Article published in VMBlog by Nick Kavadellas, President and CEO at Orasi Software.
Unlike 2020, DevOps isn’t novel: it has been a part of the software delivery conversation for the past 10+ years. However, taking center stage more recently is integrating security (i.e. DevSecOps), ensuring continuous app delivery/performance, operating in hybrid environments, training teams amidst a pandemic and an overall focus on how DevOps drives business value. Below, I’ve identified pivotal aspects of DevOps that stretch beyond the basics of how it radically improves software delivery speed and empowers developers to deliver better products with fewer bugs.
(1) There will be an increased focus on application security as part of DevOps processes.
- Customers and prospects identify AppSec as one of their biggest software development challenges, noting the increased need for security data integration and centralized dashboarding to provide better visibility for enterprise application security management.
- Orasi has seen an uptick in activity from its joint venture company, Saltworks, that builds world-class AppSec programs from policy to production (70% YoY revenue increase with 15% since March 2020).
- Integrating security from the outset, especially given the increase of open source, will be the expected baseline for all software development initiatives.
- Orasi has seen an increasing number of clients moving beyond their initial DevOps maturity and looking to integrate advanced concepts like continuous security, continuous testing and continuous data.
(2) DevSecOps automation and increased team collaboration will become *the* critical success factors for innovative software development.
- With distributed teams (hybrid, WFH, PT/FT, etc.) more prevalent than ever (workforce evolution, COVID, etc.), IT will rely heavily on automation to better streamline DevSecOps and collaboration to ensure distributed resources are communicating/working effectively.
- Orasi is seeing increased spending on DevSecOps automation and hybrid staffing model initiatives from customers, prospects and partners.
- Orasi is seeing customers begin to evolve from initial DevOps automation that was often siloed in a few areas to a more integrated and complete end-to-end pipeline automation that addresses security, testing, data, monitoring and beyond.
(3) Application performance testing and monitoring will steal the spotlight as companies realize their digital presence needs to scale.
- Testing/monitoring strategies will become universal to users across geolocations as they’re vital to the performance of multiple interrelated systems and ensure throughput.
- DevSecOps vendors will need to “play nicely” with testing and monitoring niche vendors, like Micro Focus LoadRunner Enterprise, Neotys NeoLoad and Dynatrace, to create and administer the most comprehensive enterprise/mobile AppDev blueprints possible.
- Driving a “shift left” in areas like testing and monitoring is enabling clients to move more quickly with more confidence. Integrating those capabilities into the DevOps pipeline is critical to success.
(4) DevSecOps will be a key catalyst driving successful application operations, development and security as customers migrate to the cloud to ensure innovation.
- DevSecOps (automating secure, repeatable AppDev and processes) and cloud (technology and services to speed/enhance AppDev, processes and efficiency) must be irrevocably tied to achieve enterprise transformation goals set as part of 2021 technology initiatives.
- Shifting to a hybrid or cloud-based environment means DevSecOps teams need to focus even more on security as part of integrating controls from ideation to launch, reducing downtime, increasing scalability and accelerating time to market.
- DevSecOps and cloud adoption go hand-in-hand into the IT landscape of tomorrow, regardless of what happens in the market. Whether preparing for a cloud market shake-up or just trying to remain competitive in an industry, having a robust cloud strategy and an effective DevSecOps roadmap will help navigate the rapidly changing future ahead.
- Whether you’re the CTO, a tester, code creating developer or anyone in between, plan that defining DevSecOps in the cloud will be a team effort.
(5) Modern, virtual eLearning labs have augmented on-site training and there’s no going back.
- Pre-Covid estimates of the online education industry hitting $350B by 2025 are already out of date. Given hybrid teams, knowledge transfer ROI and the cost/efficiency savings for organizations, the shift from in-person training to virtual models is here to stay.
- Orasi has seen a rapid increase in demand for OrasiLabs, its train anyone, anywhere, anytime cloud-based hands-on learning lab solution: customer volume is expected to double by year-end.
- The positive culture shift to training with an on-demand, virtual platform has been pervasive: teams are more efficient, retain and implement what they learn at a faster pace, and value organizations for empowering them with skill-building opportunities.
- Using ZOOM, SLACK or other communications tools has proven ineffective: training platforms like Orasi enable hands-on, individualized and group participation, over-the-shoulder instruction and performance monitoring critical to every vertical industry (e.g. technology, healthcare/medicine, financial services, manufacturing, etc.).