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Analyst Report: The 2026 PHP Talent Crisis

For years, PHP has been the target of “legacy” labels, yet the 2026 PHP Landscape Report reveals a language that is effectively the electrical wiring of the web: essential, hidden in plain sight, and facing a critical shortage of qualified experts.

The Demographic Chasm

50%+

Users with 15+ years of PHP experience.

15%

Users with 5 years or less experience.

Succession planning is no longer an HR exercise; it is a primary risk factor for enterprise stability.

The “Glue” of Modern Architecture

PHP tied with JavaScript as the most-used open source language this year. Its survival is built on its ability to integrate seamlessly across the full tech stack:

IntegrationUsageOperational Role
Relational Databases92%The undisputed data-handling engine.
Web APIs83%The primary layer for service orchestration.
NGINX Infrastructure69%Reflecting a shift toward containerized middleware.

Pragmatic Optimism

Organizations aren’t leaving; they’re doubling down. With only 3% planning to retire their PHP apps, the industry remains committed to the platform’s reliability.

“The takeaway is pragmatic optimism. PHP is here to stay. The challenge now is ensuring the skills, support, and continuity needed to sustain it for the long term.”

— Matthew Weier O’Phinney, Perforce Zend

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

State of Automotive Software Development 2026

Modernization as the Competitive Edge

The 2026 Perforce report reveals that automotive developers are prioritizing tech stack modernization (33%) over hiring to handle the complexity of AI-driven, software-defined vehicles.

57% Industry Competitiveness is the #1 Goal
71% Using AI in Product Design
11% Rust Usage for Safety-Critical Apps
53% Primary Concern is Managing Complexity

The AI Integration Race

While 71% of organizations are implementing AI, safety concerns remain high (54%). Teams are increasingly relying on MISRA® (61%) and Agile (54%) to maintain quality while accelerating delivery.

Key Trend: Rust usage grew from 9% to 11%, becoming the preferred language for memory-safe, safety-critical systems over traditional C/C++.

Software-Defined Vehicles (SDVs)

57% of teams are now deploying SDV architectures, with 81% of those integrating Electric Vehicles (EVs) into their broader SDV strategy. AI is being used by 70% of these teams for system optimization and personalization.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Perforce 2026 State of DevOps Report

DevOps Maturity: The Key to AI Success
70% of Organizations Link DevOps Maturity to AI Scaling

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb 24, 2026 — Perforce Software today announced the findings of its 2026 State of DevOps Report. The study, surveying 820 global tech professionals, proves that DevOps has not been replaced by AI—it has been amplified by it.

72%
of High-Maturity DevOps organizations have successfully embedded AI across their SDLC.

The “Shift-Up” Role Revolution

AI is enabling a fundamental change in engineering roles, allowing staff to focus on system design rather than manual scripting.

87% believe AI enables engineers to focus on directing outcomes rather than manual coding.
55% of QA teams have increased focus on analytics over test execution.
41% of QA teams are evolving into Quality Engineering (QE) functions.

Governance and Cost Challenges

While optimism remains high, two major factors are limiting AI adoption across the enterprise:

  • Incomplete Governance: Only 39% of organizations maintain fully automated audit trails.
  • Rising Resource Costs: 37% of respondents cite cloud and energy costs as limiting factors for AI expansion.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Perforce Introduces New Diagram App for Confluence Users with Data Egress Constraints

 

MINNEAPOLIS, December 2, 2025 — Perforce Software, the DevOps company for global teams seeking AI innovation at scale, announced the launch of a new app on the Atlassian Marketplace: Gliffy Diagrams | Zero Egress & Isolated Cloud-Ready.

The application is specifically designed for security-focused teams operating in Atlassian Cloud or those planning a seamless migration from Atlassian’s Data Center products.

Ensuring Zero Data Egress for Diagramming

Gliffy Zero Egress ensures that all diagram data remains strictly within the customer’s Atlassian environment. This crucial feature makes secure cloud diagramming possible for Atlassian users who have strict data control requirements and regulatory mandates.

The new app is also being developed for compatibility with Atlassian’s Isolated Cloud product suite, which is scheduled for release in 2026.

[Image of Zero Egress security model diagram]

“With end of life for Atlassian’s Data Center products coming in 2029, it’s more important than ever for our Data Center customers to be able to move to the Cloud without compromising on security and compliance. Our new app empowers teams to continue diagramming securely in the Cloud while meeting compliance standards.”

