It’s essential for companies to deliver their projects today, or else run the risk of their competitors releasing the same projects tomorrow. One of the best ways of speeding up the development and launching process is to implement a modern DevOps strategy.
The most successful DevOps models significantly reduce the gap between having a brilliant idea and releasing it to the public, making this sophisticated workflow a winning solution for all businesses. But not every company has the time, staff or budget to set up inhouse DevOps.
DevOps outsourcing is an efficient alternative, allowing businesses to benefit from the proven system without having to divert valuable resources.
How DevOps works
DevOps isn’t a job title, nor the name of a team. It’s a series of practices businesses can employ to smooth out and speed up software development and launch.
DevOps focuses on improving collaboration and communication between software development and IT operations, removing the silo between the two teams to streamline the work process. A DevOps engineer oversees the practices, identifying the best tools to use, creating processes and automating the flow from development to production.
As a result, the development process flows faster, is highly accurate and cost-effective, all while reducing the number of bugs in the delivered product.
By implementing DevOps, businesses benefit from:
- Faster product delivery
- Increased flexibility with different apps, services and components
- Fewer security issues
- Decreased chance of change failure
- Improved metric reporting.
DevOps workflow
DevOps is so efficient because it’s built upon four solid continuous stages:
- Integration
- Delivery
- Deployment
- Monitoring and feedback
Each DevOps stage closes the gap between development and operations, allowing for enhanced collaboration and faster releases.
Integration
Integration works by developers combining their code changes into a single shared repository where updates are tested automatically.
Continuous integration (CI) guarantees that developers have access to the latest version of code at all times. This helps to avoid timely, expensive delays by providing developers with the tools they need to work on the same source code, eliminating the need to wait for separate sections to be integrated on release day.
Delivery
Continuous delivery (CD) follows continuous integration. During this stage of DevOps, all code changes are automatically made, tested and packaged for launch with the goal of releasing updates in a quick and sustainable way.
This automation optimizes the release process, enabling engineers to release new builds with the touch of a button.
Deployment
Continuous deployment is another automated process of DevOps, one which requires zero manual intervention. In this stage, every approved change is automatically delivered to users.
Continuous deployment allows smaller, more frequent changes to be released, creating a better and more regularly updated product available for users to enjoy. In turn, developers benefit from highly accurate feedback much faster than usual.
Monitoring and feedback
Having the right DevOps tools to monitor processes and obtain feedback on product releases is essential. Just like the previous steps, monitoring should be completed automatically and continuously provide useful feedback.
Ongoing monitoring and feedback helps IT operations determine problem areas and inform developers instantly. Unceasing feedback guarantees system reliability and security, as well as agile responses to unforeseen issues.
How outsourced DevOps works
The benefits of implementing DevOps are obvious. But the process for businesses to set up the advanced workflow internally isn’t so clear. This is why many businesses opt for contracting DevOps as a service.
When outsourcing DevOps, specialist engineers implement the complex methodology, customizing it so it fits within the business’ existing infrastructure and also meets various requirements. Every workflow is completely tailored so it suits each business and each individual project.
Subcontracting DevOps also includes the transfer of current architectures into the cloud. The subcontracted company will assess the business’ existing practices before launching cloud migration and creating suitable tools to manage delivery within the cloud.
Daas (DevOps as a Service) generally includes:
- Cloud service integration
- Automation of development and production
- Recovery plan creation
- Cloud-to-cloud migration
- App building and dockerizing
Although the above are the services most commonly included when contracting DevOps, it’s important to remember that each project is unique and calls for a personalized approach. This workflow is most successful when DevOps service providers and clients work together to agree on the services required according to the specific project.
Benefits of subcontracting DevOps
Outsourced DevOps is the best choice for businesses that want to take advantage of the many benefits of the methodology without having to bear the burden of implementing them inhouse. The three greatest benefits of outsourcing DevOps are:
Instant, affordable access to experts
Hiring an excellent DevOps engineer to work for your business internally will cost you a small fortune. According to LinkedIn, the base salary for a DevOps engineer in the US is $105,000 per year.
By contracting DevOps to a third-party company, you benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and experience that DevOps experts provide, without having to budget for recruitment or training. Instead, you pay for DaaS following a simple, flexible payment structure which you can change when necessary.
Fewer risks and expenses
Remote DevOps service providers are responsible for the financial risks they take. Businesses which contract them aren’t responsible for paying their taxes (as if they were employees), purchasing equipment, maintaining office space or investing in ongoing training.
When outsourcing DevOps, a business pays a monthly fee for a set of services. If any problems arise during the contract, it’s the service provider who is responsible.
Freedom to effectively prioritize
By handing over DevOps to an experienced team, business owners are free to concentrate on expanding their business and providing their users with more value. Safe in the knowledge that internal workflows are optimized, the internal workforce can focus on their professional strengths, growing the business and improving productivity.
There’s no need to stress over efficient product development, accurate monitoring or continuous maintenance. Employing the services of an excellent DevOps provider ensures everything will work smoothly.
Why the future of DevOps is outsourcing
Outsourcing DevOps allows businesses to benefit from the efficient methodology instantly, providing access to industry experts and high-tech equipment immediately, all without the financial risks and challenges associated with keeping DevOps inhouse. With so many benefits of DaaS and so few downsides, it’s anticipated that more businesses will continue to subcontract DevOps in the years to come.