Microsoft Azure DevOps Reviews

Agile scrum project management of a software product in a start-up company. We are a team of 11 people located in different countries.

We have team members in different locations of the world. Azure DevOps is the main communication tool between the product owners, UX designers, and developers.

Its configurable dashboard offers various display options for the stakeholders of the project.

• Dashboard
• Query
• Sub-tasks configuration
• Extensions library
• Visual Studio and other MS product integrations.

• It would be better to have a free-text query editor. 
• Product management/roadmap planning features are missing.
• Parent Column is added in listings and we expect to see it in queries as well

Refreshing the browser is needed when a data is updated. I am expecting Microsoft to prepare an Azure DevOps application running on PC and downloaded from the MS app store.

It is easy to use if you are already familiar with Microsoft products. 

There are two versions of Azure DevOps: the cloud version and the on-premises version. We use the cloud version in very few situations, but most of our software is based on Azure DevOps on-premises.

We are a software house, and we develop software. We use it to store our source code; that is, it is the repository for our source code.

We have different teams working on different products, and each one uses a different methodology and a different process. Azure DevOps helps with that. For instance, one group may be using Scrum as a methodology to develop their software. The other group could also be using Scrum but with CDCI (continuous development, continuous integration), which helps a lot when you have to develop, test, and deploy the solution.

I think the most usable thing is that you can follow the whole progress of the development process. This makes it very useful for us.

As for improvement, the first one is pricing. For us, luckily because we are partners, it's free. Microsoft gold partners do not have to pay, but if you're not a partner, the product is very expensive.

The second would be that the tool should integrate with some of the competitors. It doesn't matter if it's a big market; it's difficult when you have to integrate with other competitor's tools, like JIRA, for instance.

If you look at the competitor's tools, they integrate easily with Microsoft, but on Microsoft's side, it's not as easy. They have been changing, but still, there are a number of gaps there.

I've got teams that want to use Microsoft Project, not only to control the whole process of the development but also to control the whole project and software. I think Project should be integrated with DevOps.

We have been using this solution for 10 years.

It is very stable. I think the system is down only a couple of hours per year, so it's very stable.

It's very scalable. We started using this solution 10 years ago, and it has evolved, We also have grown our software production, and so far, we have scope with all these situations.

We haven't had any problems with the product, but every time we had some questions, technical support staff answered pretty fast, in less than 24 hours.

The initial setup is pretty easy.

For the deployment, I think we had two people: one person from infrastructure and one who was a specialist in Azure DevOps. For maintenance, because we have about 80 people using this software, we only have one and a half people taking care of the software. That is, the infrastructure person does this part-time. He doesn't spend the whole day taking care of DevOps.

The ROI is very positive for us, but it's difficult to say how it would be if we had to pay for the solution. It's a very worthwhile product, but again, we don't have any comparisons because we don't pay anything for it.

Microsoft Azure DevOps is an expensive solution.

Get to know the product because it is complex and has many different possibilities.

It is worth having it, but you have to have an in-depth understanding and know what it is capable of doing. Otherwise, you're going to install it, and then it will be like having a very nice car in your garage that you don't know how to drive.

On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Microsoft Azure DevOps at eight.

We are an application development company, so DevOps helps us manage the work our developers and software engineers do on-site. It's convenient for customers because everybody works from home due to COVID.

DevOps is used within our organization and we also encourage some of our clients who are interested in a development platform to use Azure DevOps, but we have other clients that actually prefer Red Hat or other platforms. We like Azure DevOps, but our cloud environment is AWS. We've done three implementations on AWS without any problem.

Our technical sales staff and business development people need to know how far the developers are on any product that we're developing. DevOps makes it easier for you to see how far along they are with the work because they have a repository where they store everything. There is a portal where you can see what has been done, what has been tested, what is working, and what isn't. I have a huge dashboard with an overview of what the development team is doing from an executive point of view.

I know exactly what they're working on. If the team is falling behind on a project, there's a project management module where I can see exactly what was supposed to be delivered and what hasn't been. 

I can't think of any specific things at the moment, but I've run into things that I didn't like. I came across something that I wanted to be changed in DevOps, but I can't remember what it was. It was a particular feature I was looking for that I couldn't find.

