Security is a team sport: why everyone owns it now
Six security takeaways fromDocker’s 2025 State of Application Development Report.
In the evolving world of software development, one thing is clear — security is no longer a siloed specialty. It’s a team sport, especially when vulnerabilities strike. That’s one of several key security findings in the 2025 Docker State of Application Development Survey.
Here’s what else we learned about security from our second annual report, which was based on an online survey of over 4,500 industry professionals.
1. Security isn’t someone else’s problem
Forget the myth that only “security people” handle security. Across orgs big and small, roles are blending. If you’re writing code, you’re in the security game. As one respondent put it, “We don’t have dedicated teams — we all do it.” According to the survey, just 1 in 5 organizations outsource security. And it’s top of mind at most others: only 1% of respondents say security is not a concern at their organization.
One exception to this trend: In larger organizations (50 or more employees), software security is more likely to be the exclusive domain of security engineers, with other types of engineers playing less of a role.
2. Everyone thinks they’re in charge of security
Team leads from multiple corners report that they’re the ones focused on security. Seasoned developers are as likely to zero in on it as are mid-career security engineers. And they’re both right. Security has become woven into every function — devs, leads, and ops alike.
3. When vulnerabilities hit, it’s all hands on deck
No turf wars here. When scan alerts go off, everyone pitches in — whether it’s security engineers helping experienced devs to decode scan results, engineering managers overseeing the incident, or DevOps engineers filling in where needed.
Fixing vulnerabilities is also a major time suck. Among security-related tasks that respondents routinely deal with, it was the most selected option across all roles. Worth noting: Last year’s State of Application Development Survey identified security/vulnerability remediation tools as a key area where better tools were needed in the development process.
4. Security isn’t the bottleneck — planning and execution are
Surprisingly, security doesn’t crack the top 10 issues holding teams back. Planning and execution-type activities are bigger sticking points. Translation? Security is better integrated into the workflow than many give it credit for.
5. Shift-left is yesterday’s news
The once-pervasive mantra of “shift security left” is now only the 9th most important trend. Has the shift left already happened? Is AI and cloud complexity drowning it out? Or is this further evidence that security is, by necessity, shifting everywhere?
Again, perhaps security tools have gotten better, making it easier to shift left. (Our 2024 survey identified the shift-left approach as a possible source of frustration for developers and an area where more effective tools could make a difference.) Or perhaps there’s simply broader acceptance of the shift-left trend.
6. Shifting security left may not be the buzziest trend, but it’s still influential
The impact of shifting security left pales beside more dominant trends such as Generative AI and infrastructure as code. But it’s still a strong influence for developers in leadership roles.
Bottom line: Security is no longer a roadblock; it’s a reflex. Teams aren’t asking, “Who owns security?” — they’re asking, “How can we all do it better?”
Apple will soon be releasing an update of macOS Sequoia. Upgrading macOS before Docker Desktop may lead to a known issue. To avoid disruptions, ensure Docker Desktop is updated. Refer to the next steps outlined in our January 9, 2025 update.
Update: January 9, 2025
We’ve identified the issue affecting Docker Desktop for some macOS users, which caused disruptions for some existing Docker Desktop installations.
Next steps
To minimize the impact on your Docker experience, we recommend one of the following actions:
1. Upgrade to the latest version
We recommend upgrading to Docker Desktop version 4.37.2, which includes a permanent fix. Download the update here or via the Docker Desktop in-app update.
2. Use a patch update (for older versions)
For users unable to upgrade to the latest version, we’ve released patches for versions 4.32 through 4.36. Access the relevant patch updates here.
3. Apply a one-time corrective action
If you are still seeing the malware pop-up or encountering the issue, please also follow the additional steps detailed here.
4. IT administrators
As an IT administrator, you can use this script to take corrective actions on behalf of your users, provided your developers have either upgraded to the latest version or applied a patch.
We know how critical Docker Desktop is to your workflow and are committed to ensuring a smooth resolution. All remediation steps are documented here. Note that Docker Desktop versions 4.28 and earlier are not impacted by this issue. If you encounter any issues or need assistance, please reach out to our Support Team.
Update: January 8, 2025
We want to inform you about a new issue affecting Docker Desktop for some macOS users. This causes Docker Desktop to not start. Some users may also have received malware warnings. Those warnings are inaccurate.
A temporary workaround that will restore functionality is available for any affected users. Detailed instructions for the workaround are available on GitHub.
Our team is prioritizing this issue and working diligently on a permanent fix. If you prefer to wait for the longer-term patch update, please refrain from (re)-starting Docker Desktop.
We know how important Docker Desktop is to your work, and we’re committed to resolving this issue quickly and effectively. For assistance or additional information, please reach out to our Support team or check the Docker Status page for the latest updates.
I recently joined Docker in January as Chief Revenue Officer. My role is responsible for the entire customer journey, from your first interaction with Docker’s sales org to post-sales support and onboarding. As I speak with customers and hear stories about their journey with Docker over the past decade, I’m often reminded of the immense trust you’ve placed in us. Whether you’ve been with us from the days of Docker Swarm or have more recently started using Docker Desktop, your partnership has been invaluable in shaping who we are today.
I want to take a moment to personally thank you for being part of our story, especially as we continue to evolve in a rapidly changing ecosystem.
We know that change can bring challenges. Over the years, as containers became the backbone of modern software development, Docker has evolved alongside them. This evolution has not always been easy and I understand that shifts in our product offerings, changes in pricing, and recent adjustments to our subscription plans have impacted many of you. Our priority now, as it always has been, is to deliver unrivaled value to you.
We recognize that to continue innovating and addressing the complex needs of modern developers, we must continue to invest in Docker products and our relationships with customers like you. This investment isn’t just about tools and features; it’s about creating a holistic ecosystem — a unified suite — that makes your development process more productive, secure, and manageable at an enterprise scale, while building a go-to-market organization that is equipped to support our growing customer base.
To that end, we’ve redefined our strategy to focus on a deeper, more meaningful engagement with you. We’re committed to building stronger relationships, listening carefully to your feedback, and ensuring that the solutions we bring to market truly address your pain points. By focusing on your needs, we’re working to make every interaction with Docker more valuable, whether it’s through enhanced support, new features, or better licensing management. If you’d like to discuss this with me further, I’m happy to schedule time. (Reach out by email or connect with your Account Executive to set this up.)
Additionally, we’ve made key investments in our enterprise suite of products that surrounds Docker Desktop. We understand that the demands of modern development extend beyond the individual developer’s experience. Docker is the only container-first platform built specifically for development teams, improving developer experience and productivity while meeting the security and control needs of modern enterprises. Docker offers a comprehensive suite of enterprise-ready tools, cloud services, trusted content, and a collaborative community that helps streamline workflows and maximize development efficiency.
As we continue to invest in both vectors above, we’re excited about what lies ahead in our product roadmap. Our aim is simple: to help your teams develop with confidence, knowing that Docker is a trusted partner invested in your success. I am personally dedicated to ensuring that our roadmap reflects your needs and that our solutions empower your teams to reach their full potential.
Thank you again for your continued trust and partnership. We wouldn’t be here without you, and I look forward to what we will achieve together.
