Discover the main advantages of DevOps for companies compared to traditional techniques of development and exploitation of software, in order to understand all the interest of adopting this method or of training as a DevOps engineer to take advantage of many opportunities. !
DevOps is experiencing unprecedented growth. Many IT organizations are adopting this methodology to unify software development and operations teams.
As a result, a real economy is forming around DevOps. According to the Global DevOps Market Research Report, the global market was estimated at $4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of 18.95% to reach a value of $12 billion in 2026 .
So how do you explain such success? Why are companies moving away from traditional methods of software development and operation in favor of DevOps? Find out what the real benefits of this modern approach are…
What is DevOps?
It was invented by Patrick Debois in 2009, to designate a method allowing the fast and efficient delivery of updates, bug fixes and new functionalities for software.
More than just a technique, it’s a new approach to IT and a whole culture. It is based on tools, practices and principles such as collaboration, integration, automation and continuous improvement.
Before the introduction of DevOps, software delivery was based on the traditional “waterfall” model . This approach involved following a sequential flow of defined phases following each other. Each step was dependent on the others, and the completion of one marked the beginning of the next.
However, despite its simplicity, this model had many flaws . Over the years, the requirements in terms of problem solving in software have increased along with the expectations for new functionalities.
Consequently, the waterfall method has become obsolete due to the delays and costs associated with separating the various teams into silos. The need to provide stable software while having to respond instantly to dynamic needs led to conflicts between the different branches of the organization, forming a spiral with disastrous results.
Through its inclusive and collaborative essence, DevOps makes it possible to remedy these weaknesses . Let’s take a closer look at the many advantages of this new approach!
Optimize the quality of software delivery
Within a DevOps team, everyone is responsible for the proper functioning of the application. Quality, performance, user experience, stability, security and speed of delivery are therefore goals shared by all members.
DevOps also guarantees total control . Each change is scrupulously noted, and everyone can perceive its impact on the quality over the releases. Therefore, this methodology accelerates software delivery while improving its stability and quality.
The increased frequency of relaxation and CI/CD practices allow problems to both be identified and resolved much more quickly. This guarantees enhanced stability while leaving more time for quality and innovation.
Increased productivity
The automation and collaboration provided by DevOps can increase the productivity of an IT team. This approach makes it necessary to rethink the distribution of tasks and the organization of tests, but also to improve all the processes.
It introduces a set of practices and principles, leading to iron discipline and efficiency throughout the software lifecycle. In addition to saving valuable time, it helps to gain competitiveness .
Agility and fast delivery
The world of software has changed. Competition is particularly fierce, and users are much more demanding than before. In fact, a few days late in deploying an update can have a major impact on the success or failure of a product.
One of the main benefits of DevOps is a significant gain in agility and efficiency . It makes it possible to react more quickly to the needs of the company or users, by increasing the frequency of deployments.
Faced with the uncertainties of the future, this approach offers an infrastructure that makes it possible to adapt in real time to changes. Rapid iterations and standardized processes accelerate the “Time to Market” and therefore bring better competitiveness , while greatly reducing the reaction time to errors.
Foster collaboration to break down silos
Traditionally, different IT professionals are separated into silos within a company. The developers work on one side, and the IT engineers take care of the operation of the software after its delivery. Similarly, cybersecurity is handled by another isolated team.
The big advantage of DevOps is to remove these silos. It allows to unite development , operation, testing, networking, database or security professionals within the same IT team.
This method put an end to the outdated linear operating scheme of letting one team complete all tasks related to a project and then letting the next team take over. This flexible approach offers better responsiveness to market developments.
Process optimization
The traditional waterfall process is error-prone. This is not the case with DevOps, which relies on a continuous pipeline from development to operation.
So teams can move faster by releasing small changes frequently, detecting issues in real time, and responding to them immediately. DevOps helps organizations optimize processes and improve day by day.