I'm happy with DevOps' stability. I've had problems with the Red Hat environment, but I think it also boils down still to implementation skills. We're a big Microsoft implementer, so we find Azure DevOps to be highly stable.

DevOps is highly scalable. Before one of our clients decided to move to the cloud version of DevOps, they decided to try it in a small environment to see if they liked it. Previously, they had Team Foundation Server running on-premises, and we encouraged them to switch to DevOps. We set up a minimal environment and used it as a typical development environment. It wasn't for testing or anything. It was just a mini development environment that replicated their internal chassis.

Before we started using DevOps, we were using Microsoft Team Foundation Server, which allowed the whole team to share work and collaborate. DevOps does that and a little more.

Most of the time we just leave it on the cloud instead of deploying it on-prem, unless a client requests on-prem. In that case, we just replicate the cloud environment in the on-prem environment. There's no real difference, and we've had some clients who change and say they now prefer to have it on the cloud. 

After the subscription, which took about a day, we had our B environment up and running, and everything was transferred from on-prem to the cloud. In the older days, it would take you about a month. But now, to move, it actually took us, I think, almost a week, because the biggest challenge was moving the data more than the environment. Moving the environment, it took about, I think, a day or two. But the data was a bit of a problem.

The cost of Azure DevOps is manageable. You have the option to purchase a license that is per user. You can choose based on the size of your team. For example, you can opt for a volume enterprise license or go for user-based licensing if you don't have a huge number of users. 

You can start with a smaller package and then scale up as needed. Let's say, for instance, you are a smaller company with about only 10 users of the environment. Then, two months later, you win the Powerball, and you get a billion dollars and bring in a thousand developers.

You have the flexibility to move from a small-team subscription to a big subscription easily. So you don't necessarily have to take the volume. The licensing model covers all three tiers, whereby you can have a volume license, individual users, or groups. 

We are using groups, and we've found it affordable because you cancel their license if someone leaves. When we get a new person, we repurchase the license. We pay a monthly subscription, but the annual licenses are cheaper because of the commitment. 

I rate Azure DevOps seven out of 10. I would give it a higher rating, but there are a couple of things that tick me off.

We use Microsoft Azure DevOps for our source control, change request management, and a small amount of Wiki.

Microsoft Azure DevOps has helped our organization from having completely automated builds. The developers can send their own code to QA without needing a release manager or lead or IT person moving the code over.

The dashboards need bigger with better extensions and layouts. There isn't a workflow related to the statuses on the dashboard. It only lists the statuses. You can have one started, and once done, but everything in between is only in progress and could be in any order you want, it lacks flow.

I have used Microsoft Azure DevOps for approximately one year.

Last week the builds did stop working for some unknown reason, and then started again. Most of the time the stability is fine, but there are occasions when there's a problem on Microsoft's side, where it creates problems for us.

The solution is scalable but you have to pay for it.

We have approximately 40 people using this solution consisting of developers, QAs, and product owners. We are extensively using this solution in our organization.

I wish the dashboards and the release process were integrated better. The use of Kanban dashboards could be a lot better. They don't have a Kanban dashboard. They have a dashboard with one sprint but it's not exactly the same as a Kanban dashboard. You are not able to do much with them. 

We have not needed to contact the support.

The installation is straightforward. We can create a whole new organization in less than a day.

We did the implementation ourselves. I do most of the maintenance but it is mostly maintenance-free.

There are additional costs for some functionality, such as increased scalability.

My advice to others is for them to do their research before implementing this solution.

I rate Microsoft Azure DevOps a seven out of ten.

I am a consultant and this is one of the tools that I use to help develop solutions for my clients.

The most valuable feature is the complete integration between test cases, pipelines, and issue management.

The test management section needs to be improved. It is easy to use but they can make changes such that it is more comfortable for the users.

I would like to see a full-quality dashboard added. For example, if I am not using their pipeline then I would still like to see the dashboard available.

I have been using Azure DevOps for more than two years.

I have found it stable, so far.

This product is very scalable. I am currently using it for about 10 users and if I want to add more then I have to pay more money.

I have not yet been in a position where I needed technical support for this product. In the past, I have dealt with Microsoft's technical support for other products and I have found them to be fine.

I have also worked with similar tools such as GitLab, GitHub, Bitbucket, and then Jira.