At Docker, our mission is to empower development teams by providing the tools they need to ship secure, high-quality apps — FAST. Over the past few years, we’ve continually added value for our customers, responding to the evolving needs of individual developers and organizations alike. Today, we’re excited to announce significant updates to our Docker subscription plans that will deliver even more value, flexibility, and power to your development workflows.
Docker accelerating the inner loop
We’ve listened closely to our community, and the message is clear: Developers want tools that meet their current needs and evolve with new capabilities to meet their future needs.
That’s why we’ve revamped our plans to include access to ALL the tools our most successful customers are leveraging — Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, Docker Build Cloud, Docker Scout, and Testcontainers Cloud. Our new unified suite makes it easier for development teams to access everything they need under one subscription with included consumption for each new product and the ability to add more as they need it. This gives every paid user full access, including consumption-based options, allowing developers to scale resources as their needs evolve. Whether customers are individual developers, members of small teams, or work in large enterprises, the refreshed Docker Personal, Docker Pro, Docker Team, and Docker Business plans ensure developers have the right tools at their fingertips.
These changes increase access to Docker Hub across the board, bring more value into Docker Desktop, and grant access to the additional value and new capabilities we’ve delivered to development teams over the past few years. From Docker Scout’s advanced security and software supply chain insights to Docker Build Cloud’s productivity-generating cloud build capabilities, Docker provides developers with the tools to build, deploy, and verify applications faster and more efficiently.
Areas we’ve invested in during the past year include:
The world’s largest container registry. To date, Docker has invested more than $100 million in Docker Hub, which currently stores over 60 petabytes of data and handles billions of pulls each month. We have improved content discoverability, in-depth image analysis, image lifecycle management, and an even broader range of verified high-assurance content on Docker Hub.
Improved insights. From Builds View to inspecting GitHub Actions builds to Build Checks to Scout health scores, we’re providing teams with more visibility into their usage and providing insights to improve their development outcomes. We have additional Docker Desktop insights coming later this year.
Securing the software supply chain. In October 2023, we launched Docker Scout, allowing developers to continuously address security issues before they hit production through policy evaluation and recommended remediations, and track the SBOM of their software. We later introduced new ways for developers to quickly assess image health and accelerate application security improvements across the software supply chain.
Container-based testing automation. In December 2023, we acquired AtomicJar, makers of Testcontainers, adding container-based testing automation to our portfolio. Testcontainers Cloud offers enterprise features and a scalable, cloud-based infrastructure that provides a consistent Testcontainers experience across the org and centralizes monitoring.
Powerful cloud-based builders. In January 2024, we launched Docker Build Cloud, combining powerful, native ARM & AMD cloud builders with shared cache that accelerates build times by up to 39x.
Security, control, and compliance for businesses. For our Docker Business subscribers, we’ve enhanced security and compliance features, ensuring that large teams can work securely and efficiently. Role-based access control (RBAC), SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, centralized management, and compliance reporting tools are just a few of the features that make Docker Business the best choice for enterprise-grade development environments. And soon, we are rolling out organizational access tokens to make developer access easier at the organizational level, enhancing security and efficiency.
As we introduce new features and continue to provide — and improve on — the world’s largest container registry, the resources to do so also grow. With the rollout of our unified suites, we’re also updating our pricing to reflect the additional value. Here’s what’s changing at a high level:
Docker Business pricing stays the same but gains the additional value and features announced today.
Docker Personal remains — and will always remain — free. This plan will continue to be improved upon as we work to grant access to a container-first approach to software development for all developers.
Docker Pro will increase from $5/month to $9/month and Docker Team prices will increase from $9/user/month to $15/user/mo (annual discounts). Docker Business pricing remains the same.
We’re introducing image pull and storage limits for Docker Hub. This will impact less than 3% of accounts, the highest commercial consumers. For many of our Docker Team and Docker Business customers with Service Accounts, the new higher image pull limits will eliminate previously incurred fees.
Docker Build Cloud minutes and Docker Scout analyzed repos are now included, providing enough minutes and repos to enhance the productivity of a development team throughout the day.
Implementing consumption-based pricing for all integrated products, including Docker Hub, to provide flexibility and scalability beyond the plans.
More value at every level
Our updated plans are packed with more features, higher usage limits, and simplified pricing, offering greater value at every tier. Our updated plans include:
Docker Desktop: We’re expanding on Docker Desktop as the industry-leading container-first development solution with advanced security features, seamless cloud-native compatibility, and tools that accelerate development while supporting enterprise-grade administration.
Docker Hub: Docker subscriptions cover Hub essentials, such as private and public repo usage. To ensure that Docker Hub remains sustainable and continues to grow as the world’s largest container registry, we’re introducing consumption-based pricing for image pulls and storage. This update also includes enhanced usage monitoring tools, making it easier for customers to understand and manage usage.
The Pulls Usage dashboard is now live on Docker Hub, allowing customers to see an organization’s Hub pull data.
Docker Build Cloud: We’ve removed the per-seat licenses for Build Cloud and increased the included build minutes for Pro, Team, and Business plans — enabling faster, more efficient builds across projects. Customers will have the option to add build minutes as their needs grow, but they will be surprised at how much time they save with our speedy builders. For customers using CI tools, Build Cloud’s speed can even help save on CI bills.
Docker Scout: Docker Team and Docker Business plans will offer continuous vulnerability analysis for an unlimited number of Scout-enabled repositories. The integration of Docker Scout’s health scores into Docker Pro, Team, and Business plans helps customers maintain security and compliance with ease.
Testcontainers Cloud: Testcontainers Cloud helps customers streamline testing workflows, saving time and resources. We’ve removed the per-seat licenses for Testcontainers Cloud under the new plans and included cloud runtime minutes for Docker Pro, Docker Team, and Docker Business, available to use for Docker Desktop or in CI workflows. Customers will have the option to add runtime minutes as their needs grow.
Looking ahead
Docker continues to innovate and invest in our products, and Docker has been recognized most recently as developers’ most used, desired, and admired developer tool in the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey.
These updates are just the beginning of our ongoing commitment to providing developers with the best tools in the industry. As we continue to invest in our tools and technologies, development teams can expect even more enhancements that will empower them to achieve their development goals.
New plans take effect starting November 15, 2024. The Docker Hub plan limits will take effect on Feb 1, 2025. No charges on Docker Hub image pulls or storage will be incurred between November 15, 2024, and January 31, 2025. For existing annual and month-to-month customers, these new plan entitlements will take effect at their next renewal date that occurs on or after November 15, 2024, giving them ample time to review and understand the new offerings. Learn more about the new Docker subscriptions and see a detailed breakdown of features in each plan. We’re committed to ensuring a smooth transition and are here to support customers every step of the way.
Stay tuned for more updates or reach out to learn more. And as always, thank you for being a part of the Docker community.
FAQ
I’m a Docker Business customer, what is new in my plan?
Docker Business list pricing remains the same, but you will now have access to more of Docker’s products:
Instead of paying an additional per-seat fee, Docker Build Cloud is now available to all users in your Docker plan. Learn how to use Build Cloud.
Docker Build Cloud included minutes are increasing from 800/mo to 1500/mo.
Docker Scout now includes unlimited repos with continuous vulnerability analysis, an increase from 3. Get started with Docker Scout quickstart.
