What Was Azure DevOps Called Prior to 2018? A Look Back at Its Evolution
Azure DevOps, as it’s known today, is a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to facilitate the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC) from planning and coding to testing, deployment, and monitoring. But before it became Azure DevOps, the platform had a different identity. To understand the evolution of Azure DevOps, it’s important to take a look at what it was called before 2018 and how it transitioned into the powerful DevOps platform we use today.
So, what was Azure DevOps called prior to 2018? The platform was originally known as Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), and before that, it had even earlier versions, reflecting its growth and changes over time. Let’s dive into the history and understand how Azure DevOps came into being.
1. The Beginnings of Azure DevOps: Team Foundation Server (TFS)
Before the shift to Visual Studio Team Services and then to Azure DevOps, the foundation for the platform was laid under a product called Team Foundation Server (TFS).
- Team Foundation Server (TFS) was first introduced by Microsoft in 2005 as an on-premises version control and project management tool. It was part of the Microsoft Visual Studio family and aimed to help development teams manage source code, track work items, and manage builds.
- Key Features of TFS:
- Source Control Management: Version control for software code and collaboration.
- Build Automation: Automated builds to integrate and deploy software.
- Work Item Tracking: Tracking bugs, tasks, and user stories.
- Reporting: Reports for monitoring project progress.
TFS was primarily intended for teams who needed a comprehensive, on-premises solution to manage the SDLC, but it lacked the flexibility of modern cloud-based services.
2. The Shift to Cloud: Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS)
As cloud technology grew and the demand for cloud-based solutions increased, Microsoft recognized the need to evolve Team Foundation Server (TFS) into something more suitable for modern development environments. This led to the creation of Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), which was launched in 2013.
- Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) was a cloud-based version of TFS. VSTS provided developers with a suite of tools for version control, build automation, release management, and testing—all hosted in the cloud. It was designed to support agile development and to integrate seamlessly with popular Microsoft and open-source tools.
- Key Features of VSTS:
- Cloud-based version control with Git and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC).
- Automated builds, release management, and deployment to multiple environments.
- Agile project management features like Kanban boards, backlogs, and sprints.
- Integration with Visual Studio, Eclipse, and other popular IDEs.
VSTS was widely adopted by organizations looking for a cloud-based alternative to TFS, and it allowed teams to collaborate more efficiently across different locations.
3. Rebranding to Azure DevOps (2018)
In 2018, Microsoft made a significant decision to rebrand Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS) and align the platform more closely with its broader Azure ecosystem. This led to the birth of Azure DevOps.
The rebranding reflected the evolution of the platform and its ability to support a wide variety of development tools and practices, not just those tied to Visual Studio. It also helped to clarify its identity within the larger suite of Azure cloud services, offering an integrated approach to DevOps practices.
- Azure DevOps combined the best features of VSTS and additional DevOps tools into a single platform. The rebranding aimed to emphasize the platform’s versatility and its ability to support DevOps practices across various technologies, whether you’re building with Microsoft technologies or open-source tools.
- Key Features of Azure DevOps:
- Azure Boards: For agile project management, including work items, backlogs, and Kanban boards.
- Azure Repos: For Git-based version control and code collaboration.
- Azure Pipelines: For CI/CD, automating build and deployment workflows.
- Azure Test Plans: For managing testing cycles and QA processes.
- Azure Artifacts: For managing and sharing packages like NuGet, npm, and Maven.
The shift to Azure DevOps marked the platform’s maturity into a complete cloud-based DevOps solution that could integrate seamlessly with any technology stack.
4. Why the Rebranding to Azure DevOps Was Important
The rebranding from VSTS to Azure DevOps wasn’t just about a name change—it represented a deeper shift in how Microsoft was positioning its cloud services for modern software development practices.
- Broader Ecosystem Integration: By aligning the platform with Azure, Microsoft made it clear that Azure DevOps was designed to work seamlessly with Azure cloud services, offering developers a unified platform for building, testing, and deploying applications on the cloud.
- Support for Multi-Technology Stacks: The move to Azure DevOps emphasized that the platform was not limited to just Microsoft technologies. It could now support a variety of languages and tools, including Java, Python, Node.js, and more, making it suitable for open-source and cross-platform development.
- Cloud-Native and Agile Practices: Azure DevOps embraced the DevOps culture, focusing on continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD), automation, and agile workflows. This helped development teams deliver high-quality software faster and more reliably.
5. Azure DevOps Today
Today, Azure DevOps is one of the most powerful DevOps platforms available, supporting teams of all sizes across industries. It has expanded to offer additional services like Azure DevOps Server (the on-premises version of the platform) and continuous updates to improve its functionality, security, and integration with other tools.
Key Benefits of Azure DevOps:
- Full suite of tools for planning, developing, testing, and deploying software.
- Integration with Azure cloud infrastructure and services.
- Support for multiple programming languages, frameworks, and platforms.
- Cloud-based solution that offers scalability, security, and flexibility for teams of any size.
- Seamless integration with third-party tools and open-source technologies.
Conclusion: The Evolution of Azure DevOps
Before 2018, the platform we now know as Azure DevOps had several names and iterations. It started as Team Foundation Server (TFS), then evolved into Visual Studio Team Services (VSTS), and ultimately rebranded as Azure DevOps to better reflect the growing role of cloud services and DevOps practices in the modern software development lifecycle.
The rebranding was more than just a name change—it marked a strategic shift toward creating a cloud-native, versatile platform for modern DevOps practices. Azure DevOps continues to evolve today as an industry leader, providing developers with the tools and services they need to automate, collaborate, and deliver high-quality software faster and more efficiently.