Cloud computing is the capability of accessing infrastructure services over the internet, such as storage, processing power and more, on demand. It has become a popular service model for businesses due to its superior flexibility and dependability compared to on-premise IT setups.
SaaS (Software as a Service): Cloud SaaS providers deliver software applications to customers on a subscription basis, eliminating the cost associated with licensing and upkeep. This makes SaaS an attractive service model for small and medium-sized businesses.
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): Cloud Iaas providers host your company’s IT infrastructure on a subscription basis, offering virtualized servers and storage to companies on an as-needed basis. This eliminates the need for costly hardware, reduces IT overhead by enabling companies to scale their infrastructure on demand.
SDM (Software Delivery Management): A cloud SDM provider brings development and delivery teams together to eliminate bottlenecks in the software lifecycle and increase visibility throughout your organization. The process extends CI/CD/DevOps feedback loops beyond engineering managers to product marketing, customer support and documentation teams – everyone who will use the software!
Additionally, SDM is an effective way to foster alignment across all stakeholders and maximize value creation from the outset of software development. Companies should consider adopting this best practice as they transition away from traditional siloed software development models towards a product-first, software-led strategy.
Integrated Artifacts and Data Layer: With SDM, all the artifacts and data used to develop a product or feature from conception through production are integrated into an organized common data layer. This ensures key information is connected and easily accessible for everyone involved, giving everyone unprecedented insights into bottlenecks and inefficiencies that accelerate software delivery to users safely.
Universal Insights: A cloud Software Defined Manufacturing platform provides insight into all stages of software development and delivery processes, giving everyone access to the same set of data on a unified platform for collaboration and connection. This is essential for maintaining an iterative feedback loop between software development and operations so that every release is free from bugs, meets business requirements, and adds value for customers.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery: A cloud SDM platform offers an integrated CI/CD toolchain to automate the software delivery pipeline from code review and coding to testing and deployment in production. It includes a container-native, self-service CI solution that enables developers to deploy new code quickly with minimal risks and maintain steady velocity when delivering secure application services.
Automated DevSecOps: A cloud SDM platform offers automated governance, scanning and reporting to help organizations keep their applications secure throughout the software development and delivery process. It includes a reporting engine and policy management to provide full visibility throughout this phase, as well as an app framework for building APIs to extend integration with other tools in the chain.
Enterprise-wide Collaboration: A cloud SDM platform enables all software teams to connect and collaborate with each other as well as with the rest of the company, including engineering managers, business executives and other senior leaders. This is essential for organizations looking to become more software-centric while delivering software that appeals to a broader audience.
