Microsoft Azure DevOps Reviews

I work in a consulting firm responsible for adding, managing, and deploying government projects. We are using Microsoft Azure DevOps in one of the projects for backlog management, test planning, test execution, sprint planning, bug fixes, and enhancement requests. We use the solution for anything related to development testing.

The solution's most valuable features are backlog management, build release pipeline, and testing. They're easy, intuitive, and increase productivity. Usually, if you don't use such a solution, you end up using Excel. Then, you won't have shared documents, and there'll be no single source of growth. Everybody will keep a different document somewhere, and you will spend a lot of effort reconciling the latest status.

Using Microsoft Azure DevOps makes it really easy for us. Anytime you can see how many bugs are open, you can directly get it out of the tool. The solution's reporting is really easy. You can create ad hoc reports based on management requirements. If you are sitting in a meeting and somebody asks you the number of chain requests, bugs, or enhancements, you can create quick queries and show them the status. I think this directly affects productivity.

Microsoft Azure DevOps doesn't have an ITSM tool compared to its competitors. We also use Jira for another project, and Jira supports ITSM or ticketing. Since Microsoft Azure DevOps doesn't have this feature, we have to depend on another solution for service request management for support tickets.

The solution should include ITSM tools and security. DevSecOps are third-party security plug-ins that you can integrate with DevOps. Azure DevOps itself doesn't have anything out of the box. Enabling security so that the solution automatically starts checking things would be a really handy feature.

I have been using Microsoft Azure DevOps for three years.

We haven’t faced any issues with the solution’s stability.

I rate the solution a nine or ten out of ten for stability.

Since it's a SaaS solution, we haven't faced any scalability or performance issues, and we haven't struggled when we had a lot of users. We have gone through a curve. We started with around ten users. At the peak of the project, we had almost 50 users. Since we are in maintenance, we have come down to 10 to 15 users.

We use 100% of Microsoft Azure DevOps for our project. Everything is within Azure DevOps. If anybody says that we need to work on a feature, the first thing we do is create a DevOps item. So, we don't do anything outside DevOps.

The tool provides the features, but we haven't been able to onboard end users. We are a consultancy firm that works with system integrators and also engages with the end client. We have been able to onboard the system integrators, and we are also using it.

However, the end users still prefer sending emails and documents. If you send them a link to run a test script, they won't do it. So, the end users still prefer the old ways, such as emails and documents.

I rate the solution's scalability a nine or ten out of ten.

So far, we haven't faced any issues in terms of technical support. There is good documentation available if you are looking for support for configuration. So, you usually end up resolving your issues yourself. Since this tool is widely used, you can find help online. People are writing content about this solution, and Microsoft itself has good documentation.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup a nine out of ten. The solution's initial setup is pretty easy, and the rollout is pretty quick. You can enable it and then keep on modifying and updating it.

It took us less than a week to deploy Azure DevOps. Since we were using a cloud environment, there was no infrastructure requirement. We went on Azure DevOps, created an organization, and then created a project. Inside the project, we selected the type of project.

There are different templates that you can follow, including the CMM-level approach or the basic approach. We selected one of the templates and copied the template. We made some modifications to the template for the project because that template is used for governing steps.

Then, we created depositories, which is pretty quick. In a week's time, we were up and running with backlog management. It took a couple of weeks to complete the automated build and deployment pipelines.

We needed one person to set up the project and one knowledgeable about the build and deployment pipelines. If you have a person who knows how to do the pipelines, you can also configure the project. So, one person is good enough to set up the entire project.

We have seen a return on investment with Microsoft Azure DevOps in terms of productivity because it really helps with the amount of time you need to consolidate reporting and planning. The status is always up to date, and the deployment is very streamlined. You can do the entire thing in Excel, but the overhead would be too much, and you would lose out on things. So, team synchronization and productivity are the return on investment with the solution.

I rate the solution’s return on investment a nine out of ten.

