The Forrester Wave™ Integrated Software Delivery Platforms: Breaking Down the Top Contenders and Key Insights

What if the wrong choice in software delivery can cost your organization years of competitive edge? This isn't hyperbole—selecting the right integrated software delivery platform (ISDP) isn't just about making a smart choice; it's about avoiding costly mistakes that others have made. The Forrester Wave™ offers a solution to this. As businesses increasingly rely on software for innovation, choosing the right delivery platform becomes essential. This piece breaks down the findings from The Forrester Wave™ report, dissecting the best platforms available today.

Why It Matters:

Picture this: You’ve invested in a software platform that seemed promising. The team is excited, and everything looks perfect. Then, the bottlenecks hit—delays, inconsistent updates, errors in deployment. Months pass, and the cost of these inefficiencies compounds. What went wrong? You picked a platform that couldn’t scale, didn’t integrate well with your ecosystem, or couldn’t support your DevOps culture. This is the reality for many businesses that don’t have access to the kind of thorough analysis provided by The Forrester Wave™.

The report shines a spotlight on three major players in the industry: Microsoft, GitLab, and Atlassian, evaluating them based on their strengths, weaknesses, and overall fit for different organizations. But before diving into the specifics of these platforms, let’s explore what makes an integrated software delivery platform so crucial today.

The Stakes in Software Delivery:

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, software delivery is no longer just a technical concern. It’s a core part of business strategy. Consider the companies that lead their markets today—Netflix, Amazon, Google. These giants didn’t just build a great product and sit back; they created systems to deliver software faster, more reliably, and more securely than their competitors.

According to research, companies with optimized software delivery pipelines can deliver updates 46 times more frequently than their competitors, reducing time to market significantly. The gap between those who "get" software delivery and those who don't is widening—and fast.

What can an integrated software delivery platform do for your organization?
1. Speed up deployment: Continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines automate the testing and deployment processes, allowing you to push updates in a matter of hours, not days.
2. Ensure consistency: An integrated platform reduces human error by ensuring that all processes—from coding to deployment—are automated and standardized.
3. Improve collaboration: By integrating development, operations, and security into a single system, these platforms encourage communication and collaboration across departments.
4. Increase visibility: The best ISDPs provide real-time data on system performance, making it easier to pinpoint issues and ensure that teams are meeting their objectives.

Key Players: Microsoft, GitLab, Atlassian

Microsoft Azure DevOps

Strengths:
Microsoft’s strength lies in its all-encompassing ecosystem. Azure DevOps is an end-to-end solution that works particularly well for enterprises already invested in Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure. It offers built-in CI/CD pipelines, agile tools, and support for various programming languages. Its integration with GitHub adds another layer of functionality, making it ideal for teams that need robust version control systems.

Weaknesses:
However, the heavy reliance on Microsoft’s ecosystem can be limiting for teams using multi-cloud or hybrid solutions. It may not be the best fit for companies that want the flexibility to move between different cloud providers.

Who Should Choose Microsoft:
Larger enterprises already embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem will find Azure DevOps a compelling choice due to its extensive integration capabilities. It also excels in security and compliance, making it suitable for industries like finance and healthcare.

GitLab

Strengths:
GitLab shines with its single application model, combining everything from source code management to CI/CD, security, and even project management tools in one place. Unlike other platforms that require multiple tools stitched together, GitLab offers everything within a single interface. This simplicity reduces the overhead of managing multiple tools and speeds up deployment cycles.

Weaknesses:
The main limitation is the platform’s steep learning curve for teams unfamiliar with GitLab’s ecosystem. Its rich feature set can feel overwhelming, especially for smaller teams or those transitioning from simpler platforms.

Who Should Choose GitLab:
Organizations that prioritize end-to-end visibility and automation will benefit the most from GitLab. Its open-source foundation also makes it attractive for companies seeking customization and flexibility.

Atlassian

Strengths:
Atlassian’s strength is in its collaborative tools, especially Jira and Bitbucket. Jira is the industry standard for agile project management, and when combined with Bitbucket, it creates a cohesive environment for development teams to track issues, manage projects, and deploy software seamlessly. Atlassian’s integrations with third-party tools are second to none, making it a versatile choice for various workflows.

Weaknesses:
While its tools are best in class for project management, Atlassian lacks some of the more advanced CI/CD features that GitLab and Microsoft offer. This can make it less ideal for teams with heavy automation needs.

Who Should Choose Atlassian:
Atlassian is a great fit for organizations looking for best-in-class collaboration tools. If your team prioritizes agile project management and issue tracking over built-in CI/CD features, Atlassian’s suite offers the perfect solution.

Features to Look for in an ISDP:

Before making a decision, it’s essential to consider the features that matter most to your organization. Here are some features that The Forrester Wave™ emphasizes as critical:
1. Automation Capabilities: Automating repetitive tasks like testing and deployment is essential for speeding up your software delivery. Platforms with robust automation tools save time and reduce human error.
2. Security Features: Security isn’t an afterthought. An ISDP should integrate security into every stage of the software delivery lifecycle, from development to production.
3. Scalability: Your needs today won’t be the same as your needs five years from now. Ensure the platform you choose can scale with your organization.
4. Integration: The best platforms integrate seamlessly with the tools your team already uses, from project management systems to cloud infrastructure.
5. Visibility and Analytics: The ability to monitor and analyze data across the entire software delivery process is critical for making informed decisions and quickly resolving issues.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right ISDP is not a decision to be taken lightly. It’s the backbone of your software delivery process, the engine that will drive your business forward—or, if poorly chosen, hold it back. The Forrester Wave™ helps to mitigate that risk by offering in-depth, data-driven evaluations of the top platforms in the market. Whether you’re leaning towards Microsoft for its robust ecosystem, GitLab for its all-in-one approach, or Atlassian for its collaborative tools, make sure your choice aligns with your organization’s unique needs.

The key takeaway? The right platform can be the difference between leading your industry or falling behind.