— Samie Delebo, Head of Product & GTM, Gliffy at Perforce Software

Seamless Transition for Existing Gliffy Users

The transition to the new app will be frictionless for current Gliffy users, requiring no additional training or onboarding. The Gliffy Diagrams | Zero Egress application features the same interface as the standard Gliffy Diagrams, with minor variations in advanced features designed specifically to prevent data from leaving the customer’s Atlassian environment.

Availability

Gliffy Diagrams | Zero Egress & Isolated Cloud-Ready is available now on the Atlassian Marketplace. To learn more about how this solution can support your secure cloud migration, visit the Gliffy website.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Perforce Strengthens Enterprise Java Support Offering With Spring LTS

MINNEAPOLIS, April 8, 2025 — Perforce Software, the DevOps company for global teams seeking AI innovation at scale, today announced the availability of Long-Term Support (LTS) for Spring Boot and Spring Framework through its OpenLogic division. The new offering tackles a critical challenge for enterprise Java teams: maintaining secure, stable Spring applications amid an accelerated six-month release cadence.

Following the release of Spring Framework 6.0 and Spring Boot 3.0, the Spring ecosystem shifted to a time-based release model aligned with OpenJDK’s cadence. While this accelerates access to new features, it reduces support windows—typically to 12 to 18 months—forcing organizations to continuously test, validate, and deploy updates to maintain compliance.

“DevOps teams are caught between the need to innovate and the operational reality of managing complex Java environments. Organizations shouldn’t have to choose between rushing upgrades and accepting security risks. With Spring LTS, they can stay on stable versions longer while planning migrations strategically — with ample time to test, validate, and ensure compliance requirements are being met.”

— Matthew Weier O’Phinney, Principal Product Manager at Perforce OpenLogic

Extending Stability and Security Coverage

OpenLogic’s Spring LTS solution extends critical support for several popular versions:

  • Extends support for Spring Boot 2.7 and Spring Framework 5.3 through October 2027.
  • Coverage for Spring Boot 3.2 and Spring Framework 6.1 is scheduled to follow soon.
The offering provides guaranteed security patches for critical CVEs within 14 days and high-severity CVEs within 30 days, along with flexible options including premium support with one-hour response times and production deployment assistance.

Enabling Strategic Upgrades and Risk Reduction

OpenLogic offers a comprehensive Java solutions portfolio, including support for Spring, OpenJDK, and Tomcat, alongside professional services like migrations and consulting. This flexibility allows organizations in regulated industries or those managing hundreds of microservices to:

  • Align Spring upgrades with business priorities rather than mandatory community support timelines.
  • Reduce technical debt accumulation.
  • Enable better feature testing before adoption.

Real-World Impact: Saving 5,500 Hours of Work

“This customer faced a decision between investing two full quarters to upgrade their Spring-based infrastructure or gambling with their platform’s security and compliance posture. By adopting Spring Long-Term Support, they avoided both scenarios, saving an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 hours of unplanned work while maintaining security coverage and delivering mission-critical features on schedule.”

— Jeff Michael, Senior Director of Product Management at Perforce Software

Availability and Next Steps

Spring LTS is available immediately. To learn more about how to strategically manage your enterprise Java infrastructure and align Spring upgrades with your business goals, visit OpenLogic.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

The Blueprint for ISO 26262 Compliance: Mastering Automotive Functional Safety with Certified Data Management

ISO 26262 is the international standard governing the functional safety of electrical and electronic systems in production vehicles. For automotive developers and OEMs, achieving compliance across large, global teams working on millions of development, design, and test files demands flawless data management and absolute traceability.

This guide explains how Perforce P4—the industry’s only data management platform officially certified for ISO 26262—provides the robust foundation needed to conquer these challenges with confidence.

The Data Management Imperative for ISO 26262

Modern automotive development is a data-intensive endeavor. The key to meeting ISO 26262 standards efficiently is complete traceability. Every requirement, design decision, line of code, and test case must be meticulously documented and interconnected. Without a powerful data management system, this process compromises vehicle safety and inflates budgets.

Common Compliance Challenges:

  • Massive Scale: Large binary files, CAD models, and vast codebases overwhelm traditional systems, risking corrupted files and incomplete version histories.
  • Global Collaboration: Distributed teams require fast, secure access to the latest versions to prove a controlled development process.
  • Security and IP Protection: Protecting valuable intellectual property from unauthorized access is paramount.
  • Auditability: Auditors demand a clear, unbroken chain of evidence from initial requirements to final release, which fragmented systems cannot provide.

