When I stepped into the role of CEO of Quest Software, I made a commitment to meet with 100 of our customers over the course of 100 days.
There is no better way to understand our customers’ requirements and their most pressing needs than hearing it first-hand.
It provided me with a chance to hear, without filters, what we’re doing well, where we need to improve, and how we can help our customers make big strides in their AI evolution and win in a rapidly changing technology landscape.
Here’s what I heard:
The challenges are real—and they’re growing
From these conversations it became clear that customers can’t wait to embrace AI – and make it profitable for their business – but there are many hurdles to get there. Some of the top areas they continually highlighted are the core areas where Quest Software can make a difference.
- Data: AI output is only as good as the data, and organizations are struggling with fragmented, siloed, and untrusted data.
- Security: Threats are relentless with sprawling attack surfaces, an 80:1 ratio of non-human identities to human ones, resulting in security challenges and compliance risk like never before.
- Modernization—At the very core, AI needs modern platforms: Companies need trusted solutions to avoid downtime and lost revenue while modernizing seamlessly.
These are mission-critical challenges that impact revenue, reputation, and resilience. And they’re exactly the kind of challenges Quest was built to solve.
Open dialogue delivers meaningful insights
Across these 100 conversations, one thing was clear: we have a strong foundation to support our customers – and an even stronger commitment to helping them achieve their goals. Our customers and partners spoke openly about the challenges they are facing in the marketplace. By surfacing these issues, they are trusting us to listen, act quickly, and deliver meaningful solutions. We deeply value that trust and openness.
Equally important, I heard consistent feedback about the things Quest does exceptionally well, the qualities that set us apart, and how we maintain our customers’ confidence. We have the tools to solve big challenges, the people to bring ideas to life, and the vision to move forward together.
- Our people: The number one compliment was about our incredible people. Whether it’s the deep knowledge and insights we share with our customers, the A+ service and support we deliver, or the way we listen and respond, our people are at the heart of everything Quest does well.
- World-class products: Our product suite, built on decades of experience, continues to be a true differentiator. It’s why more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 trust us to deliver.
- Our AI path: There is genuine excitement about the innovation at Quest and where we are headed. Customers and partners were excited about both the AI enablement we have added to our products and the AI use cases and solutions we are building. Through these conversations, it became evidently clear that for customers to secure AI success, they needed a reliable partner to deliver the data platform, identity security, and platform modernization to get there.
And, routinely, I heard that Quest is that partner to help them do so.
The investments we’re making in R&D, AI, our products, and in Quest as a whole will help address many of these hurdles. As AI moves at this breakneck pace, we will continue to listen and partner – and innovate together – to deliver. With a new leadership team in place, we’re laser-focused on what we need to do, and we’re operating like a startup, but with the benefit of decades of experience.
Above all, everyone I spoke with appreciated the opportunity to be heard. The feedback we received is gold. It’s direct, honest, and it’s exactly what we need to hear to continue improving on behalf of our customers.
From listening to action—The road ahead
Every meeting left me inspired—not just by the challenges our customers face, but by their ingenuity, resilience, and vision for the future. Most of all, I was energized by how Quest can help them get there.
Our new strategy is clear and is anchored in the expertise we’ve built over decades. Our three pillars – trusted AI-ready data, secure identities, and platform modernization to scale with AI demands – support our customers’ evolving needs.
Let’s build the future together.
