Original Article

Summary

In this article, I delve into the significant DevOps trends and developments of 2023, drawing insights from Gologic’s extensive experience across diverse mandates. We surveyed our collaborators to understand the key topics and technologies that shaped their daily work with clients, and to evaluate the accuracy of our early 2023 predictions.

Key takeaways from our 2023 observations include:

1. Technical Debt and Tools Jungle: Companies continue to grapple with existing technical debt, which often hinders innovation. This is compounded by a vast and complex ecosystem of DevOps tools, as evidenced by the over 1200 tools listed in the CNCF Landscape. This complexity presents challenges in compatibility, cost, and operational management.

2. Migration to the Cloud and DevOps Transition: The drive towards cloud migration remains a critical focus for agility and competitiveness. Many organizations are still actively engaged in this transition, redesigning their infrastructure to fully leverage cloud benefits.

3. Less Dev, More Ops: Due to workforce reductions and cost pressures, there’s a notable shift from developing new projects to optimizing existing applications. The emphasis is now on maximizing the efficiency and stability of current systems in production.

4. Reliable Systems - Site Reliability Engineering (SRE): Companies are increasingly adopting SRE principles, focusing on defining clear Service Level Objectives (SLOs) to ensure operational stability. This approach allows teams to prioritize high-value tasks and maintain a consistent service level, crucial for organizational reputation.

5. Security and DevSecOps - A Top Priority: Security has emerged as a paramount concern. Organizations are actively integrating security practices throughout their development and delivery pipelines by adopting DevSecOps methodologies to mitigate risks and protect their reputation.

6. AI in Development: Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly significant role, with tools like GitHub Copilot and AWS CodeWhisperer enhancing developer productivity through automatic code generation. Companies are exploring the integration of these tools while carefully assessing associated security implications.

Our analysis of popular tools in 2023 revealed:

• GitOps and DevSecOps were the most frequently adopted approaches by our clients, with GitOps being particularly highly requested.
• ChatOps and Policy as Code are showing strong potential for future disruption, even if their adoption is not yet widespread.
• Conversely, FinOps has seen less traction than anticipated.

In conclusion, 2023 has been a year of significant transformation in the tech industry, driven by the rapid advancements in AI and evolving work models. Remaining adaptable and informed about emerging trends is essential. Our predictions for DevSecOps and GitOps proved accurate, and we are closely monitoring the growth of ChatOps and Policy as Code.