1500 Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes are now included for use either in Docker Desktop or for CI.
Docker Hub image pull rate limits have been removed.
1M Docker Hub pulls per month are included.
If you require additional Build Cloud minutes, Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes, or Hub pulls or storage, you can add these to your plan with consumption-based pricing. See the pricing page for more details.
I’m a Docker Team customer, what is new in my plan?
Docker Team will now include the following benefits:
Instead of paying an additional per-seat fee, Docker Build Cloud is now available to allusers in your Docker plan. Learn how to use Build Cloud.
Docker Build Cloud minutes are increasing from 400/mo to 500/mo.
Docker Scout now includes unlimited repos with continuous vulnerability analysis, an increase from 3. Get started with Docker Scout quickstart.
500 Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes are now included for use either in Docker Desktop or for CI.
Docker Hub image pull rate limits will be removed.
100K Docker Hub pulls per month are included.
The minimum number of users is 1 (lowered from 5)
Docker Team price will increase from $9/user/month (annual) to $15/user/mo (annual) and from $11/user/month (monthly) to $16/user/month (monthly). If you require additional Build Cloud minutes, Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes, or Hub pulls or storage, you can add these to your plan with consumption-based pricing, or reach out to sales for invoice pricing. See the pricing page for more details.
I’m a Docker Pro customer, what is new in my plan?
Docker Pro will now include:
Docker Build Cloud minutes increased from 100/month to 200/month and no monthly fee. Learn how to use Build Cloud.
2 included repos with continuous vulnerability analysis in Docker Scout. Get started with Docker Scout quickstart.
100 Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes are now included for use either in Docker Desktop or for CI.
Docker Hub image pull rate limits will be removed.
25K Docker Hub pulls per month are included.
Docker Pro plans will increase from $5/month (annual) to $9/month (annual) and from $7/month (monthly) to $11/month (monthly). If you require additional Build Cloud minutes, Docker Scout repos, Testcontainers Cloud runtime minutes, or Hub pulls or storage, you can add these to your plan with consumption-based pricing. See the pricing page for more details.
I’m a Docker Personal user, what is included in my plan?
Docker Personal plans remain free.
When you are logged into your account, you will see additional features and entitlements:
1 included repo with continuous vulnerability analysis in Docker Scout. Get started with Docker Scout quickstart.
Unlimited public Docker Hub repos.
1 private Docker Hub repo with 2GB storage.
Updated Docker Hub image pull rate limit of 40 pulls/hr/user.
Unauthenticated users will be limited to 10 Docker Hub pulls/hr/IP address.
Docker Personal users who want to start or continue using Docker Build Cloud may trial the service for seven days, or upgrade to a Docker Pro plan. Docker Personal users may trial Testcontainers Cloud for 30 days.
Where do I learn more about Docker Hub rate limits and storage changes?
New pricing will go into effect on November 15, 2024, for all new customers.
For all existing customers, new pricing will take effect on your next renewal date after November 15, 2024. When you renew, you will receive the benefits and entitlements of the new plans. Between now and your renewal date, your existing plan details will apply.
Can I keep my existing plan?
If you are on an annual contract, you will keep your current plan and pricing until your next renewal date that falls after November 15, 2024.
If you are a month-to-month customer, you may convert to an annual contract before November 14 to stay on your existing plan. You may choose between staying on your existing plan entitlements or the new comprehensive plans. After November 15, all month-to-month renewals will be on the new plans.
I have a regulatory constraint, is it possible to disable individual services?
While most organizations will see reduced build times and improved supply chain security, some organizations may have constraints that prevent them from using all of Docker’s services.
After November 15, the default configurations for Docker Desktop, Docker Hub, Docker Build Cloud, and Docker Scout are enabled for all users. The default configuration for Testcontainers Cloud is disabled. To change your organization’s configuration, the org owner or one of your org admins will be able to disable Docker Scout or Build Cloud in the admin console.
Can I get a refund on individual products I pay for today (Build Cloud, Scout repos, Testcontainers Cloud)?
Your current plan will remain in effect until your first renewal date on or after November 15, 2024, for annual customers. At that time, your plan will automatically reflect your new entitlements for Docker Build Cloud and Docker Scout. If you are a current Testcontainers Cloud customer in addition to being a Docker Pro, Docker Team, or Docker Business customer, let your account manager know your org ID so that your included minutes can be applied starting November 15.
How do I get more help?
If you have additional questions not addressed in the FAQ, contact your Docker Account Executive or CSM.
If you need help identifying those contacts or need technical assistance, contact support.
As you might have seen, Stack Overflow recently unveiled the 2024 Developer Survey results. This always serves for me as a time to reflect on what Docker has accomplished each year in between. Since our inclusion in the survey five years ago, the Stack Overflow community has consistently ranked Docker highly. We were humbled to see Docker recognized as the most-used and most-desired developer tool for the second consecutive year. In addition, this year the community has elevated Docker to be the most-admired (78%). Moreover, Docker is the most-used tool (in the “other tools” category) by professional developers, with 59% using it in their work. This is the direct result of the value developers get by using Docker: a great developer experience, a step-function improvement in productivity, the industry’s largest repository of trusted content, and a community to support getting things done.
Your votes and support mean the world to us, and we couldn’t have achieved this without the Docker and Stack Overflow developer communities! Your feedback and enthusiasm drive us to keep improving and innovating.
When Stack Overflow released the results of last year’s 2023 Developer Survey and we learned that Stack Overflow’s community ranked Docker as the #1 most-desired and #1 most-used developer tool, I said that it means we can’t slow down and need to go even faster in our effort to serve developers. Since the 2023 survey, we have continued listening to your needs and have delivered many improvements in speed, security, collaboration, content, and functionality.
The 2024 survey results highlight a few key themes that resonate deeply with Docker’s mission and feedback we’re hearing directly from our community: Developers want tools that enhance productivity, simplify workflows, and help them with the latest technological advancements — and yes, that includes AI.
Let’s look at a few key innovations and updates from the past year that reflect how we’re addressing your feedback and the evolving landscape.
What’s new
We released Docker Scout for actionable insights in the software supply chain, helping developers address security and policy issues at the time of writing code rather than wait for CI results or, much worse, discover issues when an app is in production. We also provide a free Docker Scout Team subscription to all Docker-Sponsored Open Source (DSOS) participants to help ensure more of the content on Docker Hub is secure from the start. Then, we added Docker Scout Health Scores for security grading containers in your Docker Hub repos. We announced Docker Build Cloud to speed up build times. We also welcomed AtomicJar, maker of Testcontainers, to the Docker family.
Docker continues to innovate in bringing the power of the cloud to local development. Specifically, through Docker Desktop developers easily benefit from Docker’s cloud services in their inner loops, including Docker Build Cloud, Docker Scout, Testcontainers Cloud, and Docker Hub. The result? More frequent releases of higher quality, more secure applications.
While rapidly rolling out new features and products, we remain focused on security. In addition to unveiling Docker Scout, our tool designed to enhance the security of the software supply chain, we were happy to announce that we have received our SOC 2 Type 2 attestation and ISO 27001 certification with no exceptions or major non-conformities.
