With tasks like server maintenance, network issues and providing user support, maintaining a web application is complicated. Application Performance Management (APM) offers tracking, unified monitoring and analytics for backend and frontend of applications which makes it easier for organizations to detect and rectify any problems faced. From enhanced user experiences and increased uptime to lesser expenses and reduced risks, APM tools provide organizations with multiple benefits.
More web application-based organizations have started to believe in the power of application performance management tools and invest in them heavily. The global APM market is projected to reach US$11.9 billion by 2027 at a CAGR of 11.2% over the period 2020-2027. The APM industry in the US is expected to touch US$1.7 billion and China is to reach US$ billion a CAGR of 10.8% [1].
With so many options available in the market, choosing the right APM software for your organization can be tricky. Just like every organization is different, every APM tool is designed for different kinds of organizations. Therefore, doing your due diligence to find the right fit is imperative as it will help you increase your organization’s efficiency and make sure that you deliver exceeding your customer’s needs. In this blog, we will try to explain what APM is and which are the best APM tools that are available in the market today.
Introduction to Application Performance Management and APM Tools
Though APM stands for Application Performance Management, it is also at times referred to as Application Performance Monitoring. Though the two phrases are used interchangeably in the industry, there is a slight difference between monitoring and management. Monitoring typically means regular automated scanning of web applications while management is comparatively a more active role.
So, what is APM? APM is keeping an eye on potential issues as well as performance blockages in web applications from both a users’ and backend point of view. It is an umbrella term that covers management and monitoring of a software application’s performance. It includes everything from detecting clow transactions to code-level diagnostics. APM solutions can track overall app usage and help you understand spikes and slumps in traffic, find connection issues with app dependencies which include queues, caching and SQL, find the slowest web pages and transactions and much more.
The APM market is broad and many software companies can call themselves APMs. This is why Gartner created a list of criteria that a tool or a software needs to meet in order to qualify as an APM tool. According to Gartner’s guidelines, an software should have all of the following three things to call itself an APM [2]:
App discovery, diagnostics and tracing: This helps you dig into the details of your app to diagnose and discover potential issues your customers can face on your app.
Digital experience monitoring: An APM tool helps you discover if the user’s experience was a smooth one, did they face any glitches or bugs, was the transaction successful, etc.
Purpose-built AI for IT operations: AI or Artificial Intelligence is used commonly to back the automation of these processes
So, if you’re finding an APM tool for your application, these are the 3 core elements you should be looking for. Now that you know what you should be looking for in application monitoring tools, here are our 7 top picks for the best APM tools available in the industry. We’ve covered options for every type of business. Enter your email ID to learn more!
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[1] Report Linker (2020) “Global Application Performance Management (APM) Market to Reach $11. 9 Billion by 2027. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Application Performance Management (APM) estimated at US$5.” [Online] Available from: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/08/2089888/0/en/Global-Application-Performance-Management-APM-Industry.html#:~:text=The%20Application%20Performance%20Management%20(APM,analysis%20period%202020%20to%202027. [Accessed December 2020]
[2] Gartner (2020) “Application Performance Monitoring (apm)” [Online] Available from: https://www.gartner.com/en/information-technology/glossary/application-performance-monitoring-apm [Accessed December 2020]