The solution's pricing is pretty cheap. The best part of the Azure DevOps and SaaS model is that there's no upfront cost. The tool has a per-user license. It's free for five users, and there is a price above five users. The solution's deployment and licensing costs are very cheap compared to those of its competitors.

The solution's pricing is not fixed. The solution's testing license is $50 per user. It's $15 for normal users who use backlog management. We have two people from the test team and seven from the other team. This is in maintenance.

Since we had a big testing team, we had 15 people in testing and 30 people in backlog management during peak time. You can say it has a 70:30 ratio. Most of the cost is in testing, and the backlog management is really cheap.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten.

Before choosing Microsoft Azure DevOps, we evaluated other options like Jira and HP ALM. Jira is good at ITSM and backlog management, but it is dependent on third-party tools for pipeline deployment.

It's too complex to do product management with HP ALM. It's a good ITSM tool, but the process it follows for product management is very stringent, which is not very flexible for sprint planning. There is too much overhead in HP ALM to do quick sprints.

We are working with the SaaS (Software as a Service) version of the solution, which is on the cloud. Since Microsoft provides the latest upgrades and patches, it should be the latest version.

We start by creating backlog items. Whenever we get a requirement, we log it into Azure DevOps and plan the backlog. The backlog includes what features we need to develop and what tasks we need to assign to each developer. Each developer is part of the DevOps. Once you have created that backlog, we assign it to different developers based on a sprint.

Suppose we are going to run a four-week development cycle. So, we plan the development cycle, pick a few items from the backlog, assign them to that sprint, assign them to the developer, and then manage the execution of that development cycle. Once that's completed, we will transfer it to the test team so they can test it in Azure DevOps.

They have test scripts that are documented in Azure DevOps. They run tests, record videos, and capture screenshots in Azure DevOps. After the test verification, we deploy the solution. In addition to backlog management and product management, we use Azure DevOps for build and release deployment. We don't manually go and build the software.

Our code repository is also part of DevOps. As soon as we check in the new code, Azure DevOps automatically builds the solution and then deploys it in the development environment. Once it's confirmed, the same is deployed to quality and production. We use the solution to do everything end to end, other than ITSM.

Specifically, Azure DevOps is integrated with deployment for us. When we manually deploy a solution, it's prone to errors. We use Azure for website deployment and Azure DevOps for Apple app or Google app deployment.

As soon as the approval is done in Azure DevOps, apps are automatically published. It will publish an app on the Google Play Store, Apple Play Store, and Azure, which we use for web hosting. So, it is integrated with web hosting, Apple Store, and Google Play Store.

The solution does not really need any maintenance. Once you enable the testing solution, you can start creating your test plans and test scripts directly. Every time you do a deployment, you just need to run those test scripts, which is pretty easy. It's more about creating your test script than configuring the tool. Even if I do it in Excel, I need to spend time on that.

The solution's analytics and reporting are pretty easy. We use them very often on an ad hoc basis whenever we discuss and plan what to deploy and what the next steps are. It's pretty easy, and we haven't faced an issue where we weren't able to take out any reports just by doing it on an ad hoc basis. It's pretty easy, and you don't need to write code or anything.

The tool is pretty flexible and easy to use. I suggest starting with the cloud version because you can create your project easily. Since it's free for five users, organizations with budget constraints can start playing with limited users. I would say start with the cloud-based version and start playing with it. Once you get comfortable with it, you can expand it for other projects. The tool serves a wide variety of use cases.

The biggest key trend these days is fast deployments or quick releases. Given how competitive the market has become, you need to keep on adding features to your product. Azure DevOps supports the sprint methodology, which supports fast deployment.

On top of that, it supports automated build release deployment. That was a headache when I started working. Sometimes, you forget a file when deploying in production, and your system will go down. The solution's features support the latest fast or quick deployment trend.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Azure DevOps helps us automate building, testing, and deploying our code through CI/CD pipelines.

Valuable features for project management and tracking in Azure DevOps include a portal displaying test results, check-in/check-out activity, and developer/tester productivity. This portal provides options to view development and testing velocity effectively.