This past year has been a busy one for open source, and Docker remains committed to actively maintaining projects that are core to the container ecosystem, including Compose, BuildKit, runc, containerd, Moby (Docker Engine), Distribution, and more. As but one example, BuildKit now includes experimental support for Windows containers, expanding its versatility and reach. By investing in these open source projects, Docker and our community together ensure the container ecosystem continues to evolve to better serve developers.
AI/ML advancements
We know from our community and customers that Docker is already a pivotal part of the AI/ML development ecosystem, and its use in AI/ML is only growing. For example, a year ago there were more than 100 million pulls of AI/ML images in Docker Hub. Since then that number has grown to more than 500 million!
In the past year we’ve also leaned into leveraging AI to help developers innovate faster and smarter. For example, our integration with tools like GitHub Copilot supports rapid onboarding and continuous learning for developers. Additionally, we’ve added an AI-powered assistant to Docker documentation. By leveraging AI-driven assistance, developers can enhance their coding skills, stay updated with the latest trends, and contribute more effectively to their organizations.
Looking further out, we see AI/ML fundamentally changing how developers work and how applications are built. To explore these quickly evolving spaces together with our community, we are experimenting in public with new techniques and tools in our Docker Labs GenAI series. For example, a recent post explores how to create Dockerfiles with GenAI.
Stay tuned — we have even more AI ideas percolating!
Guides and manuals
Speaking of documentation, our Docs and DevRel teams, with help from our Docker Captains, have been up-leveling our guides and manuals. Whether you’re brand new to the Docker community or have been with us from the beginning, you’ll find guides that can take you from starting with Docker foundational concepts to language-specific, use-case, and deep-dive tutorials. Do you have ideas to contribute? We want to hear from you!
Thank you, and stay in touch
Stack Overflow’s 2024 Developer Survey highlights the critical role Docker plays in the developer ecosystem. By continually innovating and addressing the needs of our community and customers, we help developers and businesses achieve their goals. As we look to the future, Docker remains dedicated to empowering every developer and team with the best solutions to navigate and thrive in the ever-evolving software development landscape.
On behalf of everyone here at Team Docker: Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in Docker!
Read our 2024 State of Application Development Report to see insights from our own survey, which digs into key trends such as the expanding roles of cloud and AI/ML in software development and attitudes toward the shift-left approach to security.
See our case study collection to learn how our customers are using Docker as a foundational tool in their tech stack.
Docker launched its 2024 State of Application Development Report, providing a deep-focus snapshot of today’s rapidly evolving world of software development. Based on a wide-ranging survey of more than 1,300 respondents, the report shares a broad array of findings about respondents’ work, including what tools they use, their processes and frustrations, opinions about industry trends, participation in developer communities, Docker usage, and more.
What emerges is an illuminating picture of the current state of application development, along with insights into key trends such as the expanding roles of cloud and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) in software development, the continued rise of microservices, and attitudes toward the shift-left approach to security.
Reflecting the changing state of the industry, the 2024 report drills down into three main areas:
The state of application development today
AI’s expanding role in application development
Security in application development
The online survey is a key vector through which Docker product managers, engineers, and designers gather insights from users to continuously develop and improve the company’s suite of tools.
“The findings in this report demonstrate how Docker continuously seeks to address market needs so that we can better empower development teams not just to compete, but to thrive and innovate with the right processes and tools for their workflows,” said Nahid Samsami, Vice President of Developer Experience at Docker.
A key insight was the growing popularity of developing software in the cloud. When asked about their main development environment, almost 64% of respondents cited their laptop or desktop. But the real story is that more than 36% cited non-local environments, such as ephemeral environments, personal remote dev environments or clusters, and remote development tools such as GitHub Codespaces, Gitpod, and Coder.
These findings appear to underscore the growing popularity of developing software in the cloud — a trend fanned by benefits such as increased efficiency, shorter build times, reduced time to market, and faster innovation.
Why this apparent increase in reliance on cloud during development? It seems likely that the growing size of applications is a factor, along with the increasing number of dependencies and overall growth in complexity — all of which would render an all-local environment difficult, if not impossible, to maintain in parity with production.
AI/ML goes mainstream in app development
Another key finding was the growing penetration of AI/ML into the software development field. Most respondents (64%) reported already using AI for work — for tasks such as code writing, documentation, and research.
This trend is notably driven by junior/mid-level developers and DevOps/platform engineers, who expressed a higher dependency on AI compared with senior developers surveyed. In terms of AI tools, respondents most often used ChatGPT (46%), GitHub Copilot (30%), and Gemini (formerly Bard) (19%).
This year’s survey showed a growing interest in ML engineering and data science within the Docker community. When asked if they were working on ML in any capacity, almost half of respondents (46%) replied in the affirmative. Within that group, 54% said that they trained and deployed ML models in one or more projects, 43% worked on ML infrastructure, and 39% leveraged pre-trained ML models.
Where developers get stuck
A primary goal of the survey was to gain insights into how Docker can improve the app development experience. When we asked where their team gets stuck in the development process, respondents cited multiple stages, including planning (31%), estimation (24%), and designing (22%). Planning was also one of the most-selected areas in which respondents desired better tools (28% of respondents).
These findings demonstrate that respondents hit sticking points in project-level tasks before development. However, there are areas identified for improvement within the development process itself, as 20% of respondents reported getting stuck during debugging/troubleshooting or testing phases. Testing was also one of the top areas in which respondents wanted better tools (28%).
Microservices, security, and open source
Other notable trends include the continued rise of microservices, frustration with the shift-left approach to security, and interest in open source. Underscoring the growing popularity of microservices, nearly three times more respondents (29%) said they were transitioning from monolithic to microservices than were moving in the other direction, from microservices to monolithic (11%).
The shift-left approach to security appears to be a source of frustration for developers and an area where more effective tools could make a difference. Security-related tasks topped the list of those deemed difficult/very difficult, with 34% of respondents selecting one of these options. Regarding the need for better tools in the development process, 25% of respondents selected security/vulnerability remediation tools (behind testing, planning, and monitoring/logging/maintenance).
Open source software is important to developer ecosystems and communities, with 59% of respondents saying they contributed to open source in the past year, compared with 41% saying they did not. Of the 41% who did not contribute, a large majority (72%) expressed interest in contributing to open source, while less than 25% did not.
Get the full report
The 2024 Docker State of Application Development Report is based on an online, 20-minute survey conducted by Docker’s User Research Team in the fall of 2023. Survey respondents ranged from home hobbyists to professionals at companies with more than 5,000 employees. The findings are based on 885 completed responses from the roughly 1,300 respondents surveyed.
The survey was developed to inform Docker’s product strategy. Given the fascinating information we discovered, we wanted to share the findings with the community. This was the second annual Docker State of Application Development survey; the third will take place in the fall of 2024.
We recently launched a new tool to enhance Docker documentation: an AI-powered documentation assistant incorporating kapa.ai. Docker Docs AI is designed to get you the information you need by providing instant, accurate answers to your Docker-related questions directly within our documentation pages.
Docker Docs AI
Docker documentation caters to a diverse range of users, from beginner users eager to learn the basics to advanced users keen on exploring Docker’s new functionalities and CLI options (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Docker Docs AI in action.
Navigating a large documentation website can be daunting, especially when you’re in a hurry to solve specific issues or implement new features. Context-switching, trying to locate the right information, and piecing together information from different sections are all examples of pain points users face when looking up a complex command or configuration file.
