Five hops to DevOps – Changing the culture around software deployment in the public sector

DevOps isn’t just for tech start-ups and large software houses. The British Geological Survey (BGS) is the world’s oldest geological survey. We collect data and undertake research to understand earth and environmental processes. This information is used to create models, maps, and services for the public, industry and government. Software development in the organisation is diverse and varied, ranging from individual scientists’ models and simulations to public-facing websites, mobile apps and desktop applications.

Eighteen months ago, DevOps wasn’t a word in our everyday vernacular, development was isolated, and monolithic software projects with infrequent, unstructured deployments the norm. Now things are changing. Unified code storage, continuous integration and deployment, and a transition towards microservices have rapidly altered how we build and deliver software.

In this talk, I will highlight our experiences in building a DevOps culture and five key lessons we learnt along the way that shaped our approaches. Hopefully these will help your organisation embark on a journey of its own!