I don't see any major need for improvement in Azure DevOps. The only downside is that the deployment could be a little challenging but it is manageable.

I have been using Microsoft Azure DevOps for the last four years.

We have not had any stability issues with the solution.

Azure DevOps is highly scalable and fairly straightforward to scale as needed.

As a Microsoft partner, my clients range from medium to large organizations, with a focus on larger clients. However, I also serve some smaller life insurance companies.

I have received excellent tech support from Microsoft and I would rate them as a ten out of ten.

Positive

I have used Amazon and Micro Focus products in addition to Microsoft offerings, though the majority of my work has been with Microsoft. The main difference is in the documentation and available tech support, where Microsoft excelled with abundant resources compared to Amazon and Micro Focus.

Deploying Azure DevOps pipelines can be complex, but it is straightforward with careful planning and step-by-step execution. Challenges may arise from the multitude of options and design considerations, requiring expertise or guidance from experienced professionals. While there is ample learning material available online, structured examples could enhance usability by providing clearer guidance amidst the vast amount of documentation.

Microsoft's licensing and pricing for Azure DevOps are competitive within the market. While it may be expensive, it is almost the same as the pricing for comparable products in the industry. I would rate the pricing as a six out of ten in terms of costliness.

I prefer Azure DevOps over other solutions. I appreciate its intuitive YAML-based definition language and find its object model and configuration more intuitive than other systems.

We used Azure DevOps to collaborate on migrating a legacy banking application from a mainframe to a Windows platform. The project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of migrating legacy banking systems.

Azure Repos improves code version control and collaboration by providing a centralized repository for source code. It enables multiple developers to work on the same project, track revision history, and merge code changes efficiently, essential for collaborative development environments.

Using Azure Test Plans significantly improves software quality by enabling structured test planning and automation. This ensures that code is thoroughly tested, enhancing solution integrity and mitigating risks associated with code implementation.

Integrating Azure DevOps with other tools and services is straightforward and intuitive. I found it easy to integrate monitoring and other tools with Azure DevOps.

Before implementing Microsoft Azure DevOps, new users should be aware that it is a complex software requiring careful planning and design. Conduct a proof of concept to ensure it meets your needs, and engage specialists to design your environment accordingly. Additionally, be prepared for a cultural shift in utilizing the tool effectively.

Overall, I would rate Azure DevOps as a nine out of ten. I always recommend it to all of my customers.

We use it across various projects, each with a different purpose. Originally known as VSTS, then it transitioned to what was called Team Foundation Server, and now it is Azure DevOps. 

We use it to plan/manage our sprints and Kanban boards, as well as to maintain CI/CD pipelines. It serves as our code repository, too.

We shifted to the cloud environment and started migrating from our data centers about eight or nine years back. It has been a long journey. However, we have been using Azure DevOps for almost five to six years in every project. So, Azure DevOps supported our shift towards DevOps culture.

It has contributed in many different ways:

1. Improved our CI/CD workflows:

It's completely automated. Developers can make check-ins or pull requests, with pull requests facilitating code check-ins or releases. We've also implemented a feature called Feature Flags in Azure DevOps, which is quite recent. 

It allows us to deploy code to production without releasing certain features immediately, enhancing both developer productivity and our automation processes significantly.

2. Manage code across environments

We manage code across multiple environments, namely development, testing, and production. Each environment may have a different version of the code deployed.

3. Team productivity:

It offers a combination of how projects can be done in sprints. The Agile project management capabilities offer resource-leveling. It also has developer functionalities to manage the code version. 

4. Improved version control practices:

Version control practices have been perfect for us. It maintains a detailed history and is integrated with GitHub, which is also a Microsoft product. It is quite a game-changer. This integration enables both development and project management tools to coexist efficiently, allowing for detailed project plans, delivery milestones, bug tracking, and linked code management. It's truly a game changer, integrating various Microsoft products into a cohesive platform.

