The world of DevOps has never stood still. From its early days in 2009 as a scrappy community movement, to today’s conversations around AI, platform engineering and digital twins, one thing is clear: DevOps continues to evolve at pace.

That was the focus of our recent Talenza event, DevOps: Past, Present & Future, where a panel of industry experts came together to unpack how far DevOps has come, where it stands today, and what lies ahead.

Our panel:

• Saber Zrelli, Engineering Manager, Cloud & Enterprise IT Operations, Circular Economy Systems (CES)
• Mick Pollard, Platform Lead, DroneShield
• Aman Matharu, Product Owner, Cloud and DevOps, NGM Group
• Chris Low, Senior Director, Enterprise Systems, Nearmap
• Mark Staples, Head of Platform Engineering, Karbon

Moderator:

• Martin Pearson – Principal Consultant, Talenza

The discussion brought together insights from leaders who’ve been there since the beginning, alongside practitioners shaping DevOps inside organisations today. What followed was a candid, people-first conversation that cut through the buzzwords and focused on what really drives impact.

From Agile to Platform Engineering

The early days of DevOps were about speed - how many times could you push to production without breaking things? Fast-forward to today, and DevOps has matured into SRE and Platform Engineering. Scalability, automation, and infrastructure as code have become the norm, but the fundamentals remain the same: shorten the path from idea to customer.

Culture > Tools

The panel was unanimous - tooling is important, but it’s not the answer. Sustainable DevOps comes from breaking silos, building trust, and setting teams up for success. Leaders who focus on culture over tool sprawl are the ones who see long-term results.

AI’s Role in Ops

AI is starting to shape knowledge bases and runbooks, but we’re not at a point where machines can replace human checks and judgement. Security, privacy, and context still require people at the helm.

Customers at the Centre

Whether it’s end-users of a banking app or developers using internal platforms, customers sit at the heart of DevOps success. Cutting corners on quality or skipping feedback loops only erodes trust. Treat non-prod with the same care as prod - that’s where real customer impact is made.

Metrics That Matter

Forget chasing gold standards for the sake of it. Start simple. Focus on reducing defects and cognitive load. The right metrics are the ones that move the needle for your business and your people.

Leadership Buy-In

The most advanced tooling won’t help if leaders aren’t on board. DevOps only works when leadership sees the value - agility, speed, innovation - and is willing to back it.

The Road Ahead

The future of DevOps is pointing toward more automation, platform engineering maturity, and even concepts like digital twins. But the takeaway is clear: DevOps is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a force multiplier when applied with intent, context, and a clear understanding of business needs.

And perhaps the most inspiring part of the evening? Watching a group of uni students quiz panellists with the kind of curiosity and hunger that keeps this industry moving forward. DevOps isn’t just about technology - it’s about people, growth, and community.