What is the primary goal of application performance monitoring (APM)?

The primary goal of application performance monitoring (APM) is to measure application speed and stability. This focus on measuring performance helps organizations ensure that their applications are running efficiently and meeting the expectations of users. APM tools provide insights into various performance metrics, such as response times, error rates, and transaction traces, enabling teams to identify bottlenecks and improve the overall performance of the application.

Accurate measurement of speed and stability allows development and operations teams to make informed decisions on optimizing application performance, ultimately enhancing end-user satisfaction. While identifying software bugs, enhancing user experience, and reducing infrastructure costs are all important aspects of software and operational efficiency, they are secondary benefits that arise from effectively measuring and managing application performance. The core function of APM centers on understanding how well an application performs in real-time to maintain optimal user experiences and system reliability.