Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2024.  Read them in this 16th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

Three DevOps Trends to Watch in 2024

By Jason Davis, CPO of MacStadium

The world of DevOps has evolved at an unprecedented rate in the last few years, yet it continues to be a primary driver of efficiency, innovation, and digital transformation for many organizations. Google's 2023 Accelerate State of Devops Report shows that a company's software delivery performance quality predicts organizational performance, team performance and employee well-being.

As we enter 2024, there are several trends that practitioners can expect to have a major impact on the industry. Forward-thinking tech companies will take advantage of the convergence of these trends as they enter the new year. Opportunities exist for leaders in the cloud and virtualization arenas to increase operational flexibility, improve disaster recovery measures and leverage the rapid advancement of new technologies to give their company a competitive edge.

Here's a few key trends to watch for in 2024:

The era of Apple Silicon is now in full force. With Apple now creating its own chips, the company can have complete control over its product development timeline. Additionally, each release is increasingly nuanced in how the hardware/software stack is built. In 2023 alone, we saw the introduction of the new M3 chip series, the completion of Mac's transition to Apple Silicon among many other new capabilities and innovations. As the use of Apple technology in the enterprise continues to expand, companies that can quickly adapt to the faster release cycles of Apple's new chipsets will see significant performance improvements.

To compete in today's dynamic business landscape, harnessing the power of cloud technologies is essential. The industry can expect to see a major surge in hybrid and multi-cloud adoption. In addition to the cost-efficient nature of the cloud, enterprises are increasingly moving towards hybrid and multi-cloud models to enhance operational flexibility and improve disaster recovery measures. In fact, global spending on cloud adoption is projected to top $1 trillion in 2024. As the cloud continues to be a key driver of innovation across industries, the ability to serve and integrate solutions across cloud providers or on premises is increasingly becoming table stakes. Platforms that can operate seamlessly across these diverse cloud environments will offer a significant competitive advantage.

3.  Securing Remote Work and Virtualization Environments

As virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) continues to take the world by storm, security and compliance across complex environments is crucial. The continued advancement of cyberthreats makes the challenge of securing virtual identities more pertinent than ever. Especially as companies look to mitigate the risks of device and intellectual property theft in offshoring and consulting scenarios, the demand for secure remote desktop technologies has never been higher.

Additionally, security and compliance regulations are becoming increasingly robust. And providers should leave no stone unturned to ensure that their platforms are compliant with all security regulations and consistently audited to address any vulnerabilities that may pop up. Ensuring that the solution provided is living up to its promise especially as it relates to security and compliance is crucial to the public's perception of your business. Solutions that offer robust security features while also enabling scalability and flexibility in operations will have a competitive edge as we enter the new year.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jason Davis currently serves as Chief Product Officer at MacStadium - the industry-leading private Mac cloud provider enabling enterprise macOS workloads. With over two decades of experience in product roles across various stages of growth and post-IPO B2B companies, Davis specializes in devising growth-focused product strategies catering to both enterprise and SMB markets.

Formerly VP of Product Management at Sauce Labs, Davis spearheaded the strategy and execution of testing applications, implemented product-led growth tactics and optimized user acquisition, conversion and retention. In his current role at MacStadium, Davis will spearhead MacStadium's product strategy and development to drive innovation across the Apple enterprise.