Forrester last year reported1:
- The release frequency of software is slowly but consistently getting faster.
- The most common frequencies are quarterly and semiannual.
- DevOps is one of the most influential trends on software over the past decade.
- DevOps is based on the principle of increasing release frequency, in part, by reducing ‘batch size’ of software changes.
What is DevOps?
DevOps is a software development practice promoting collaboration between Development, Quality Assurance (QA) and Operations. It works to automate and integrate the processes resulting in faster and more reliable software delivery. A DevOps culture connects people, processes and technology to deliver continuous value focussed on a shared goal: the rapid delivery of stable, high-quality software from concept to customer.
Operations benefits include increased visibility across teams, more precise requirements, improved comms, repeatable process for deployment, and confidence in deployment.
Customer benefits include quicker deployment times, quality, security and stability.
channelcentral’s establishment of a DevOps function improves delivery
In creating a DevOps role, we have realised multiple benefits:
- More focus on core functions – removing the need for developers to worry about or get involved with deployment activities.
- Growing pains – some scale was required to implement DevOps and would have been difficult before our teams reached a specific size.
- Faster deployments.
- Fewer errors once deployed.
- Faster turnaround of important items and new features for customers.
Our DevOps Manager was selected for several reasons, which we believe are vital to the role operating successfully:
- Previous experience as a competent developer.
- Involvement in all aspects, from coding through to deployment.
- An ability to identify and handle infrastructure items (certificates etc.) .
- Naturally took on some responsibility before the role was formalised.
channelcentral’s software release frequency is generally quarterly, although more recently monthly. Release frequency will also depend on the completion of a new feature/project and can even be weekly if/when urgent priority level fixes are needed.
1Forrester Report: Software Application Release Frequency Is Getting Faster Worldwide, 22 June 2020, Charles Betz