Efficient, scalable, and developer-friendly infrastructure has become essential to modern software development, with platform engineering leading the way. Gartner highlights platform engineering as one of the top tech trends for 2024/5, and it’s easy to see why.

Platform engineering meets the specific needs of software development teams by offering developer-centric environments that enhance productivity and streamline operations. As companies increasingly adopt complex cloud-native architectures, platform engineering simplifies infrastructure management, allowing developers to focus on what matters most — delivering business value. This should also allow the developers and companies employing the platform engineering approach to move between Infrastructure providers and to ultimately self-host on their own server hardware in their own data centers if they choose.

At platformOS, we have seen the ‘writing on the wall’ for SaaS solutions (they’re being replaced) and deliberately approached solving for a “Platform building” strategy by embodying the principles of flexibility and scalability. This practice has aligned perfectly with the needs of modern enterprises and agencies. 

Platform engineering is a game-changer, let’s explore why:

The evolution of platform engineering

The shift from traditional infrastructure management to platform engineering represents a major leap forward. In the past, managing infrastructure involved using a mix of tools, often leading to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. DevOps bridged some of these gaps by promoting collaboration between development and operations, but as IT environments grow more complex, its limitations become clear.

Platform engineering solves this problem by offering Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs)—self-service environments that standardize processes and simplify the development workflow. This shift enables developers to focus more on writing and deploying code instead of worrying about the intricacies of infrastructure.

Core benefits of platform engineering

1. Enhanced developer experience (DevEx)
   Platform engineering dramatically improves developer productivity by reducing time spent on non-coding tasks, such as setting up environments and managing dependencies. Self-service tools empower developers to move quickly without waiting on infrastructure teams. This ultimately leads to better software outcomes and faster time-to-market.
2. Operational efficiency
   By introducing a high degree of automation into the software pipeline, platform engineering accelerates time to market and ensures best practices are consistently followed. Automated DevOps streamlines processes like Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), infrastructure provisioning, and environment configuration. By automating these tasks, companies can minimize human error, reduce downtime, and free up their teams to focus on high-value work, such as innovation and feature development.
3. Scalability and flexibility
   As organizations grow, managing complex IT environments becomes a significant challenge. Platform engineering provides the scalability needed to handle increasing workloads while offering the flexibility to support different workflows and integrate new tools as needed.
4. Cost management
   In cloud-native environments, costs can escalate quickly. Platform engineering helps optimize resource utilization by centralizing infrastructure management and in some cases providing out-of-the-box “multi-tenancy”. This enables companies to control costs while improving governance, making it easier to manage budgets and avoid unexpected costs.

The future of platform engineering

The future of platform engineering is promising, with Gartner predicting that by 2026, 80% of large software engineering organizations will establish platform teams to facilitate DevOps self-service and scale operations. As organizations increasingly recognize the strategic value of treating platforms as products, dedicated product managers and clear roadmaps will become essential, ensuring platforms align with business goals and drive innovation.

AI and machine learning will also play a crucial role in the next generation of development platforms. These technologies will bring more intelligent automation and predictive capabilities, further reducing the complexity of managing infrastructure.

Many mid and enterprise-tier businesses are moving away from SaaS due to challenges such as lack of ownership over Intellectual Property, rigid data schemes, and difficulties integrating various specialized SaaS products. Additionally, large seat and subscription fees often erode ROI, and there’s limited flexibility to switch between infrastructure providers. In response, platform engineering solutions are bridging this gap, enabling API integration with existing legacy systems and gradually offering enhanced functionality to replace bespoke SaaS solutions.

Our platform engineers have spent years refining platformOS, creating a solution that seamlessly integrates the principles of platform engineering with out-of-the-box functionality. platformOS empowers developers to self-service through its fully customizable environment, giving them the flexibility to manage infrastructure without rigid limitations. This approach mirrors the trend in platform engineering, reducing cognitive load and enabling developers to focus on delivering business value faster.

Additionally, platformOS supports automation and scalability by providing pre-built components and best practices through its modular kits, such as CodeKit (a portfolio of modular, composable code), DevKit, and DesignKit. These tools help organizations automate processes such as infrastructure provisioning and CI/CD pipelines, minimizing human error and freeing up resources for more innovative work.

Finally, with the help of our award-winning documentation, streamlined developer onboarding process, and limitless API integration capabilities, you can significantly reduce the time required for platform adoption and innovation. This emphasis on collaboration and providing comprehensive resources positions platformOS as a key player in the future of development platforms, ensuring success for individual developers, agencies, and large-scale enterprises.

Conclusion

As software development continues to evolve, platform engineering will play a pivotal role in driving operational efficiency, improving the developer experience, and enabling businesses to scale with ease. platformOS eliminates the traditional build vs. buy dilemma, offering a unique combination of advanced ready-to-use solutions that are also customizable and scalable, without limitations. This makes platformOS the ideal partner for organizations seeking to future-proof their development processes, ensuring they remain agile, innovative, and well-prepared for future challenges.