The business value of observability: Insights from the 2023 Observability Forecast

Investing in observability is crucial for businesses seeking greater efficiency, security, and profitability, as highlighted in the 2023 Observability Forecast report, which gathered insights from 1,700 technology professionals across 15 countries. The report emphasizes the significant return on investment (ROI) from observability, with organizations reporting reduced outages, improved service levels, operational cost savings, and increased revenue, evidenced by a median annual ROI of 2x. Full-stack observability, although not yet universally adopted, is gaining momentum, with expectations for widespread deployment by mid-2026, as it enhances service-level metrics such as mean time to resolution and detection. Observability is seen as both a productivity booster for practitioners and a strategic asset for IT decision-makers, helping achieve key performance indicators. Ignoring observability, however, poses financial risks, with increased operational costs and potential revenue loss from downtime, as indicated by 96% of respondents. The report underscores that observability is a necessity, not a luxury, for improving business outcomes and maintaining competitive advantage in a complex digital environment.