Unlocking Efficiency with Docker for AI and Cloud-Native Development | Docker

The need for secure and high quality software becomes more critical every day as the impact of vulnerabilities increases and related costs continue to rise. For example, flawed software cost the U.S. economy $2.08 trillion in 2020 alone, according to the Consortium for Information and Software Quality (CISQ). And, a software defect that might cost $100 to fix if found early in the development process can grow exponentially to $10,000 if discovered later in production. 

Docker helps you deliver secure, efficient applications by providing consistent environments and fast, reliable container management, building on best practices that let you discover and resolve issues earlier in the software development life cycle (SDLC).

Shifting left to ensure fewer defects

In a previous blog post, we talked about using the right tools, including Docker’s suite of products to boost developer productivity. Besides having the right tools, you also need to implement the right processes to optimize your software development and improve team productivity. 

The software development process is typically broken into two distinct loops, the inner and the outer loops. At Docker, we believe that investing in the inner loop is crucial. This means shifting security left and identifying problems as soon as you can. This approach improves efficiency and reduces costs by helping teams find and fix software issues earlier.

Using Docker tools to adopt best practices

Docker’s products help you adopt these best practices — we are focused on enhancing the software development lifecycle, especially around refining the inner loop. Products like Docker Desktop allow your dev team in the inner loop to run, test, code, and build everything fast and consistently. This consistency eliminates the “it works on my machine” issue, meaning applications behave the same in both development and production.  

Shifting left lets your dev team identify problems earlier in your software project lifecycle. When you detect issues sooner, you increase efficiency and help ensure secure builds and compliance. By shifting security left with Docker Scout, your dev teams can identify vulnerabilities sooner and help avoid issues down the road. 

Another example of shifting left involves testing — doing testing earlier in the process leads to more robust software and faster release cycles. This is when Testcontainers Cloud comes in handy because it enables developers to run reliable integration tests, with real dependencies defined in code. 

Accelerate development within the hybrid inner loop

We see more and more companies adopting the so-called hybrid inner loop, which combines the best of two worlds — local and cloud. The results provide greater flexibility for your dev teams and encourage better collaboration. For example, Docker Build Cloud uses the power of the cloud to speed up build time without sacrificing the local development experience that developers love. 

By using these Docker products across the software development life cycle, teams get quick feedback loops and faster issue resolution, ensuring a smooth development flow from inception to deployment. 

Simplifying AI application development

When you’re using the right tools and processes to accelerate your application delivery and maximize efficiency throughout your SDLC, processes that were once cumbersome become your new baseline, freeing up time for true innovation. 

Docker also helps accelerate innovation by simplifying AI/ML development. We are continually investing in AI to help your developers deliver AI-backed applications that differentiate your business and enhance competitiveness.

Docker AI tools

Docker’s GenAI Stack accelerates the incorporation of large language models (LLMs) and AI/ML into your code, enabling the delivery of AI-backed applications. All containers work harmoniously and are managed directly from Docker Desktop, allowing your team to monitor and adjust components without leaving their development environment. Deploying the GenAI Stack is quick and easy, and leveraging Docker’s containerization technology helps speed setup and simplify scaling as applications grow.

Earlier this year, we announced the preview of Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot. By standardizing best practices and enabling integrations with tools like GitHub Copilot, Docker empowers developers to focus on innovation, closing the gap from the first line of code to production.

And, more recently, we launched the Docker AI Catalog in Docker Hub. This new feature simplifies the process of integrating AI into applications by providing trusted and ready-to-use content supported by comprehensive documentation. Your dev team will benefit from shorter development cycles, improved productivity, and a more streamlined path to integrating AI into both new and existing applications.

Wrapping up

Docker products help you establish sound processes and practices related to shifting left and discovering issues earlier to avoid headaches down the road. This approach ultimately unlocks developer productivity, giving your dev team more time to code and innovate. Docker also allows you to quickly use AI to close knowledge gaps and offers trusted tools to build AI/ML applications and accelerate time to market. 

To see how Docker continues to empower developers with the latest innovations and tools, check out our Docker 2024 Highlights.

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