Using either DevOps or cloud is good for your organisation – but using both is better.

That is the verdict of a report from Freeform Dynamics and CA Technologies, which polled 929 IT professionals on how well their organisations were meeting their software delivery objectives.

Almost half (48%) said they focused primarily on traditional delivery of software and applications, with 20% using cloud and DevOps extensively. 17% said they were predominantly a cloud house, compared to 15% for DevOps.

Yet despite this seeming disparity, transformational initiatives were very popular among those polled. The overwhelming majority (96%) are looking at operational efficiency – getting IT to do the same things but faster and cheaper – while operational and digital transformation were cited by 88% and 85% of respondents respectively.

When combining cloud and DevOps, respondents saw on average an 81% improvement in overall software delivery performance, almost double the speed of delivery, and 80% better predictability of software performance.

Speed of delivery and cost control brought the most advantage to organisations who had committed to DevOps before adding cloud, the research noted. When the analysis was done but flipping over with those who had committed to cloud first, the figures were similar.

“Both cloud and DevOps are ways to reduce friction in the delivery process, and the KPIs where friction have the greatest effect are speed and cost control,” the report noted. “Another key factor through all of this is that cloud minimises the need for people to ask others to take action… so if a developer needs a new test machine or a specific software tool, say, they can get it without having to involve system administrators or the ops team.”

Ultimately, the report argues that if the IT team’s performance levels are mixed, or if the company is falling short in terms of broader service delivery, then a combination of cloud and DevOps may be the answer. “Cloud, whether public, private or hybrid, changes the game in terms of expectations and mindsets from a software delivery and operations perspective. Of course there are pitfalls and distractions that need to be avoided, but done right, cloud can remove a lot of the barriers and friction.”

You can find out more and download the full report here (registration required).