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The Kubernetes-enabled enterprise software wake-up call should not be overlooked, especially for those in the C-suite responsible for future-proofing business operations.

Kubernetes is a powerful enterprise software development and a key enabler for what has become an essential strategy for cloud computing, containerization. The fast-growing preference for open-source technology facilitates the containerization method that makes configuring systems more straightforward and software deployment faster, all while increasing reliability and enhancing the efficiency of compute resources. Kubernetes is taking on an essential role in enterprise software development.

Predictions from Gartner place Kubernetes at the forefront of enterprise software development, claiming that 70 percent of global organizations will be operating with more than two containerized applications by 2023up from the 20 percent in 2019. Kubernetes introduces real advantages, unlike other provisioning software methods, such as virtual machines, meaning a real showcase of deployment, scaling, and management capabilities. Through a cohesive use of Kubernetes as part of an enterprise technology stack, the gates for vital new productivity and profit margin gains can be opened.

See also: Mitigating Kubernetes Security Gaps

A recent VMware study found that 95 percent of participants recognized benefits from Kubernetes, with 56 percent explaining that they experienced improved resource utilizationsignifying a reduced spend on the private or public cloud compute resources that naturally house enterprise applications. An additional 33 percent of respondents said Kubernetes delivered lower public cloud costs.

Virtual machines are one of the most prevalent formsof provisioning software, with each machine including a guest operating system,a copy of the software it provisions, and a hypervisor to assign computingresources across various operating applications and systems. All of thesedifferent components consume system resources. Virtual machines are relatively stagnant,meaning it is hard to move them back and forth between on-premises servers,private clouds, or the public cloud.

A containerized software application runs on anexternal operating system, so it will reduce the number of compute resources neededto run the multiple guest operating systems. In many circumstances, a companymay be able to activate multiple containerized applications on the serverresources that previously could only accommodate one application. Central toolswithin the container manage how these applications use server resources, sowhen combined with the fact that there is no multiple operating systems left tomanage, administrative overheads are significantly reduced.

But here is the crowning achievementthe start-uptime for containerized applications with Kubernetes is remarkably faster thanthose on a virtual machine, significantly improving user engagement and timeefficiencyin milliseconds rather than minutes.

Kubernetes have instant scaling networkabilities, which are widely valued by enterprise IT experts, a sought-aftercapability considering the increasing unpredictability of business and marketenvironments. Rapid changes in demand for products or services can often belimited by finite compute resources from enterprise architecture that cannotscale quickly enough, leading to lost business, a poor customer experience, oreven business failure.

Constantly changing or resetting processes and requirements is now more important than ever as the set it and forget it days of ERP or other enterprise technology roll out become a bygone. Now, acquired divisions, changing customer demands, dynamic go-to-market strategies, and the introduction of disruptive technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and augmented/virtual reality (ARVR), all mean the enterprise stack must be updated on an increasingly regular basis.

Results from the VMware study show that 53percent of respondents agree that development cycles were made quicker byKubernetes. Having Kubernetes rooted within an enterprise software platform canhelp providers fast track the introduction of new software features andcapabilities to the market and, therefore, into the hands of customers. In exchange,businesses themselves can quickly adapt to changes in the market and governingenvironment and even turn that agility into a competitive advantage, beating rivalsto market or course-correcting faster than they can.

In the meantime,the inevitable move of business systems to the cloud continues. In 2019, we conducted astudy of 600 businessdecision-makers from around the world to assess cloud migration progress andstrategies. When we compared that data with data from a similar IFS study in2012, the percentage of companies now relying on various forms of cloudenterprise software provisioning almost doubled, while the percentage ofcompanies with on-premises solutions almost halved.

But in a cloud-first environment, executives stillrecognize certain scenarios favor on-premises deployment or even need to bemoved back and forth between public cloud, private cloud, or on-premise. Equally,an on-premises or private cloud application may need to seamlessly make use ofcompute resources in a public cloud to handle peak or hockey stick demand. Kubernetesenabled applications just make this simpler.

Kubernetes can help orchestrate containerization in an assemblyof environments, including hosting software on a vendors cloud, self-hostingby a business, or in a hybrid environment where the core application stack is self-hosted. Butseveral of the application services are accessed as cloud services run by thesoftware vendor. The hybridoption allows businesses to offload some of the deployment complexity.

This means functions that might be better held closed rather than placed in a public or even private cloud due to regulatory orpractical considerations can be run on-premises or wherever is most suitablefor the customer. That instance of software can be augmented by services fromthe software vendor ranging from reporting, optimization engines, cognitiveservices, and more. Thanks to Kubernetes, different parts of the applicationcan be run from separate servers on-premise, private cloud, public cloud all depending on what makes sense to the end-user.

The use of Kubernetes within the software stackas a container orchestration tool will ensure essential security provisions arewell respected throughout the change. One benefit of containerization is theability to quickly move new software into production, enabling rapid change anddigital transformation. But as every CIO will appreciate, with new deploymentcomes new security issuesrules and policies must be enforced as theapplication changes. Which external device or system is authorized to accessthe software? Which users are enabled to view and interact with which data?Which roles in the organization have which access permissions? This scale ofmanagement is easier if security is addressed early in the software developmentprocesswhich means there are security benefits if Kubernetes andcontainerization are delivered as part of a packaged software application.

The most advanced enterprise software applications will graduallyown the Kubernetes container orchestration process in ways that automaticallyrespects the security and permissions reflected in the application as a whole.Enterprise applications will deliver the software services in the form ofDocker containers, orchestrated by Kubernetes. This will provide the scalingbenefits of having regional Kubernetes clusters serve multiple customers, and thesoftware vendor will ensure the application retains full separation and privacyof customers solutions through the use of customer-specific Kubernetesnamespaces, network separation, encryption, and database instances. Enterprisesoftware vendors not intent on selling their own proprietary technology canmake use of packaged Kubernetes environments such as MicrosoftAzure Kubernetes Service in their technology stack.

The Kubernetes-enabled enterprise softwarewake-up call should not be overlooked, especially for those in the C-suiteresponsible for future-proofing business operations. As enterprise softwarebecomes progressively more cloud intuitive, businesses are required tocontinually alter their processesKubernetes top seat at the table is surely withoutchallenge it offers the scalability, security, and flexibility to practicallyadapt to these changes.

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Kubernetes Technology: It's Time to Consider the Perks! - RTInsights