Git in the Enterprise Development Ecosystem

Open source software has become an integral part of all aspects of software development.  Take the meteoric rise of Git for example.   The open source version control system has rapidly become one of the most popular version control systems used by software developers today.

Git is fast, flexible, and full of developer-friendly features, which explains why it has become so popular. It’s ideally suited for developers collaborating on open source projects, and based on discussions about Git that AccuRev has had with customers, prospects, and analysts, it’s clear that there are growing groups of developers within enterprise organizations using Git.

Here are a few areas in which Git is gaining traction within enterprise organizations:

1. Android Development

When working with Android code, teams need to use Git and Repo to get the latest versions from the Android repository, so Git is required if you want to make changes to Android. As a result, any company creating mobile devices running on Android and working with Android source files has a real business need to use Git.

2. Linux Development

Same as with Android, if your company has a need to make changes to the Linux kernel, you are going to need Git. Even if you don’t use Git when making those changes, you’ll eventually have to get them into Git.

3. Working with Third-party Vendors or Outsourced Teams Using Git

Similar to the Android and Linux scenario, if you’re working with third-party vendors or outsourced teams who require that you merge your changes into their Git repository, you may be forced to use scripts or bridges to get your changes from your SCM into Git or vice versa, and that’s not a small task.

4. All of Your Developers Love Git

Git is often adopted by development teams through a grassroots movement started by developers. The attraction to Git’s off-line DVCS repository makes it easy to work in isolation and integrate work with their peers. Additionally, DVCS can make some common SCCM operations much faster than a traditional client/server model.

But this isn’t the only reason why Git adopters are so passionate; Git has ‘street cred’ due to the fact that it was invented by the father of open source, Linus Torvalds. Git was a designed as a replacement for Bitkeeper to better meet Linus’s need to develop and maintain the Linux kernel. This model also lends itself well to the open source community model with which Linux is developed.

With these two distinct advantages, open source supporters and developers who crave DVCS features turn into champions within the organization and want to show others the benefits of working with Git.

AccuRev sees a huge advantage integrating with Git since it gives developers the freedom and features they know and love. This gives everyone the best of both worlds. The convergence between commercial SCM systems and Git allow developers and managers to get the best of both worlds.  There are now Git supported versions of commercial SCM systems available in the market, and the most advanced solutions provide a completely seamless environment for developers using Git to work uninterrupted and unhindered, just as they like it, while development managers are able to take advantage of the advanced security, workflow and tracking functionality they need to keep projects moving forward smoothly.

Developers are the most pragmatic people on earth. They see advantages to Git, so they use it. We’re adding integration capabilities to make Git better, we think it’s a more pragmatic approach, and developers will value it.  What do you think?