Between juggling all the tasks that make up what is known as Product Marketing and collaborating with a global team across different time zones, it’s sometimes good to break the mould and get out of our usual working routines and collaborate with industry experts in real life. One of the products I lead on is our PKI for DevSecOps solution, and when I saw GitLab were hosting their DevSecOps World Tour in London, I registered my attendance straight away.
What Is GitLab’s DevSecOps World Tour?
GitLab defined the DevSecOps World Tour as an opportunity to:
Get connected to the ideas, technologies, and people that are driving DevSecOps transformation. This event is for everyone—technology champions, executives, and all stakeholders responsible for building, operating, and securing software.
My Day Out Of The (Home) Office
It was a packed schedule starting with a keynote talk about the evolution of DevSecOps, followed by an introduction to GitLab’s latest DevSecOps platform along with a demo. The morning session ended with a fireside chat with Dunelm to explore how they are using GitLab Duo to navigate their DevSecOps infrastructure in their company.
Following lunch was an interactive workshop session with GitLab’s DevOps Value Stream experts on ways to optimize DevOps practices, then a spotlight with Eficode on the impact of AI and DevOps on product development for the not-so-distant future. The day drew to a close with an insightful round table discussion on the human elements of DevSecOps.
Key Findings From The Day
So, what did I learn from my day out of the office?
Does Security finally have a seat at the table?
“Security is shifting left” - this is a phrase many of us are hearing and it’s not just a buzz word. The importance of security is being recognised and embedded into every stage of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC).
The onus is not only on security teams to ensure that software is secure, but on Developers to ensure that the code they are releasing is secure. The ‘Sec’ in DevSecOps is finally getting the recognition it deserves!
Is AI the future of Software Development?
We all know that AI is a hot topic and the impact it is having on every stage and aspect of business operations, but it is having a resounding impact in DevOps, particularly so that GitLab’s new DevSecOps platform, GitLab Duo is completely powered by AI. Enabling the following:
- Faster coding
- Improved security
- Automated testing
- Improved planning
With AI operating at every step of a single workflow platform, it is resulting in a 99% faster code release time.
With the obvious benefits that AI brings, the question of how AI will impact native code developing skills in the future remains. In my opinion, the stat of the day was that:
Software development is going to change more in the next 5 years than it has in the last 40!
Now that is quite a statement, but before we all get carried away about AI taking over the world, let’s put it in perspective. AI will enable developers, becoming 50% faster but this will also depend on how developers (the human ones!) interact with AI to manage their activity and productivity. The best way to use AI is to use it in collaboration with something else, and when you don’t even know you are using it! In as soon as 1 to 2 years we may see all code being developed by prompt driven AI, so human developers need to learn how to work with AI.
Concluding The Day
Product Marketing is what connects the dots between the product and the market in both directions. Events like these help us understand the market and what products and trends are shaping it. Whilst I have a keen interest in the technical side of DevSecOps, I also know when to leave it to the experts and GitLab’s World Tour was probably more suited to technical heads, or decision makers in an organisation. Nevertheless, I learnt some valuable insights and had great discussions.
In this new working world we live in, it is vital that as Product Marketing Managers we take the time to attend events, workshops and summits in order to experience the changes that are occurring in our market.
And at the end of my day I felt charged with information, reassured by AI, excited for what the world of DevSecOps is achieving, what is to come, and how GlobalSign will play it’s part.