The AI assistant addresses these pain points by simplifying the search process, interpreting your questions, and guiding you to the precise information you need when you need it (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Docker Docs AI text box for asking questions.
Find what you’re looking for
Docker documentation consists of more than 1,000 pages of content covering various topics, products, and services. The docs get about 13 million views every month, and most of those views originate from search engines. Although search engines are great, it isn’t always easy to conjure the right keywords together to get the result you’re looking for. That’s where we think that an AI-powered search can help:
It’s better at recognizing your intent and personalizing the results.
It lets you search in a more conversational style.
More importantly, kapa.ai is a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system that uses the Docker technical documentation as a knowledge source for answering questions. This makes it capable of handling highly specific questions, contextual to Docker, with high accuracy, and with backlinks to the relevant content for additional reading.
Language options
Additionally, the new docs AI search can answer user questions in your preferred language. For example, when a user asks a question about Docker in Simplified Chinese, the AI search detects the language of the query, processes the question to understand the context and intent, and then translates the response into Simplified Chinese (Figure 3).
This multilingual capability allows users to interact with the AI search seamlessly in their native language, thereby improving accessibility and enhancing the overall user experience.
Figure 3: Docker Docs AI can answer questions in your preferred language.
Using the Docker Docs AI
We’re thrilled to see that our users are highly engaged with the AI search since its launch, and we’re processing around 1,000 queries per day! Users can vote on answers and optionally leave comments, which provides us with great insights into the types of questions asked and allows us to improve responses.
The following section shows interesting ways that people are using Docker Docs AI.
Answers from multiple sources
Sometimes, the answer you need requires digging into multiple pages, extracting information from each page, and piecing it together. In the following example, the user instructs the agent to generate an inline Dockerfile in a Compose file.
This specific example doesn’t exist in the Docker documentation, but the AI assistant generates a file using different sources (Figure 4):
Figure 4: Docker Docs AI can generate answers containing information from multiple sources.
In this case, the AI derived the answer from the following sources:
Often, you need to consult the documentation when you’re faced with a specific problem in building or running your application. Docker docs cannot cover every possible error case for every type of application, so finding the right information to debug your problem can be time-consuming.
The AI assistant comes in handy here as a debugging tool (Figure 5):
Figure 5: Docker Docs AI can help with debugging.
Here, the question contains a specific error message of a failed build. Given the error message, the AI can deduce the problematic line of code in the Dockerfile that caused this error, and suggest ways to solve it, including links to the relevant documentation for additional reading.
Contextual help
One of the most important capabilities unlocked with AI search is the ability to provide contextual help for your application and source code. The conversational user interface lets you provide additional context to your questions that just isn’t possible with a traditional search tool (Figure 6):
Figure 6: You can provide additional context to help Docker Docs AI generate an answer.
Dive into Docker documentation
The new AI search capability within Docker documentation has emerged as an indispensable resource. The tool streamlines access to essential information to a wide range of users, ensuring a smoother developer experience.
We invite you to try it out, use it to debug your Dockerfiles, Compose files, and docker run commands, and let us know what you think by leaving a comment using the feedback feature in the AI widget.
Explore new Docker concept guides
What is a container? This guide includes a video, explanation, and hands-on module so you can learn all about the basics of building with Docker.
Building images: Get started with the guide for understanding the image layers.
Administration overview: Administrators can manage companies and organizations using Docker Hub or the Docker Admin Console. Check out the administration manual to learn the right setup for your organization.
Data science with JupyterLab: A new use-case guide explains how to use Docker and JupyterLab to create and run reproducible data science environments.
The landscape of application development is rapidly evolving, propelled by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the development process. Results in the Docker AI Trends Report 2024, a precursor to the upcoming State of Application Development Report, show interesting AI trends among developers, highlighted in this report.
The most recent Docker State of Application Development Survey results offer insights into how developers are adopting and utilizing AI, reflecting a shift toward more intelligent, efficient, and adaptable development methodologies. This transformation is part of a larger trend observed across the tech industry as AI becomes increasingly central to software development.
The annual Docker State of Application Development survey, conducted by our User Research Team, is one way Docker product managers, engineers, and designers gather insights from Docker users to continuously develop and improve the suite of tools the company offers. For example, in Docker’s 2022 State of Application Development Survey, we found that the task for which Docker users most often refer to support/documentation was creating a Dockerfile (reported by 60% of respondents). This finding helped spur the innovation of Docker AI.
More than 1,300 developers participated in the latest Docker State of Application Development survey, conducted in late 2023. The online survey asked respondents about what tools they use, their application development processes and frustrations, feelings about industry trends, Docker usage, and participation in developer communities. We wanted to know where developers are focused, what they’re working on, and what is most important to them.
Of the approximately 1,300 respondents to the survey, 885 completed it. The findings in this report are based on the 885 completed responses.
Who responded to the Docker survey?
Respondents who took our survey ranged from home hobbyists to professionals at companies with more than 5,000 employees. Forty-two percent of respondents are working for a small company (up to 100 employees), 28% of participants say they work for mid-sized companies (between 100 and 1,000 employees), and 25% work for large companies (more than 1,000 employees).
Well over half of the respondents were in engineering roles — for example, 36% of respondents identified as back-end or full-stack developers; 21% were DevOps, infrastructure managers, or platform engineers; and 4% were front-end developers. Other roles of respondents included dev/engineering managers, company leadership, product managers, security roles, and AI/ML roles. There was nearly an even split between respondents with more experience (6+ years, 54%) and less experienced (0-5 years, 46%).
Our survey underscored a marked growth in roles focused on machine learning (ML) engineering and data science within the Docker ecosystem. In our 2022 survey, approximately 1% of respondents represented this demographic, whereas they made up 8% in the most recent survey. ML engineers and data scientists represent a rapidly expanding user base. This signals the growing relevance of AI to the software development field, and the blurring of the lines between tools used by developers and tools used by AI/ML scientists.
More than 34% of respondents said they work in the computing or IT/SaaS industry, but we also saw responses from individuals working in accounting, banking, or finance (8%); business, consultancy, or management (7%); engineering or manufacturing (6%), and education (5%). Other responses came in from professionals in a wide range of fields, including media; academic research; transport or logistics; retail; marketing, advertising, or PR; charity or volunteer work; healthcare; construction; creative arts or design; and environment or agriculture.
Docker users made up 87% of our respondents, whereas 13% reported that they do not use Docker.
AI as an up-and-coming trend
We asked participants what they felt were the most important trends currently in the industry. GenAI (40% of respondents) and AI assistants for software engineering (38% of respondents) were the top-selected options identified as important industry trends in software development. More senior developers (back-end, front-end, and full-stack developers with over 5 years of experience) tended to view GenAI as most important, whereas more junior developers (less than 5 years of experience) view AI assistants for software engineering as most important. This difference may signal varied and unique uses of AI throughout a career in software development.
It’s clearly trendy, but how do developers really feel about AI? The majority (65%) agree that AI is a positive option, it makes their jobs easier (61%), and it allows them to focus on more important tasks (55%). A much smaller number of respondents see AI as a threat to their jobs (23%) or say it makes their jobs more difficult (19%).
