There is little doubt that DevOps has transformed how developers approach software. Bringing together development and operations to speed up deployments has markedly improved the process. But, as you know, no approach stands still for long. As new developments and priorities arise, DevOps has to keep up with the times. The question is: what does the future hold for DevOps?
Platform Engineering: An Extension of DevOps
It’s no secret that application development is getting more complex. Modern infrastructure poses significant challenges, with platform engineering emerging as a potential solution. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 80% of software engineering organisations will have created platform teams to bring together software developers and IT operations. Platform engineering is gathering steam as containerisation, AI, and microservices become mainstream.
However, the conversation around platform engineering sometimes moves into discussions about whether DevOps has a future. DevOps and platform engineering are not adversaries. Think of platform engineering as an extension or a specialisation of DevOps. Both approaches share core principles, such as collaboration, automation and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD).
But there are also differences between DevOps and platform engineering. While DevOps focuses on optimising development and continuous deployment, platform engineering centres around building the platforms that support this, enhancing the DevOps approach rather than replacing it. One of the core aims of DevOps is to break down silos to allow for better collaboration between development and operations teams, leading to better outcomes. Alternatively, platform engineering revolves around specialised teams responsible for platform design, implementation and maintenance.
While DevOps processes are designed to ensure rapid (but reliable) delivery, the process requires various tools and environments. Anyone who has juggled several tools at once knows how complicated it can be—enter platform engineering. It seeks to fix this issue by simplifying the developer experience, automating tasks and introducing a self-service infrastructure.
AIOps: Augmenting DevOps
Almost every business is scrambling to incorporate AI into operations, including IT teams. Enter AIOps. The term, coined by Gartner, refers to using big data, analytics and machine learning capabilities to collect and aggregate data generated by IT infrastructure, identify events and patterns relating to performance and availability, and diagnose root causes, which allow IT teams to respond quickly.
AIOps offers many benefits for IT teams. The approach provides AI-powered observability, allowing for advanced monitoring, meaning incidents are solved significantly faster. It also helps teams optimise costs, allowing them to analyse real-time metrics and historical data to make better decisions on resource provisioning.
Organisations pivoting to AIOps can push past some traditional roadblocks, such as reactive incident management, resulting in more efficient systems. But what’s next for AIOps? With AI advancing at rapid speed, AIOps will only grow in prominence. We can expect AIOps platforms to continue their transition from identifying and diagnosing issues towards proactive and predictive capabilities.
DevSecOps: Shifting Left
DevSecOps is also gathering steam in the IT community, with one survey finding that 72% of respondents unifying security and observability. DevSecOps is about building security into every stage of the software development lifecycle. At the heart of this approach is automation, which allows teams to work more efficiently by removing the need for manual checks, for example, through vulnerability scanning, static application security testing (SAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST).
The DevSecOps approach boasts a long list of benefits, including better software quality as developers become more aware of potential threats, the identification of more security vulnerabilities in applications, reduced time to market through the elimination of bottlenecks, better team collaboration and the creation of repeatable processes that promote consistent security.
Many IT teams are welcoming this approach with open arms, signalling a fundamental shift in how organisations approach software development. In 2024 and beyond, the “shift left” approach, which sees security testing performed earlier in the software lifecycle, will become the norm.
Final Thoughts: What’s Next For DevOps?
The DevOps approach has given IT teams the speed and efficiency they need to build and release software. However, IT teams where development and operations teams collaborate are being influenced by other approaches. Platform engineering, AIOps and DevSecOps are shaping the future of software delivery. However, these approaches won’t replace DevOps—they help DevOps scale alongside changing demands. IT teams embracing these approaches will be well-positioned to tackle modern software development and all its complexities.
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