My company has experienced benefits from using it or from recent updates in Azure Pipelines. For instance, we can manage different code versions from the same repository across different environments. We also use feature flags; the code is deployed, but the feature can be made visible to the end user at a later time. 

Additionally, as part of the deployment, we integrate automated and regression testing, which stops the deployment if testing fails, thus preventing regression bugs. This saves time and increases productivity by reducing the need for manual testing. 

Lastly, it integrates with the project management aspects, allowing us to link code deployments with project milestones.

Azure DevOps supported our shift towards DevOps culture or practices. We shifted to the cloud environment and started migrating from our data centers about eight or nine years back. 

It has been a long journey. However, we have used Azure DevOps for almost five to six years in every project.

We also use automation testing in Azure, so we have an integrated test suite that allows us to perform functional and regression testing effectively via the Azure DevOps system.

It's too technical sometimes because it's meant for network developers. The CI/CD pipelines are not very easy to manage because it requires a lot of input.

So it could be easier to manage.

I have been using it for three years now. 

As for stability, since Azure DevOps is cloud-deployed and uses CI/CD for updates, we sometimes face jitters or some downtimes. Occasionally, features break for various reasons. 

But overall, the stability is on par with how far the product has come.

It's quite scalable in terms of both data nodes and functionality.

It's an enterprise-level application. There are, like, hundreds of teams using it.

We have an enterprise license, and scalability is not a problem. It is easy to scale out. 

The support goes via the service-level agreement that the enterprise has with Microsoft.

Therefore, there are different levels of support available based on what level of license is procured. We have platinum level.  

Positive

It's a very configuration-intensive tool. It's not something you can learn on day one. It requires familiarity and important training, but Microsoft provides quite good documentation on how to use the tool.

Deployment of the tool itself is usually part of an enterprise deployment, but it needs to be configured for each project. It's the same cloud offering available globally, but it must be tailored to meet the specific needs of each project. So, it can be done within a week or so from the start of the project.

For the deployment and maintenance, there's one platform engineer. Based on the size of the project, this could be a full-time person or shared with multiple teams. 

We have one platform engineer who manages the environment, a developer who manages their code check-in and pull requests, and then there are automation clusters who manage that as well.

We are in a large organization, so ROI is there. 

The basic version is free, which is offered by Microsoft. But if you've got a larger team size, you need to pay. We have enterprise agreements. It's not based on the number of users; it's a one-time fee open for the entire enterprise.

Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten.

I would recommend that you should use it to know how effective it is. That's my advice. Because it combines the power of having program management or agile project management tools as well as developer practicality, that's the unique selling point of Azure DevOps. 

No other tool probably matches the scale. You either have project management tools like Jira or Rally or you have code management tools like GitHub or Slack. It also has a very exhaustive bug management process built in.

It is a quite comprehensive product.

Being a project manager, it is necessary to create sprint, and kanban boards for management decision-making and our product life cycle. We use the solution for sprint backlog creation and bug reporting for IT department fixation. The dashboard is an interesting feature with visibility on the pending due dates. 

Since using this software, we have revoked the usage of MS Office tools and prefer to instead use Azure.

Azure is one of the few project management software solutions that provide a clear view of project standing, and sprint of product backlog as well. 

As far as my organization is concerned, we use this software for managing the project life cycle where we raise change request forms here and the IT developer provides the solution and from there we can conduct the UAT and sign off for closure. 

The entire product life cycle is being managed with task assignments so broader and a clear understanding of scope is provided by this software and the organization can better understand its current progress.

The available Kanban board is the best feature for management decisions. The sprint capabilities of the product break down the feature and characteristics of the product into steps and if any step is pending we may forward it to the backlog. 

Microsoft Azure is an Agile methodology, so multiple steps can be performed by different user segments in order to achieve the scope smoothly. 

More features can be included. We'd like to see better Kanban templates and an audio-video chat facility. 

The bug reporting facility can be enriched; there is nothing to mark "passed" "failed" the test cases. 

The dashboard can be enriched. 

