Infrastructure as Code (IAC) offers DevOps a lifeline, but new research reveals that IAC is misunderstood by enterprises, resulting in underwhelming returns on IT infrastructure investments.
Despite extensive enterprise adoption of next-generation IT infrastructure concepts such as hybrid cloud, software defined infrastructure (SDI) and automation, 70 percent of enterprises still lack adequate processes to help developers self-provision IT infrastructure. Moreover, more than 70 percent of enterprises do not have an IT infrastructure designed to support Agile and DevOps methodologies, according to new research published by Everest Group.
This is an unfortunate trend in the infrastructures services market, which grew by only 0.6 percent in 2015, significantly lagging the overall IT services market growth of 3 percent.
One of the reasons enterprises are struggling with achieving IT infrastructure agility is the lack of understanding about Infrastructure as Code (IAC) or programmable infrastructure.
IAC offers DevOps a lifeline by providing a comprehensive approach for automating the end-to-end provisioning and management of IT infrastructure through code, which is built and maintained based on software development principle
However, the IAC concept and its true benefits are still not well understood by enterprises. In fact, many enterprises still equate IAC with traditional IT infrastructure automation, failing to realize that IAC takes a more holistic approach to provisioning and management of hybrid IT infrastructure and requires a careful revamp of tools, processes, and people.
“As enterprises increasingly leverage Agile and DevOps principles to launch products and services faster than their competition, the need for delivering a highly agile and consistent IT infrastructure has become the need of the hour,” said Yugal Joshi, practice director at Everest Group. “An IAC approach can help enterprises realize the true potential of DevOps, but because of misconceptions about what IAC is and what it entails, many enterprises are experience underwhelming returns on their infrastructure investments.”
A new Market Insight published by Everest Group—“Infrastructure as Code (IAC) – What It Is, and Why It Is Gaining Traction”— summarizes the objectives, benefits and business implications of IAC and dispels common misconceptions about the approach. This high-resolution graphic is available for complimentary download and may be included in news coverage, with attribution to Everest Group.
A more detailed discussion about IAC is available in “Infrastructure Services – Annual Report 2016: Infrastructure As Code – It’s Not Automation!” In addition to addressing IAC, this research deep dives into the IS landscape. It provides data-driven facts and perspectives on the overall market, covering IS adoption trends, demand drivers, buyer expectations and challenges, and trends shaping the market, and also provides an outlook for 2017.
Additional complimentary Market Insight graphics stemming from this report are available for download here and include:
• Global IT services market – Key geographies 2016
• Output-based pricing is now the norm in IT infrastructure services engagements
• IT infrastructure investments not reaping expected rewards
• Anti-incumbency high in IT infrastructure services deals