Interestingly, despite high usage and generally positive feelings towards AI, 45% of respondents also reported that they feel AI is over-hyped. Why might this be? It’s not fully clear, but when this finding is considered alongside responses to perception of job threat, one possible answer could be entertained: respondents may be viewing AI as a critical and useful tool for their work, but they’re not too worried about the hype of it replacing them anytime soon.
How AI is used in the developer’s world
We asked users what they use AI for, how dependent they feel on AI, and what AI tools they use most often. A majority of developers (64%) already report using AI for work, underscoring AI’s penetration into the software development field. Developers leverage AI at work mainly for coding (33% of respondents), writing documentation (29%), research (28%), writing tests (23%), troubleshooting/debugging (21%), and CLI commands (20%).
For the 568 respondents who indicated they use AI for work, we also asked how dependent they felt on AI to get their job done on a scale of 0 (not at all dependent) to 10 (completely dependent). Responses ranged substantially and varied by role and years of experience, but the overall average reported dependence was about 4 out of 10, indicating relatively low dependence.
In the developer toolkit, respondents indicate that AI tools like ChatGPT (46% of respondents), GitHub Copilot (30%), and Bard (19%) stand out as most frequently used.
Conclusion
Concluding our 2024 Docker AI Trends Report, Artificial Intelligence is already shifting the way software development is approached. The insights from more than 800 respondents in our latest survey illuminate a path toward a future where AI is seamlessly integrated into every aspect of application development. From coding and documentation to debugging and writing tests, AI tools are becoming indispensable in enhancing efficiency and problem-solving capabilities, allowing developers to focus on more creative and important work.
The uptake of AI tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Bard among developers is a testament to AI’s value in the development process. Moreover, the growing interest in machine learning engineering and data science within the Docker community signals a broader acceptance and integration of AI technologies.
As Docker continues to innovate and support developers in navigating these changes, the evolving landscape of AI in software development presents both opportunities and challenges. Embracing AI as a positive force that can augment human capabilities rather than replace them is crucial. Docker is committed to facilitating this transition by providing tools and resources that empower developers to leverage AI effectively, ensuring they can remain at the forefront of technological innovation.
Looking ahead, Docker will continue to monitor these trends, adapt our offerings accordingly, and support our user community in harnessing the full potential of AI in software development. As the industry evolves, so too will Docker’s role in shaping the future of application development, ensuring our users are equipped to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead in this exciting era of AI-driven development.
Eleven years ago, Solomon Hykes walked onto the stage at PyCon 2013 and revealed Docker to the world for the first time. The problem Docker was looking to solve? “Shipping code to the server is hard.”
And the world of application software development changed forever.
Docker was built on the shoulders of giants of the Linux kernel, copy-on-write file systems, and developer-friendly git semantics. The result? Docker has fundamentally transformed how developers build, share, and run applications. By “dockerizing” an app and its dependencies into a standardized, open format, Docker dramatically lowered the friction between devs and ops, enabling devs to focus on their apps — what’s inside the container — and ops to focus on deploying any app, anywhere — what’s outside the container, in a standardized format. Furthermore, this standardized “unit of work” that abstracts the app from the underlying infrastructure enables an “inner loop” for developers of code, build, test, verify, and debug, which results in 13X more frequent releases of higher-quality, more secure updates.
The subsequent energy over the past 11 years from the ecosystem of developers, community, open source maintainers, partners, and customers cannot be understated, and we are so thankful and appreciative of your support. This has shown up in many ways, including the following:
Ranked #1 “most-wanted” tool/platform by Stack Overflow’s developer community for the past four years
26 million monthly active IPs accessing 15 million repos on Docker Hub, pulling them 25 billion times per month
17 million registered developers
Moby project has 67.5k stars, 18.5k forks, and more than 2,200 contributors; Docker Compose has 32.1k stars and 5k forks
A vibrant network of 70 Docker Captains across 25 countries serving 167 community meetup groups with more than 200k members and 4800 total meetups
79,000+ customers
The next decade
In our first decade, we changed how developers build, share, and run any app, anywhere — and we’re only accelerating in our second!
Specifically, you’ll see us double down on meeting development teams where they are to enable them to rapidly ship high-quality, secure apps via the following focus areas:
Dev Team Productivity. First, we’ll continue to help teams take advantage of the right tech for the right job — whether that’s Linux containers, Windows containers, serverless functions, and/or Wasm (Web Assembly) — with the tools they love and the skills they already possess. Second, by bringing together the best of local and the best of cloud, we’ll enable teams to discover and address issues even faster in the “inner loop,” as you’re already seeing today with our early efforts with Docker Scout, Docker Build Cloud, and Testcontainers Cloud.
GenAI. This tech is ushering in a “golden age” for development teams, and we’re investing to help in two areas: First, our GenAI Stack — built through collaboration with partners Ollama, LangChain, and Neo4j — enables dev teams to quickly stand up secure, local GenAI-powered apps. Second, our Docker AI is uniquely informed by anonymized data from dev teams using Docker, which enables us to deliver automations that eliminate toil and reduce security risks.
Software Supply Chain. The software supply chain is heterogeneous, extensive, and complex for dev teams to navigate and secure, and Docker will continue to help simplify, make more visible, and manage it end-to-end. Whether it’s the trusted content “building blocks” of Docker Official Images (DOI) in Docker Hub, the transformation of ingredients into runnable images via BuildKit, verifying and securing the dev environment with digital signatures and enhanced container isolation, consuming metadata feedback from running containers in production, or making the entire end-to-end supply chain visible and issues actionable in Docker Scout, Docker has it covered and helps make a more secure internet!
Dialing it past 11
While our first decade was fantastic, there’s so much more we can do together as a community to serve app development teams, and we couldn’t be more excited as our second decade together gets underway and we dial it past 11! If you haven’t already, won’t you join us today?!
How has Docker influenced your approach to software development? Share your experiences with the community and join the conversation on LinkedIn.
We are racing toward the finish line at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe, March 19 – 22, 2024 in Paris, France. Join the Docker “pit crew” at Booth #J3 for an incredible racing experience, new product demos, and limited-edition SWAG.
Meet us at our KubeCon booth, sessions, and events to learn about the latest trends in AI productivity and best practices in cloud-native development with Docker. At our KubeCon booth (#J3), we’ll show you how building in the cloud accelerates development and simplifies multi-platform builds with a side-by-side demo of Docker Build Cloud. Learn how Docker and Testcontainers Cloud provide a seamless integration within the testing framework to improve the quality and speed of application delivery.
It’s not all work, though — join us at the booth for our Megennis Motorsport Racing experience and try to beat the best!
Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with the Docker team, learn from the experts, and contribute to the ever-evolving cloud-native landscape. Let’s shape the future of cloud-native technologies together at KubeCon!
Deep dive sessions from Docker experts
Is Your Image Really Distroless?— Docker software engineer Laurent Goderre will dive into the world of “distroless” Docker images on Wednesday, March 20. In this session, Goderre will explain the significance of separating build-time and run-time dependencies to enhance container security and reduce vulnerabilities. He’ll also explore strategies for configuring runtime environments without compromising security or functionality. Don’t miss this must-attend session for KubeCon attendees keen on fortifying their Docker containers.
