TechForge recently talked to Gil Pekelman, CEO of Atera, an all-in-one IT management tool, about how AI is quickly becoming the best friend of IT workers.
How do you describe Atera?
It’s been a long time since we released the Atera all-in-one tool for IT control. It covers various tasks, from technical ones like security and patching to ongoing help, notifications, automation, ticket management, reports, analytics, and more.
Atera is a single tool that lets you control all your IT from one place. There is only one software and database, making it so powerful. We’re the only company that does this. For many years, the only other option was to buy four or five separate items and link them all, which is usually very hard.
In this case, there is only one script and one database. Everything is linked, simplified, and easy to use. In other words, you sign up or start a trial, and within five minutes, you’ll use it. It makes sense that way.
More than 12,000 people in 120 countries buy from us. At the moment, the UK is our second-largest business partner. The UK is right behind the US in second place.
Which emerging developments in AI are you noticing this year?
From the beginning, we’ve been committed to making AI a part of our company. Our goal has always been to use data to find problems and inform people about them so they can be fixed or avoided. At first, our primary goal was to find answers by using data.
Over the past nine years, our goal has been to let AI take care of boring IT jobs so humans can do more exciting work. A year and a half ago, we were the first to use Chat GPT and Open AI tools, starting a new trend that we call Action AI.
Action AI works in the real world, working with hardware and software to complete jobs independently, unlike general Generative AI, which makes content like songs or emails. Our AI can understand IT issues and fix them independently, going beyond just talking and doing things in the real world.
Atera features Autopilot and Copilot. Could you define these?
Autopilot works on its own. It can figure out what’s wrong with your computer. It’s an add-on for your computer that will talk to you and fix the issue. But there are limits to what it can and can’t fix. And everything it can handle has to be safe from bullets. 100% private or secure. There was no chance to hurt anyone or do anything like that.
If a ticket or report that doesn’t fall within these parameters is made, the Copilot will be activated. The Copilot improves the IT worker.
They are both friends. When the IT worker needs to change a password, fix a printer, update software, or do other tedious, repeated tasks, Autopilot is there to help. The Copilot, on the other hand, will help them with the problems they face every day. It has many different tools.
The Copilot has many features. If you ask it a question, it will not only answer like ChatGPT but also look into the issue and test the network, computer, and printer in various ways. It will then decide and take the steps needed to fix the problem. It won’t fix the problem, though. The IT person will still have to look at all the different pieces of information and choose what they want to do.
With Copilot, IT pros can save almost half of their time. We’re excited to launch it now, even though it’s been tried in the field for a while. Autopilot is still in the test stage, though.
How would you advise organisations considering AI integration?
I strongly advise businesses to start using AI technologies immediately, but studying and picking the right, safe, creative AI tools is essential. Using AI has many benefits: it simplifies regular tasks, boosts productivity and efficiency, improves accuracy by lowering human mistakes, and speeds up the resolution of problems. So, it’s essential to pick the right creative AI tool to get the most out of it without risking your security. For instance, because we work with Microsoft, our customers’ data is safe because it stays in the system, and the AI doesn’t use it to learn or build its database. This keeps everyone safe and gives a lot of rewards.
We focus on two main areas when we add AI to our product. First, the dull and annoying jobs that your IT team used to have to do are gone. Second, problems for end users, like printers that need to be fixed, lost passwords, or slow internet, are fixed in seconds or minutes instead of hours. This makes things much more efficient in a way that can be measured.
There are different kinds of AIs. Not all of them are good for you, but some are. Some are Chat GPT, and it’s a skinny layer of what we do to change how people connect with IT realistically. We also know that when IT is down, you can’t work, and things stop working. Our answer makes sure that everything keeps going well.
What can we anticipate in the next years from AI?
It will soon be possible for AI to become much more intelligent and more aware. One notable change is that it is improving reasoning, predicting, and understanding data. This feature lets AI see problems coming and answer them on its own, which shows a fantastic level of thinking.
We expect two significant steps forward: AI’s intelligence will increase, and its ability to understand and connect with people will improve, as shown in the latest OpenAI release. This change will change how people interact with AI.
This change can be seen in our job. When non-technical people try to solve problems with our software, AI reacts in a very human-like way and shows empathy. Users feel like they’re talking to a real IT expert, which makes the experience smooth and reassuring.
AI will continue to develop and get stronger and smarter. New discoveries about how AI works will not only make it more useful but also ensure that it is used safely and morally, strengthening its role as a force for good.
What does Atera have planned for the next year?
We are thrilled to announce the imminent release of Autopilot, which is expected to occur within the next few months. Copilot, our comprehensive suite of advanced tools specifically designed for IT professionals, has already improved efficiency and efficacy. However, Autopilot is the next significant advancement.
Currently in beta, Autopilot directly interacts with end users, automating and resolving common IT issues that typically burden IT staff, such as password resets and printer malfunctions. This means that anyone who wishes to test it can do so. Autopilot enables IT professionals to concentrate on more strategic and rewarding activities by addressing these routine duties, enhancing overall productivity and job satisfaction.
