DevOps is (unofficially) well over a decade old. Yet, to those outside of the software development industry, DevOps is viewed still as a relatively recent phenomenon. It was back in 2009 that Patrick Debois coined the phrase after working on a particularly challenging data migration project for the Belgian government.
Debois founded the DevOpsDays conference to share his experience with his industry peers and his twitter hashtag #devops struck a chord and has subsequently stuck around ever since.
Fourteen years on and the DevOps principles have transformed the pace and efficiency of software delivery across the globe. While interpretation can differ from company to company, the key definition describes the process of combining software development and IT operations to shorten the development lifecycle.
Fundamentally, a successful DevOps adoption brings faster lead times from commitment to deployment and boosts any company’s ability to scale and respond to market changes. For organisations that rely on internet and web services, as an example, as their go-to market channel DevOps allows them to deliver a constant flow of new functions and features.
Those who have excelled are capable of putting hundreds of code releases into production daily and
have become dominant forces in internet activity. With the likes of Google, Netflix, Amazon and Facebook, it’s little wonder that consumer expectations for innovation and responsiveness are so high. So, if DevOps offers a solution for other companies to keep pace, why isn’t every organisation using these practices?
The fact is, the majority of companies have partially adopted the technologies and practices that fall under the DevOps umbrella. However, many fail to fully embed the principles into their organisations and this is one of the biggest barriers to success. DevOps relies on a change in culture to make it effective – it is a combination of people, process and technology. Businesses have to commit to the cultural element, as well as the working practices, to optimise the flow of value from idea to end user.
In our experience, those who embrace a culture of collaboration and open communication, with buy-in from leadership teams, already have the right foundations in place to make it work. What’s often needed is external expertise to guide companies through the transformation and tackle the various issues. Our team at Accelerate have worked in the field of DevOps adoption since its infancy and while every business we have supported has had its own unique challenges, all successful adoptions have been driven by the same end goals. From reducing time to market for new products and features, to building more agility and
unlocking cost savings – all clear benefits for internet-reliant businesses.
The DevOps journey is not straight forward and there will be barriers along the road thatrequire expert navigation. Whether it is introducing a higher level of automation, identifying the right skillsets or consolidating technology and tools, it’s no surprise that many organisations find it a daunting task to handle it all internally. This probably explains why our DevOps Meetups have proven to be so popular within the London/South East region where most of our major clients are based.
Our ‘M4 Meetups’ have brought together industry experts and in house teams to discuss their experiences of everything from the latest products and tools, to implementing reliable, consistent delivery pipelines. What is interesting for us to see is how the adoption of DevOps practices has escalated in the last couple of years and the positive impact that is having on overall company performance.
Whether an organisation is looking to improve its current software delivery pipeline or undertake a major transformation, DevOps principles have to be considered in today’s fast- moving market. With the growing pressure to deploy and manage high-quality software at high speed, companies are starting to shift their focus. While a change in culture will be at the heart every DevOps adoption, seeking advice from expert practitioners on the right technology, tools and processes could help remove many of the common barriers facing today’s businesses.
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Follow us on LinkedIn to see latest updates and watch out for information of our next M4 Meetup (which is long overdue!) later this year.
Thanks for reading,
Craig
