In the rapidly evolving world of DevOps, platform engineering is gaining significant traction as a strategic approach to managing workflows at scale, ultimately leading to enhanced developer experiences. This innovative discipline has the potential to optimize developer productivity, streamline workflows, and ultimately, take your deployment process to the next level.
In August 2023, CloudBees performed research on platform engineering and its uptake in the industry. We polled 221 practitioners around the globe to get their insights on its value, why they are adopting it (83% of those surveyed are in some phase of adoption - do you have FOMO yet?), use cases, and how they will measure success. Spoiler alert: No surprise - it's all about developer productivity and developer experience (DevEx). Gain additional insights from the research report.
Development teams are constantly working to balance maintaining the development environment and actual application development. Platform engineering alleviates this challenge by minimizing the time spent on environment maintenance, freeing developers to focus on what they do best - create exceptional applications.
At its core, platform engineering is about standardizing workflows and creating internal developer platforms (IDPs) to foster a consistent and predictable developer experience. This level of standardization eliminates guesswork, reduces errors and boosts overall productivity. It serves as a foundation for building a unified environment for building, testing, and updating applications.
Adopting platform engineering across a large organization doesn't happen overnight. It's a gradual process that starts with a few development teams, fostering an organic adoption throughout the organization. As the benefits become evident, adoption will naturally expand. But for this to be successful, trust must be at the heart of this journey – trust in the platform engineering’s ability to manage workflows at scale without stifling innovation.
The digital era has brought with it incredible advances in analytics, digital twin technologies, and artificial intelligence. These technologies are not just changing the face of business; they are also paving the way for successful platform engineering implementation. With these technologies, organizations can analyze platform performance, create digital replicas of physical assets, and leverage AI to make data-backed decisions.
Not only does platform engineering streamline processes and enhance productivity, but it also leads to improved application quality and security. Consequently, developers enjoy a better work experience, stemming from reduced stress levels, increased job satisfaction, and enhanced team morale.
To kickstart the transition, DevOps teams should define platform engineering best practices and create a roadmap that outlines the direction for the organization.
Ultimately, platform engineering is more than just a new buzzword. It's a revolutionary approach that is set to redefine how organizations manage DevOps workflows. By embracing platform engineering, you can enjoy better developer experiences, enhanced productivity, and improved application quality. The time for platform engineering is now.
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