Advances in technology are happening faster than ever. Just look at the increase of patents filed every year. No wonder business leaders feel the pressure to deliver applications and services at mach speed. But a common challenge they run into is that siloed development infrastructure makes fast development difficult. This is where Azure DevOps can help. DevOps was developed to tear down the walls between departments, improving communication and collaboration.

However, working in a high-tech environment means that DevOps is extremely challenging to implement without the proper tools. Azure DevOps is a collection of developer services that help teams get past this. According to Microsoft, the tool set is designed to help teams plan work, collaborate on code development, and build and deploy applications.

The following sections will discuss what Azure DevOps is, why teams choose it, and how you can get started with Azure.

What Does the Azure DevOps Platform Include?

Azure DevOps is a flexible platform that provides users the tools they need to work efficiently in the DevOps framework. It gives its users flexibility by allowing them to work in the cloud or deploying it as an on-premises server solution. The platform has five main components that provide a complete DevOps solution.

1. Azure Repos. Repos are version control tools that help track changes made to your code over time. When edits are made to the code, snapshots are saved, which you can revert to if needed. Version control is an indispensable tool for developers making changes at a rapid pace as it allows them to easily undo errors introduced into the system.

2. Azure Pipelines. Pipelines automatically build and test code projects. It uses continuous integration and continuous delivery principles to test, build, and ship anywhere. Continuous integration is a DevOps technique that allows developers to catch bugs early and improve code quality. And continuous delivery helps ensure teams can keep up a high-velocity development environment.

3. Azure Boards. Agile, Scrum, and Kanban are all integral DevOps processes. Azure Boards provide native support as well as configurable dashboards, calendar views, and integrated reporting that help improve project and issue tracking in your organization.

4. Azure Test Plans. Testing is crucial to quality control and needs to happen quickly in a DevOps environment. Azure Test Plans provides a browser-based test management solution that provides the capability needed for planned manual testing, user acceptance testing, and exploratory testing. It also has tools for gathering feedback from stakeholders.

5. Azure Artifacts. Software artifacts can help developers create development roadmaps that save time, improve flexibility, and make software easier to upgrade and maintain. Azure Artifacts can be used alongside Azure Pipelines to deploy packages, publish build artifacts, and integrate files between pipeline stages.

Azure DevOps provides developers with the tools to collaborate and code efficiently — living up to the DevOps philosophy.

Azure DevOps is backed by one of the biggest names in technology: Microsoft. It offers powerful features, including quick setup, centralized control, and robust security. Azure is built around collaboration which is essential to DevOps. Tools like Azure Boards facilitate communication and help team members to understand what everyone is working on.

Additionally, Azure is an open platform that plays well with other tools like Slack and AWS. As a result, companies don’t have to change their tech stack completely to use Azure. In fact, Azure DevOps services can be used on a standalone basis if users don’t need all the platform’s features.

Another core tenet of DevOps is continuous integration and delivery. Azure DevOps services, like Azure Pipeline, facilitate implementing the CI/CD methodology. With so many moving parts in a large organization, it’s no wonder that people choose a platform like Azure to streamline their DevOps integration.

The Right Partner Can Help You Deploy DevOps Faster

Your IT team works hard to support your development team and business applications. It’s unlikely that they have the bandwidth to research different options and implement large-scale solutions. Our team at OneNeck has the hands-on Microsoft experience to answer your questions and get you up and running quickly.

As a Microsoft Cloud Service Provider, we understand the challenges of adopting a new DevOps solution. Leverage our expertise to harness the collaborative capabilities of Microsoft Azure in your business. Contact us today.