Modern log management: from cost center to business enabler

Logs have always been one of the most trusted sources for IT and security teams. They tell the story of what happened, when it happened, and why. But as architectures evolve and digital services scale, the role of logs has expanded beyond troubleshooting — they are now central to enterprise observability and resilience.

Why logs matter more than ever

Over the last decade, organizations have faced two seismic shifts:

• Cloud transformation – applications refactored into microservices generate log volumes that grow from gigabytes to petabytes almost overnight.
• AI disruption – as organizations embed AI into their digital ecosystems, new data patterns and operational complexities emerge that legacy log management cannot effectively manage.

At the same time, budgets are consolidating. Logging, APM, and infrastructure monitoring are no longer separate silos; they are converging under a unified observability strategy. For many organizations, logs remain the starting point — and often the foundation — of this journey.

The challenge for modern enterprises

The scale of telemetry is exploding. Dynatrace customers report that log data alone consumes over 50% of their observability budget, with more than one-third spending over $1M annually. Projections indicate log volumes will continue to grow at 40% year over year.

Traditional log management tools, designed 20–25 years ago for static on-premises environments, simply cannot support this reality. They were never built for hybrid, multi-cloud, or AI-native workloads. The result: rising costs, fragmented insights, and operational blind spots.

Logs as business-critical data

Just as identity logs have proven essential to detecting anomalies in authentication — directly safeguarding user trust and business continuity — operational logs play a similar role across the enterprise. They are not just technical artifacts but business signals that can:

• Reveal security risks – unusual access patterns or failed login attempts may signal compromised accounts.
• Optimize digital experiences – application latency captured in logs can highlight friction points impacting customer satisfaction.
• Support financial control – understanding log volume growth informs smarter budgeting for observability investments.
• Enable resilience – correlating logs with metrics and traces provides the context required for faster incident resolution and proactive prevention.

By treating logs as a strategic data asset, CIOs and CTOs can bridge the gap between IT operations and business outcomes.

Dynatrace’s redefined approach to logs

Dynatrace addresses this challenge by embedding log management within a unified observability and security platform. Instead of treating logs as a standalone silo, Dynatrace automatically correlates them with metrics, traces, and events. This context-aware approach enables:

• Cost-to-value optimization – ingest the right data at the right time, without waste.
• Scalability – manage petabytes of telemetry across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
• Automation and AI – accelerate root cause analysis and proactively prevent issues.
• Business resilience – ensure that mission-critical systems remain reliable and secure.

Real-world transformation

One enterprise customer reported that migrating an application from on-premises to a microservices architecture increased log data from 50 GB to 2 TB. Traditional tools could not scale or deliver actionable insight. By adopting Dynatrace, they gained visibility, controlled costs, and accelerated resolution times — turning an overwhelming data surge into a business advantage.

Moving forward

Logs are no longer just an operational detail; they are a strategic enabler of digital transformation. By reimagining log management within the broader context of observability, Dynatrace helps CIOs, CTOs, and DevOps leaders transform a costly challenge into a driver of innovation, resilience, and business outcomes.

For further inquiries, demo requests, or to explore how Dynatrace can help your organization modernize log management, please fill out the form or contact us at [email protected]