how enterprises and their I&O leaders can harness IT automation trends for better outcomes and a stronger return on investment. In other words, it’s not about us — it’s all about you, and what you and your organization need to meet today’s challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

Here are some of 2024’s top-performing blog posts, videos, whitepapers, and more:

1. Top Research: Stonebranch 2024 Global State of IT Automation Report

Each year, our Global State of IT Automation report provides critical insights into the trends shaping our industry. The 2024 edition explored the rise of AI-driven automation, the growing adoption of hybrid-cloud environments, and the increasing focus on self-service automation. This report is a must-read for IT leaders looking to future-proof their automation strategies.

You can also watch the research results webinar to get key highlights and expert commentary on the future of automation.

2. Top Success Story: Thai Airways SaaS-Based Automation Journey

In 2024, Thai Airways shared their journey to streamlined SaaS efficiency with Stonebranch Universal Automation Center (UAC). By automating critical processes, the airline soared to new heights of operational agility and cost savings.

Spain-based Estabanell Energia has a transformative story to tell too — they use UAC to orchestrate data pipelines and cloud automation processes, resulting in improved profitability, reduced costs, and increased agility.

3. Top Event: Stonebranch UserVerse World Tour

This hybrid event series brought automation enthusiasts together — virtually and in person — to discuss topics like AI and machine learning, observability, and self-service IT automation. With stops in Nuremberg, Copenhagen, and Columbus, Ohio, UserVerse 2024 was a community-driven highlight of the year.

Watch the UserVerse Keynote on-demand for a high-level summary of the topics discussed.

4. Top Analyst Report: 2024 Gartner^® Magic Quadrant^™ for SOAPs Report

Stonebranch was recognized as a Leader in the inaugural 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Service Orchestration and Automation Platforms (SOAP), and industry professionals were eager to get the latest Gartner perspective on the industry. This report provides valuable guidance when selecting a SOAP partner and enables enterprises to make informed decisions.

5. Top Datasheet: Observability OpenTelemetry Connector

This datasheet was the top pick for IT Ops professionals seeking to enhance their ability to monitor, analyze, and act on real-time telemetry (log, metric, and trace) data to gain a competitive edge. It outlines how Stonebranch supports observability across hybrid and multi-cloud ecosystems.

The self-service automation datasheet was also popular in 2024. This resource demonstrates how UAC enables non-technical users to use automation to reduce human error and boost business outcomes — without relying on IT. By empowering teams with self-service capabilities, it's possible to reduce bottlenecks and foster collaboration across the organization.

6. Top Product Training: How to Utilize Triggers, Monitors, and Webhooks

This training module resonated deeply with UAC users eager to automate in real-time. Packed with actionable insights, it demonstrated how triggers, monitors, and webhooks can help accelerate automation workflows and enhance flexibility.

The product training video on How to Create a Task continues to be a perennial favorite. It shows users how easy it is to make the basic building block of any automated workload or workflow in UAC.

7. Top On-Demand Webinar: Beyond the Basics: UAC Tips and Tricks 2024

The Beyond the Basics webinar offered advanced techniques for maximizing the UAC platform. From custom integrations to advanced workflow optimizations, this session helped users take their automation capabilities to the next level.

8. Top Blog Post: Top Trends in I&O for 2024

Our most-read blog post provided insights into the trends shaping IT infrastructure and operations (I&O). From artificial intelligence to hybrid cloud strategies, this article helped readers prepare for what’s next in the automation landscape.

Another popular blog post focused on Airflow — a popular open-source workflow management platform that's limited in its ability to automate in real time. The article details how Airflow triggers events, explores how to UAC uses an API to connect to Airflow to simplify event-based automation, and highlights the positive effects of leveraging UAC with or without Airflow.

9. Top Download: SOAP/WLA RFP Template

Creating a robust RFP (request for proposal) for workload automation can be daunting — but not anymore. This RFP Template emerged as an invaluable tool for organizations evaluating automation technologies for workload automation and service orchestration. This comprehensive resource outlined critical evaluation criteria, from job automation to scalability and integration capabilities, helping IT leaders make informed decisions with confidence.

10. Top Social Post: Stonebranch Turns 25

Rounding out the list is a milestone worth celebrating: Stonebranch's 25th anniversary. This popular post on LinkedIn not only celebrated the event, but also thanked the customers, partners, and employees who made it possible.

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Whether you're just starting your automation journey or enhancing your strategy with AI-powered intelligent automation, Stonebranch offers a wealth of resources to empower your automation advancements. Leverage the insights and best practices shared in these popular materials to transform your IT operations and increase productivity, agility, and control.

Start exploring today and unlock the power of automation with Stonebranch!