DevOps has become the go-to methodology that technology companies use to streamline the process of developing and releasing their apps and services. Old methodologies like the waterfall approach don?t deploy fast enough and at the scale you need these days.But to take full advantage of the speed, agility, convenience, and control of DevOps deployment, you need to pair it with a technology that allows those qualities to shine. And that technology is Cloud Automation. Cloud Automation is the Yin to DevOps? Yang. It provides centralized control over your continuous deployments, while matching DevOps? real time speed and flexibility. In this article, I?ll explain why Cloud DevOps is faster, safer, and easier to manage than the alternatives.
Wait, what is Cloud DevOps?
Cloud DevOps is the process of building, testing, and delivering your software or services via a virtual platform in the cloud. Because the entire process, from development to continuous deployment, is in one single virtual location (a.k.a. the cloud), most steps involved can be fully automated, creating a singular and seamless method of delivery.
1. It?s way WAY faster
Most IT teams have already caught on to the fact that DevOps greatly speeds up their delivery schedule. But what many don?t realize is that DevOps alone doesn?t always provide the necessary speed to keep up with the ever-changing needs and deadlines they are confronted with all the time. For companies looking to release products fast, you?ll need a combination of DevOps and cloud deployment to do the trick. As agile and flexible as DevOps can be, it simply doesn?t address the latency issues that exist without using cloud automation.
2. It?s actually safer than local hardware
A common misconception when it comes to cloud services is that, by storing highly sensitive data on a network of servers instead of on local hardware, you are more vulnerable to data breaches and malicious attacks. Fortunately, with the ongoing enhancement of cloud security technology, this is simply not the case. Cloud services have real-time monitoring and many other security measures in place to ensure its safety and security, whereas local storage must be manually maintained. Additionally, storing data on local servers means there?s one central point of entry. On cloud servers, however, your data is distributed and less vulnerable to being snatched all at once.
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3. It?s easily governed
By placing the entire deployment operation in the cloud, it is much more easily controlled being that it exists in one centralized location. Many localized enterprise systems of the past have run into compatibility problems when it comes to centralized deployment of their software. But with everything resting peacefully in the cloud, issues like distribution complexities vanish immediately. Simply put, with cloud deployment, your entire operation runs more smoothly and efficiently. Because you no longer need to manually operate individual parts of your DevOps setup, you require much less manpower. And since there?s a much smaller number of ?moving parts?, you?ll see a decrease in spending on hardware and maintenance.
4. Which cloud service should I use?
Like most things in life, there are several different options available, each with their strengths and weaknesses. But instead of arriving at one decision, it should be pointed out that choosing just one isn?t necessarily the way to go. Implementing a multi-cloud strategy means you have even more flexibility and agility than when using just one. So if you?re budget allows for it, go nuts!AWS – Amazon Web Services is a massively popular cloud service option for virtually hosting your IT environment. It is secure, globally available, and contains features such as AWS CodeBuild, CodePipeline, and CodeDeploy. 
GCP
– Google Cloud Platform is another popular choice, offering a large number of features surrounding its StackDriver development tools, including monitoring, debugger, logging, and trace. You simply can?t go wrong with Google. 
Azure – Microsoft?s Azure cloud platform is based on many years of development and is the virtual hosting platform of choice by many Fortune 500 companies. With a large suite of tools like Azure App Service, DevTest Labs, and Azure Stack, there is no shortage of DevOps goodies to fit all your cloud deployment needs. 
Final Thoughts
So what are you waiting for? You need speed, you need safety, and you need it to be managed easily. It?s time to speed up your feedback loops and CI cycles, and take your automation to the cloud. Your team and your customers will thank you for it.