Simplified Inner and Outer Cloud Native Developer Loops— Docker Staff Community Relations Manager Oleg Šelajev and Diagrid Customer Success Engineer Alice Gibbons tackle the challenges of developer productivity in cloud-native development. On Wednesday, March 20, they will present tools and practices to bridge the gap between development and production environments, demonstrating how a unified approach can streamline workflows and boost efficiency across the board.
Engage, learn, and network at these events
Security Soiree: Hands-on cloud-native security workshop and party— Join Sysdig, Snyk, and Docker on March 19 for cocktails, team photos, music, prizes, and more at the Security Soiree. Listen to a compelling panel discussion led by industry experts, including Docker’s Director of Security, Risk & Trust, Rachel Taylor, followed by an evening of networking and festivities. Get tickets to secure your invitation.
Docker Meetup at KubeCon: Development & data productivity in the age of AI— Join us at our meetup during KubeCon on March 21 and hear insights from Docker, Pulumi, Tailscale, and New Relic. This networking mixer at Tonton Becton Restaurant promises candid discussions on enhancing developer productivity with the latest AI and data technologies. Reserve your spot now for an evening of casual conversation, drinks, and delicious appetizers.
See you March 19 – 22 at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe
We look forward to seeing you in Paris — safe travels and prepare for an unforgettable experience!
Read about what rolled out in Docker Desktop 4.27, including synchronized file shares, Docker Init GA, a private marketplace for extensions, Moby 25, support for Testcontainers with ECI, Docker Build Cloud, and Docker Debug Beta.
Docker Desktop 4.28 introduces updates to file-sharing controls, focusing on security and administrative ease. Responding to feedback from our business users, this update brings refined file-sharing capabilities and path allow-listing, aiming to simplify management and enhance security for IT administrators and users alike.
Along with our investments in bringing access to cloud resources within the local Docker Desktop experience with Docker Build CloudBuilds view, this release provides a more efficient and flexible platform for development teams.
Introducing enhanced file-sharing controls in Docker Desktop Business
As we continue to innovate and elevate the Docker experience for our business customers, we’re thrilled to unveil significant upgrades to the Docker Desktop’s Hardened Desktop feature. Recognizing the importance of administrative control over Docker Desktop settings, we’ve listened to your feedback and are introducing enhancements prioritizing security and ease of use.
For IT administrators and non-admin users, Docker now offers the much-requested capability to specify and manage file-sharing options directly via Settings Management (Figure 1). This includes:
Selective file sharing: Choose your preferred file-sharing implementation directly from Settings > General, where you can choose between VirtioFS, gRPC FUSE, or osxfs. VirtioFS is only available for macOS versions 12.5 and above and is turned on by default.
Path allow-listing: Precisely control which paths users can share files from, enhancing security and compliance across your organization.
Figure 1: Display of Docker Desktop settings enhanced file-sharing settings.
We’ve also reimagined the Settings > Resources > File Sharing interface to enhance your interaction with Docker Desktop (Figure 2). You’ll notice:
Clearer error messaging: Quickly understand and rectify issues with enhanced error messages.
Intuitive action buttons: Experience a smoother workflow with redesigned action buttons, making your Docker Desktop interactions as straightforward as possible.
Figure 2: Displaying settings management in Docker Desktop to notify business subscribers of their access rights.
These enhancements are not just about improving current functionalities; they’re about unlocking new possibilities for your Docker experience. From increased security controls to a more navigable interface, every update is designed with your efficiency in mind.
Refining development with Docker Desktop’s Builds view update
Docker Desktop’s previous update introduced Docker Build Cloud integration, aimed at reducing build times and improving build management. In this release, we’re landing incremental updates that refine the Builds view, making it easier and faster to manage your builds.
New in Docker Desktop 4.28:
Dedicated tabs: Separates active from completed builds for better organization (Figure 3).
Build insights: Displays build duration and cache steps, offering more clarity on the build process.
Reliability fixes: Resolves issues with updates for a more consistent experience.
UI improvements: Updates the empty state view for a clearer dashboard experience (Figure 4).
These updates are designed to streamline the build management process within Docker Desktop, leveraging Docker Build Cloud for more efficient builds.
Figure 3: Dedicated tabs for Build history vs. Active builds to allow more space for inspecting your builds.Figure 4: Updated view supporting empty state — no Active builds.
To explore how Docker Desktop and Docker Build Cloud can optimize your development workflow, read our Docker Build Cloud blog post. Experience the latest Builds view update to further enrich your local, hybrid, and cloud-native development journey.
These Docker Desktop updates support improved platform security and a better user experience. By introducing more detailed file-sharing controls, we aim to provide developers with a more straightforward administration experience and secure environment. As we move forward, we remain dedicated to refining Docker Desktop to meet the evolving needs of our users and organizations, enhancing their development workflows and agility to innovate.
Join the conversation and make your mark
Dive into the dialogue and contribute to the evolution of Docker Desktop. Use our feedback form to share your thoughts and let us know how to improve the Hardened Desktop features. Your input directly influences the development roadmap, ensuring Docker Desktop meets and exceeds our community and customers’ needs.
Learn more
Authenticate and update to receive the newest Docker Desktop features per your subscription level.
Read about what rolled out in Docker Desktop 4.27, including synchronized file shares, Docker Init GA, a private marketplace for extensions, Moby 25, support for Testcontainers with ECI, Docker Build Cloud, and Docker Debug Beta.
Docker, a long-standing partner of Amazon Web Services, has offered products on the AWS Marketplace for years. After significant growth in Docker orders through the AWS marketplace, at the beginning of 2024, Docker achieved an elevated status by joining the exclusive tier of ISVs within the AWS ISV Accelerate Program.
This strategic move opens a new chapter for Docker and our customers, who will benefit from an integrated go-to-market approach between Docker and AWS.
Advantages of embracing the AWS ISV Accelerate Program include:
Strategic collaboration
The program fosters a deeper collaboration between Docker and AWS, creating a unique platform for both parties to work closely with AWS experts. This collaboration is pivotal for optimizing Docker’s solutions for AWS services, ensuring deployment and an enhanced onboarding experience for customers.
Market expansion
Leveraging existing agreements with AWS, customers can easily procure Docker’s offerings, capitalizing on benefits like AWS Marketplace Enterprise Discounts (EDP) and simplified procurement processes. With both go-to-market teams working closely together, customers will benefit from more tailored solutions.
Technical enablement
The AWS ISV Accelerate Program provides Docker with a wealth of technical resources and guidance, empowering us to enhance product offerings tailored for AWS customers. From comprehensive training on AWS services to best practices and meticulous architectural reviews, Docker is well-equipped to ensure our solutions are compatible and optimized for the cloud.
Conclusion
Docker’s entry into the AWS ISV Accelerate Program marks a significant milestone in our collaborative journey with AWS. The program’s robust support structure, coupled with AWS’s unparalleled global reach, propels Docker into a position where we are accelerating our growth and actively supporting our customers in delivering an exceptional developer experience.
If you are a customer eager to explore the benefits of this dynamic partnership, we encourage you to reach out to your dedicated Docker Account Executive or contact sales. Unleash the power of this collaboration and deliver great developer experiences to your teams.