Because I am a consultant, I work with multiple tools and the choice is that of my client.

I find that the pricing is good, and it is competitive with the other vendors in the market.

My advice to anybody who is considering Azure DevOps is that it is quite easy to onboard. It is a good product if you really want to work in a close-knit environment.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

We are a reseller of solutions and provide maintenance to our customers. Azure DevOps is one of the products that we have experience with.

Our customers use this product when they want to enter the DevOps space and integrate or consolidate all of their existing tools. It allows them to communicate seamlessly between development, their operations, and other team members.

This platform provides a large span of tools and technologies.

I would like to see better integration and collaboration between tools. There are different companies offering different tools, and how well something is integrated contributes to the completeness of the solution. 

The platform needs to be updated because things are still in the process of change.

I have been working with Microsoft Azure DevOps for almost three years.

We have had no complaints about stability.

Scalability has not been a problem.

We have not been in contact with technical support.

The initial setup is complex. It really depends on those who are using it in the company and exactly what they're utilizing with respect to tools. It also depends on whether they want to integrate it.

We have an in-house team for deployment.

The price of this solution is fair.

There are a lot of different tools on the market such as Jira, so I would look at DevOps as one option and how it is going to handle things in your environment.

I would rate this solution a six out of ten.

We are a small product team and we do software development. I'm part of the testing team and I use Azure DevOps to manage all of my test activities. This includes my test plan, where I create my test cases, write test scripts, execute them, and publish the results using the dashboards.

I like a lot of the features in Azure DevOps.

The creation of test plans is valuable and I like the reporting features that it offers. For example, I like the charts, as well as reporting progress.

The interface is user-friendly.

I have not been able to use the integration with automation features, such as test management automation, with a framework that is written in Java. Currently, Azure offers frameworks that are written in C#. I have not found anything in the Microsoft documentation to say that it supports other languages.

I have been using Microsoft Azure DevOps for approximately two years.

Being a SaaS product, sometimes we experience hangs. However, that is okay because in general, it is very much stable. If there are any outages then I get prior notification of such events.

I have not tried scaling it. In my team, we have approximately 30 people who are using it.

For me, the first point of contact is my internal organization and not Microsoft directly. However, if there are any changes that require Microsoft's intervention then there is an intermediate team who coordinates it. The response has been pretty good and I am happy with the support.

I have used several tools in the past including Zephyr and the Rational Quality Manager.

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. We needed to set up a Microsoft account, and that gives access to the projects. Basically, the IT department or IT administrators take care of the access.

As a member of the team, once access is provided, I can just start using it. It is plug-and-play, as far as I'm concerned.

It is a subscription model and I only pay for what I use.

Very recently, I was doing comparative studies of available test management solutions on the market and I find Azure DevOps to be pretty good.

Overall, this is a good product and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

It is good for monitoring purposes. We are using the build pipelines of Microsoft Azure. They are also valuable. 

We are facing some problems because the capacity can only be measured within a project. It cannot be measured across multiple projects. So, the reporting needs to be enhanced, and there should be more graphs to be able to easily give the upper management insights about all the employees from different departments. It will be helpful for employee management. Currently, the managers over here are using Power BI for insights because the functionality of Azure DevOps Boards is not enough. So, we have to export the data into another visualization tool and get the results.

We would like to have templates for work items. They are available in the Azure DevOps services on the server, but they are not available in the on-prem solution. We are using an on-prem server, and we are using version 2020.1119.

I have been using this solution for almost four to five years.

It works well. There are no issues.

It is easy to scale. In our organization, some teams are using it, and some teams are not using it. We probably have 80 to 100 people.

Their technical support is good. We haven't faced many issues. As far as I remember, we have had only one issue. We raised a ticket for that, and they resolved the issue.

I have also used Jira. We have more control over Jira than Azure DevOps, but we are using Azure DevOps for our technical side because our VMs and build pipelines are on Azure. So, it is better for us to use one solution rather than using multiple solutions.

It is straightforward. It is not that complex.

In terms of maintenance, we only do maintenance when we have new upgrades. Other than that, we don't need to maintain it much. We have optimized the TFS and Azure DevOps database, and we have done indexing and optimized it. It is pretty good.

I would rate Microsoft Azure DevOps an eight out of ten.