Related links must be visible on the dashboard for integration purposes. 

I've used the solution for the last two years.

The stability is good.

The scalability is good.

Customer service and support are good. 

Positive

We did not use a different solution previously.

The initial setup is a little bit complex.

We worked with the vendor.

We have witnessed a good return on investment. 

This is good software for a reasonable price.

We did not evaluate other options. 

Azure DevOps is primarily used as a DevOps tool rather than an AI tool. It is used for source code management, setting up repositories and pipelines, and it can handle a range of workflows from the DevOps stack.

The tool helps by being an all-in-one solution where I can store secrets, code, and pipelines. This comprehensive nature has made it valuable and helpful by improving customer productivity and allowing me to perform multiple tasks without needing additional solutions.

Azure DevOps is highly valued for being an all-in-one solution. It offers capabilities like source code management, secret storage, pipeline management, and more, making it comparable to a multitool that does not require integration with other solutions. I appreciate it for its scalability and ability to handle different workflows effectively.

A notable improvement would be adding more notifications. It would benefit from more seminars or events where Microsoft encourages other users to transition to Azure DevOps.

I have been working with Microsoft Azure DevOps for around two years.

The stability of Azure DevOps is rated as stable and simple, with no complexity involved. I have not experienced any outages or downtimes in Azure DevOps.

Azure DevOps is highly scalable and receives a rating of ten out of ten. It can handle various volumes of workflows, which makes it effective for different use cases.

I have not communicated with technical support for Azure DevOps.

Neutral

Azure DevOps does not have a complex setup process. It requires Microsoft Azure for the services used, and the product itself is simple to set up.

The pricing of Azure DevOps is rated at five out of ten. It is mid-range pricing. It is considered to offer good value for money even if setting up an agent separately is required.

Our discussion mentioned Jenkins as a popular CI/CD product.

Azure DevOps is a very powerful tool with almost every feature necessary for DevOps, so it is recommended to other users.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We are mostly using Microsoft Azure DevOps for the development dashboard and for CI/CD pipelines. We also use it mainly for Git repository management.

We are primarily using Microsoft Azure DevOps for its Git repository management and CI/CD pipelines.

Service monitoring should be improved. This feature is available for Azure DevOps in the cloud but not on-premise. It can be enhanced to be used with on-premise solutions.

I have almost three years of experience working with Microsoft Azure DevOps.

This solution is stable. Its stability rating is eight out of ten.

I have not contacted Microsoft technical support; I rely on the documentation.

Positive

I did not use a different solution before using Microsoft Azure DevOps.

For me, the initial setup experience would be rated a seven out of ten.

The deployment takes only a few minutes. That said, it depends on the size of the artifact. If the artifact size is large, it will take a bit more time. We did not use any third-party services; we handled it in-house.

I have no idea about the pricing of Microsoft Azure DevOps.

I did not evaluate other options. We had to listen, as we were already using the solution.

I recommend Microsoft Azure DevOps. It is user-friendly.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We build CI/CD pipelines. It's the Azure DevOps phase. Everything is in one place, like version control. CI/CD Pipelines, Release Pipelines. Everything is in there. 

So we have everything in one place basically. We use it as a complete end product.

The first thing is that everything is in one place. Azure DevOps integrates Secrets management, release pipelines, and build pipelines. 

The CI/CD pipeline setup is more user-friendly. You can manage various stages, and there are over 400+ plugins available for each stage. It's more user-friendly overall, which simplifies setting up pipelines and managing the workflows.

There is room for improvement on the UI side, especially with merge requests. If we compare Azure DevOps to GitLab when it comes to branches and PRs (pull requests), GitLab has a better interface.

Regarding CI/CD pipelines, Azure DevOps is improving. They're adding new plugins and making overall upgrades. For instance, they used to have only one type of pipeline, but now they have YAML-based release pipelines. Build pipelines are still under development, I believe, but their roadmap is in good shape.

