DevOps is slowly taking over the world of IT. But because the concept is so young and all-encompassing, a concrete definition of DevOps is hard to come by.
Understandably, this doesn’t sit well with some old-fashioned IT executives who are continuously prodded to move from their safe and slow waterfall methodology to a seemingly risky, hard-to-define, culture shifting, and automation-filled DevOps approach.
When looking at DevOps in this manner, it makes sense that CIOs are resistant. But while that representation is not untrue, it’s also totally incomplete and altogether unfair. DevOps has proven time and time again to bring with it a plethora of cultural, monetary, and technological benefits. It just needs to be explained to CIOs in a clear and concise manner.
Here is what you need to know before you pitch DevOps to your CIO:
The Industry’s Embrace of Continuous Delivery
According to DZone’s Guide to Continuous Delivery, adoption of continuous delivery continues to grow in software lifecycle environments. The most popular continuous delivery environment is application build management, with 61% of survey respondents reporting that they use continuous delivery, and another 33% expressing a desire to implement it.
In addition, DZone found a 9% growth in adoption of continuous delivery practices for the database. With this rate embrace, the average number of deployments per month is expected to double in the next few years. Your CIO does not want to be responsible for your organization being left in the dust.
Without DevOps, Your Database is Vulnerable
According to the same report (mentioned above), an estimated 61% of organizations have implemented continuous delivery practices for application development. Comparatively, only 30% have implemented continuous delivery practices for database development, and just 13% have automated processes in place.
Automation is a prerequisite for continuous delivery and without it, the database is left behind. Believe it or not, automating the database creates a safer environment that protects the database from breaches and unwanted changes.
The Benefits for CIOs are Exponential
When implemented correctly, DevOps solutions offer a multitude of benefits, including increased productivity, error reduction, and substantial savings of both time and resources. This translates to shipping out rapid changes that coincide with application development while keeping pace with user and market demands.
Other benefits include fewer risks and back-outs, quicker time-to-market, and better service to customers. The increases in both quality and productivity can have a substantial impact on development costs and the company’s bottom line. Who gets the credit for these achievements? The CIO of course!
Making DevOps a CIO Imperative
With DevOps making it easier to protect data, follow regulatory compliance, and audit every step of application releases, it should be a no-brainer to embrace. While these benefits are aligned with the priorities of the CIO, sometimes they need a push in the right direction.
The apprehension of the CIO is understandable, because if DevOps is not implemented right, he/she could be out of a job. But if you prepare yourself correctly, there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to pitch DevOps to your CIO.
