Where does the IT department fit when application development shifts to a cloud native model? Does IT still matter? Do YOU still matter? How do you add value?
In our digital-first world, enterprises of all sizes must move at startup speeds to outpace their competition. The need for speed can push application developers and IT to their limits. Traditional application development timelines are no longer a viable option; they leave organizations trailing behind. Those who deploy cloud native applications can meet customer and stakeholder expectations for speed and functionality faster than ever before.
It’s called “cloud native” development for a reason
Cloud native applications are applications developed to run in any environment and at any scale. They can run on public or private clouds, in traditional data centers, on intelligent edge devices, and with easy growth from a single laptop to operation across multiple data centers. They also do this faster, with greater scale and serviceability than traditional application models. Simple enough, right?
Developers predominantly build cloud native applications in containers – executable software packages that include both the application code and the infrastructure dependencies for running that code. And containerization is moving fast. According to Gartner, “by 2022, more than 75% of global organizations will be running containerized applications in production, which is a significant increase from fewer than 30% today.”[1]
As Michael Dell has said: “The cloud isn’t a place, it’s a way of doing IT.” Accordingly, using a cloud native model doesn’t require you to develop and run your applications in a proprietary public cloud; it’s a style of development and deployment that supports the requirements of a hybrid cloud/multi-cloud way of doing business. Put simply: while containers don’t require a cloud-based approach, they provide an easy way to move to a cloud-based deployment model.
This microservices-based model requires the management of a large number of new containers rather than a small number of monolithic applications. To control them, you need a container orchestration tool to keep your container-based applications healthy and nimble. Things like application updates and simplified rollbacks are necessary for true production-ready platforms. While there are many different container orchestration systems, 83% of companies that use one report that they run Kubernetes. It holds a wide lead in market share over any competitor. If you’re unfamiliar with Kubernetes, our good friend Phippy from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation can help you understand it here.
Develop a strong partnership between IT, application developers and business leaders to accelerate cloud native applications
IT can ensure your environment is ready to shift more applications to a cloud native model. Armed with modern tools, they can anticipate and meet the needs of developers and business leaders before they try to solve problems on their own.
Developers: We often hear from cloud native application developers that they need flexibility to work on the platform of their choice (VMware, Pivotal, Red Hat, Google, Microsoft, etc.). They want to use the development tools and resources with which they have expertise. They also can’t wait for IT to stand up hardware for running new applications as they have in the past. They want a frictionless experience where they can stand up and tear down containers when they need to and without delay.
Business leaders: While business leaders need the speed and rapid update cycles that cloud native development processes deliver, they also want to avoid turbulence. That means protecting applications and data with production-ready solutions that deliver a seamless user experience at lower risk. Business leaders also want assurance before they invest in a new development model; they want to know they’re partnering with industry leaders who aren’t just experimenting with a fleeting technology trend.
How can Dell EMC help you realize your cloud native strategy?
As a platinum member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Dell Technologies has a proven commitment to accelerating cloud native adoption. At Dell EMC, we leverage that partnership to build products that are more cloud native friendly. We also collaborate with a broad ecosystem of other industry leaders to help IT and developers move into the cloud native world.
With Kubernetes running on Dell EMC, you can accelerate your adoption of a cloud native approach in a way that is flexible, frictionless and safe.
- Flexible – Provide developers the most common cloud native platforms while you maintain control of cost and availability. How? Leverage the Kubernetes deployment option of your choice through Dell EMC platform integration with Pivotal, Google, Microsoft and IBM (Red Hat).
- Frictionless – Provision and deliver the underlying infrastructure services on demand to your containerized applications wherever they are deployed across your private clouds, public clouds and edge deployments. We provide tools that are deeply integrated and automated to deliver a consistent experience, allowing IT to move at the speed of developers.
- Safe – Deliver containerized apps with confidence in large-scale production environments through best-in-class data protection, security and support services. We also support a broad curated ecosystem of partners, providing dependable and durable support for your Kubernetes applications.
We can help you provide the most popular Kubernetes deployment options to your developers while maintaining control over the IT environment with fast and simple cloud native operations. We can do this all on proven infrastructure with resilient operations, to protect your organization and its valuable data.
To learn more about how Dell EMC is innovating across its broad portfolio of servers, storage, networking, data protection and cloud platforms to deliver the best cloud native platform for organizations of all sizes, tune in to our announcements at VMworld 2019 in San Francisco Aug 25-29, or visit our Virtual Press Kit.
[1] Gartner, Top Emerging Trends in Cloud-Native Infrastructure, May 2019 – ID G00385619