They're also integrating IAM enablement directly into the UI. So, if you want to use the Azure portal to produce roles or make similar changes, you can now do that within Azure DevOps. It's a positive development. Overall, the roadmap for Azure DevOps is very strong.

I have been using it for six years. 

The stability is improving and looks very promising. Moreover, it's free. Initially, a subscription was required, but now Azure DevOps is provided for free if you are using the Microsoft Azure cloud and have that option enabled. 

So, it's a very stable product.

It's agent-based. You must manually configure a pool of agents to run all your pipelines and deployments anytime. There have been some disturbances with the agent pools, but they are improving. 

Initially, there were many issues with agent pool stability, but now, as you increase and update your agent pool, it becomes more robust. There isn't automatic scalability; you must ensure the agent pools are properly configured initially.

Myentire organization uses it because many projects under this organization use Azure DevOps. There are more than a thousand end users. 

The customer service and support are pretty good. There is a bunch of documentation out there. 

It is not to complicated to use. If there is something required, the support is accessible. 

I used Kitlabs, GitLab, GitOps, Jenkins, and Central Station, among others.

We looked at the features, and for one, Azure DevOps integrates all development and operations for continuous deployment in one place, which none of the other products offer in the market.

For Git, we needed repositories. 

The initial setup is of medium complexity compared to others. It's not too complex, nor is it too easy. It's a medium setup, and it includes all the key features. You can create departments, projects, and programs—everything is taken care of with Azure DevOps. 

It's like ServiceNow for continuous improvements and deployments in the DevOps world. Every project and support request I handle for clients has its challenges, but Azure DevOps manages these effectively.

Deploying code to your endpoint is a one-person job. You can configure your system, integrate your CI/CD pipeline, and set up authentication on your own. 

However, at an organizational level, where roles need managing and permissions must be assigned—for example, some can only handle releases while others manage builds—you need a robust access control system. 

In such cases, you would need two to three administrators to handle everything.

People involved in the process would be Azure DevOps admins, who control everything related to permissions and Azure DevOps operations, such as setting up pipelines, running deployments, etcetera. While our application teams handle some tasks, issues like access problems or agent failures are taken care of by the admins.

I would recommend using it.  Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We use the product end-to-end, from project management to CI/CD. We use the tool to create sprints and iterations, track bugs and issues, close down sprints, and have complete CI/CD pipelines end-to-end for all our branch's build releases.

The solution works smoothly. We have been using the tool for our projects since day one. It's easy to move around in the tool. All our projects are 100% on the cloud. Azure DevOps is an end-to-end solution. From project management to CI/CD, everything is connected. It speeds up our development and tracking.

The CI/CD feature is the most valuable for my team's productivity. All the features are helpful. The tool is helpful even in the test cases. We use Azure DevOps because it gives us everything in one product. Source control is useful. The tool enables us to track the projects end-to-end. We can track everything from the requirements stage to the production stage.

Azure Artifacts must be improved. When we do containerization or imaging, it is not friendly with Docker images. It might be because we are using open-source tools. There is no document that explains how to connect to Azure Artifacts when we're building a Docker container. 

The documentation must be straightforward. If we look online, it is very difficult to find or understand. The only way to connect to Azure Artifacts is to create a personal access token. Something doesn’t feel right with having the personal access token in the NuGet.config of our projects. However, it works fine.

I have been using the solution for 10 years.

The product’s stability is good enough.

The product is scalable. We have more than 40 users in our organization.

The setup is straightforward. Using the task and building the pipeline is not an issue. We spent a week trying to find out how to connect to Azure Artifacts. We need a normal .NET Core API and have the Docker file built. We must use a personal access token and keep it in the config files. It is not smooth enough.

The ROI is good enough. Once the system is set, we can focus on the core products.

We pay yearly licenses. The tool could be cheaper.

Microsoft Azure DevOps is the best choice because it is an end-to-end solution. Everything is integrated and trackable from every point. Right from my operations team to developers, everyone gets a clearer picture of everything. Overall, I rate the product a 9 out of 10.