We’re shifting testing “left” to help developers ship quality apps faster
I’m thrilled to announce that Docker is whale-coming AtomicJar, the makers of Testcontainers, to the Docker family. With its support for Java, .NET, Go, Node.js, and six other programming languages, together with its container-based testing automation, Testcontainers has become the de facto standard test framework for the developer’s ”inner loop.” Why? The results speak for themselves — Testcontainers enables step-function improvements in both the quality and speed of application delivery.
This addition continues Docker’s focus on improving the developer experience to maximize the time developers spend building innovative apps. Docker already accelerates the “inner loop” app development steps — build, verify (through Docker Scout), run, debug, and share — and now, with AtomicJar and Testcontainers, we’re adding “test.” As a result, developers using Docker will be able to deliver quality applications with less effort, even faster than before.
Testcontainers itself is a great open source success story in the developer tools ecosystem. Last year, Testcontainers saw a 100% increase in Docker Hub pulls, from 50 million to 100 million, making it one of the fastest-growing Docker Hub projects. Furthermore, Testcontainers has transformed testing at organizations like DoorDash, Netflix, Spotify, and Uber and thousands more.
One of the more exciting things about whale-coming AtomicJar is the bringing together our open source communities. Specifically, the Testcontainers community has deep roots in the programming language communities above. We look forward to continuing to support the Testcontainers open source project and look forward to what our teams do to expand it further.
Please join me in whale-coming AtomicJar and Testcontainers to Docker!
sj
FAQ | Docker Acquisition of AtomicJar
With Docker’s acquisition of AtomicJar and associated Testcontainers projects, you’re sure to have questions. We’ve answered the most common ones in this FAQ.
As with all of our open source efforts, Docker strives to do right by the community. We want this acquisition to benefit everyone — community and customer — in keeping with our developer obsession.
What will happen to Testcontainers Cloud customers? Customers of AtomicJar’s paid offering, Testcontainers Cloud, will continue while we work to develop new and better integration options. Existing Testcontainers Cloud subscribers will see an update to the supplier on their invoices, but no other billing changes will occur.
Will Testcontainers become closed-source? There are no plans to change the licensing structure of Testcontainers’s open source components. Docker has always valued the contributions of open source communities.
Will Testcontainers or its companion projects be discontinued? There are no plans to discontinue any Testcontainers projects.
Will people still be able to contribute to Testcontainers’s open source projects? Yes! Testcontainers has always benefited from outside collaboration in the form of feedback, discussion, and code contributions, and there’s no desire to change that relationship. For more information about how to participate in Testcontainers’s development, see the contributing guidelines for Java, Go, and .NET.
What about other downstream users, companies, and projects using Testcontainers? Testcontainers’ open source licenses will continue to allow the embedding and use of Testcontainers by other projects, products, and tooling.
Who will provide support for Testcontainers projects and products? In the short term, support for Testcontainers’s projects and products will continue to be provided through the existing support channels. We will work to merge support into Docker’s channels in the near future.
How can I get started with Testcontainers? To get started with Testcontainers follow this guide or one of the guides for a language of your choice:
I’m excited to announce that Docker, voted the most-used and most-desired tool in Stack Overflow’s 2023 Developer Survey, has acquired Mutagen IO, Inc., the company behind the open source Mutagen file synchronization and networking technologies that enable high-performance remote development. Mutagen’s synchronization and forwarding capabilities facilitate the seamless transfer of code, binary artifacts, and network requests between arbitrary locations, connecting local and remote development environments. When combined with Docker’s existing developer tools, Mutagen unlocks new possibilities for developers to innovate and accelerate development velocity with local and remote containerized development.
“Docker is more than a container tool. It comprises multiple developer tools that have become the industry standard for self-service developer platforms, empowering teams to be more efficient, secure, and collaborative,” says Docker CEO Scott Johnston. “Bringing Mutagen into the Docker family is another example of how we continuously evolve our offering to meet the needs of developers with a product that works seamlessly and improves the way developers work.”
The Mutagen acquisition introduces novel mechanisms for developers to extract the highest level of performance from their local hardware while simultaneously opening the gateway to the newest remote development solutions. We continue scaling the abilities of Docker Desktop to meet the needs of the growing number of developers, businesses, and enterprises relying on the platform.
“Docker Desktop is focused on equipping every developer and dev team with blazing-fast tools to accelerate app creation and iteration by harnessing the combined might of local and cloud resources. By seamlessly integrating and magnifying Mutagen’s capabilities within our platform, we will provide our users and customers with unrivaled flexibility and an extraordinary opportunity to innovate rapidly,” says Webb Stevens, General Manager, Docker Desktop.
“There are so many captivating integration and experimentation opportunities that were previously inaccessible as a third-party offering,” says Jacob Howard, the CEO at Mutagen. “As Mutagen’s lead developer and a Docker Captain, my ultimate goal has always been to enhance the development experience for Docker users. As an integral part of Docker’s technology landscape, Mutagen is now in a privileged position to achieve that goal.”
Jacob will join Docker’s engineering team, spearheading the integration of Mutagen’s technologies into Docker Desktop and other Docker products.
You can get started with Mutagen today by downloading the latest version of Docker Desktop and installing the Mutagen extension, available in the Docker Extensions Marketplace. Support for current Mutagen offerings, open source and paid, will continue as we develop new and better integration options.
FAQ | Docker Acquisition of Mutagen
With Docker’s acquisition of Mutagen, you’re sure to have questions. We’ve answered the most common ones in this FAQ.
As with all of our open source efforts, Docker strives to do right by the community. We want this acquisition to benefit everyone — community and customer — in keeping with our developer obsession.
What will happen to Mutagen Pro subscriptions and the Mutagen Extension for Docker Desktop?
Both will continue as we evaluate and develop new and better integration options. Existing Mutagen Pro subscribers will see an update to the supplier on their invoices, but no other billing changes will occur.
Will Mutagen become closed-source?
There are no plans to change the licensing structure of Mutagen’s open source components. Docker has always valued the contributions of open source communities.
Will Mutagen or its companion projects be discontinued?
There are no plans to discontinue any Mutagen projects.
Will people still be able to contribute to Mutagen’s open source projects?
Yes! Mutagen has always benefited from outside collaboration in the form of feedback, discussion, and code contributions, and there’s no desire to change that relationship. For more information about how to participate in Mutagen’s development, see the contributing guidelines.
What about other downstream users, companies, and projects using Mutagen?
Mutagen’s open source licenses continue to allow the embedding and use of Mutagen by other projects, products, and tooling.
Who will provide support for Mutagen projects and products?
In the short term, support for Mutagen’s projects and products will continue to be provided through the existing support channels. We will work to merge support into Docker’s channels in the near future.
Is this replacing Virtiofs, gRPC-FUSE, or osxfs?
No, virtual filesystems will continue to be the default path for bind mounts in Docker Desktop. Docker is continuing to invest in the performance of these technologies.
How does Mutagen compare with other virtual or remote filesystems?
Mutagen is a synchronization engine rather than a virtual or remote filesystem. Mutagen can be used to synchronize files to native filesystems, such as ext4, trading typically imperceptible amounts of latency for full native filesystem performance.
How does Mutagen compare with other synchronization solutions?
Mutagen focuses primarily on configuration and functionality relevant to developers.
Connexion
