Platform engineering is on the rise because it allows companies to build and operate scalable and reliable technology infrastructure that can support the development and deployment of a wide range of applications.
Traditionally, companies would build and maintain their own infrastructure to support their specific needs. However, as businesses become more reliant on technology and the demand for new applications grows, the complexity of managing and maintaining infrastructure can become overwhelming. This is where platform engineering comes in. But before we get into Platform Engineering and why it is on the rise, we must discuss a main misconception that is talked about in the industry, and that is that SRE and Platform Engineering are the same. The reason that this is a question asked as companies very often have the same title for opposing positions, or even consolidate both roles into one.
So, SRE Vs Platform Engineering, What is the difference?
Over the years organisations have changed the way they have organised cloud-native applications, one of these changes has been two functions within the application development teams: Site Reliability Engineering and Platform Engineering. Both practices bring together operations and software. The main difference between these two functions is that SRE applies software engineering principles to improve reliability so that they can minizine the frequency of failures that can impact the reliability of a cloud application. Whereas Platform Engineering applies software engineering principles to speed up software delivery. Platform Engineers ensure the App Dev teams are productive in all aspects of the software development life cycle.
A Good Platform Engineer…
Designs and builds the underlying technology infrastructure that enables the development, deployment, and management of applications. You will find Platform engineers tend to be comfortable writing software. Not just scripting and automation but writing tests and doing code reviews. They create reusable components, APIs, and tools that can be easily integrated into an organization's technology stack. This helps to streamline the development process, reduce the time and effort required to build and maintain applications, and improve the overall reliability and scalability of the technology infrastructure. In addition to improving efficiency, platform engineering also helps to improve security. By centralizing the management of infrastructure and using reusable components, platform engineers can more easily implement security measures and ensure that they are consistently applied across all applications.
Why is platform engineering on the rise?
The rise of platform engineering is also driven by the increasing popularity of cloud computing. Cloud platforms, such as AWS and Azure, provide organizations with access to scalable and reliable infrastructure on a pay-as-you-go basis. This has made it easier for companies to take advantage of the benefits of platform engineering without having to invest in and maintain their own infrastructure.
In conclusion…
Overall, platform engineering is on the rise because it helps companies to build and operate scalable, reliable, and secure technology infrastructure that can support the development and deployment of a wide range of applications. As businesses become more reliant on technology, the demand for platform engineers will likely continue to grow. If you are keen to discuss the growth of Platform Engineering and learn more about the opportunities on the market right now, please reach out to me at:
amber.t@circuitrec.com.au