DEVOPSdigest

Redgate has added a consultancy to its list of globally recognized partners, InCycle Software, a software consulting firm that was recently declared Global Partner of the Year for DevOps by Microsoft.

The announcement continues and strengthens Redgate’s relationship with Microsoft, and follows the integration of Redgate’s Data Tools in the installer of the Enterprise version of Visual Studio 2017.

The tools enable application developers to write code for the database inside their favorite IDE and include the database in DevOps, and were introduced by Microsoft in response to an increasing recognition that the database cannot be a bottleneck in the DevOps process.

This became even more important when it was revealed in Redgate’s State of Database DevOps report that 60% of application developers are also responsible for developing the database.

The increasing desire to use DevOps in application development to speed up the deployment of changes, updates and improvements, while at the same time reducing the change failure rate, means the database can no longer be left behind. It has to be included in the same processes, preferably by plugging into and integrating with the systems already in place, so that it becomes a natural part of DevOps, rather than a hindrance to it.

As Martin Rajotte, InCycle President comments: “The partnership with Redgate is the next natural step for us. Way back in 2002, we were talking to customers about Application Lifecycle Management. The conversation has now moved on to DevOps, and Redgate Data Tools inside Visual Studio support DevOps for the database. That helps us deliver more value to our customers because we can demonstrate how they can develop their database alongside their application.”

A notable first step in the relationship is that InCycle customers can use an online database DevOps maturity assessment tool developed by Redgate to better understand how advanced their current database development processes are. After answering some questions about their development environment and practices, they receive a report from Redgate and InCycle that gives recommendations for improvements, and shows how their maturity level compares with their peers.

With its experience in helping companies introduce modern DevOps practices, InCycle is in place to advise the best way for those recommendations to be implemented.

Cass Lloyd, Regional Partner Manager at Redgate, concludes. “This is a natural step for us too. We’ve developed a complete portfolio of SQL Server development tools that enable companies and organizations to introduce DevOps for the database. Sometimes, though, they need a helping hand along the way, because it means introducing new processes, so we’re increasingly working with expert partners like InCycle.”

Redgate now has a worldwide network of partners and is continuing to research and develop further ways to make adopting database DevOps easier and smoother