Why a Certified Toolchain is Your Compliance Accelerator

Perforce P4’s ISO 26262 certification, granted by TÜV SÜD, confirms it qualifies as a safety-supporting tool under Part 8, Clause 11 of the standard. This is a strategic advantage for manufacturers and suppliers.

  1. Streamlined Tool Qualification: P4 has already undergone a formal, third-party qualification, significantly reducing the burden on your teams to perform their own lengthy and costly tool assessments.
  2. Systematic Error Prevention: The certification validates that P4 prevents critical software errors like unintended overwrites, loss of version history, or unauthorized changes.
  3. Built-in Traceability and Auditability: P4’s version control automatically creates a robust audit trail. Every change is tracked, every artifact is versioned, and every contributor is accountable, simplifying compliance verification.
  4. Process Integrity and Reliability: P4 is proven to operate reliably and support development processes that align with the ISO 26262 safety lifecycle, including configuration management and change control.
  5. Confidence for OEMs and Suppliers: Using a certified tool like P4 assures partners that their development toolchain meets the industry’s highest safety standards, accelerating timelines and reducing risk.

How Perforce P4 Delivers End-to-End Compliance

Perforce P4 is the industry-standard data management platform trusted by leading automotive innovators. Here’s how it addresses the core challenges of functional safety compliance:

1. Build an Unbreakable Audit Trail

P4 serves as the single source of truth for all digital assets, creating a complete, immutable history of every change.

  • Immutable History: Stores every file revision, making it easy to trace any component’s evolution back to its origin.
  • Toolchain Integration: Integrates seamlessly with tools like Jira, Jenkins, and Perforce ALM, linking requirements and test cases directly to source code for end-to-end traceability.

2. Conquer Petabytes of Data with Unmatched Scale

Unlike systems like Git that struggle with large files, P4 is engineered to handle the massive binaries and data volumes common in automotive development.

  • Unrivaled Scalability: Manages petabytes of data and thousands of concurrent users without performance degradation.
  • Delta Transfers: Intelligently syncs only the changes made to files, dramatically reducing wait times for developers working with large assets.

3. Power Secure, Global Collaboration

P4’s federated architecture ensures that globally distributed teams work together efficiently without compromising security.

  • High-Speed Global Access: Proxy and edge servers provide teams worldwide with LAN-speed access to files.
  • Granular Access Controls: Set permissions down to the individual file level, protecting valuable IP while enabling collaboration.
  • Exclusive File Locking: Prevents conflicts and overwrites on non-mergeable binary files by ensuring only one person can edit a file at a time.

4. Automate and Simplify Complex Workflows

P4’s flexible architecture and advanced branching models streamline development.

  • Perforce Streams: A structured, visual branching model that simplifies managing different lines of development and propagating changes, reducing the complexity of branching and merging.

Why P4 Outperforms for Automotive Compliance

Other data management solutions fall short in the demanding automotive landscape. Git struggles with large binary files (requiring complex workarounds like Git LFS), lacks native file locking, and cannot offer the granular security or enterprise-grade traceability required for ISO 26262. Legacy systems are too slow and rigid to support modern agile development.

P4 was purpose-built for these challenges, offering a unified, scalable, and certified platform that transforms compliance from a hurdle into a streamlined process.

Ready to see how Perforce P4 can revolutionize your compliance workflow? Explore its capabilities with a free trial or request a personalized demo from our automotive experts.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

What the Chip Industry Can Learn from Video Games: 5 Key Lessons

The semiconductor industry is the foundation of modern technology, powering everything from smartphones to AI. But as chip complexity soars and market demands shift faster than ever, the industry’s traditional, rigid development cycles are becoming a bottleneck, slowing down innovation. In sharp contrast, the gaming industry thrives on rapid, iterative development and a deep obsession with the user. For semiconductor executives, the agile principles that drive the gaming world offer a powerful new playbook.

1. Swap Waterfall Rigidity for Agile Iteration

The Challenge: Slow, Inflexible Development Cycles

Semiconductor design often follows a rigid “waterfall” model, planned years in advance, which minimizes costly errors but stifles the ability to adapt to new market opportunities.

The Lesson: Innovate Faster with Iteration and Feedback

Game development is dynamic. Studios release early-access or beta versions, gather massive player feedback, and pivot the project based on that input to constantly refine the user experience.

How to Apply It to Semiconductors:

  • Agile Verification: Test and validate smaller IP blocks incrementally to catch major flaws earlier and create a faster feedback loop.
  • Early Prototyping: Use FPGAs and emulation platforms for early software development, creating a hardware feedback loop long before tapeout—much like a game’s beta test.
  • Spiral Development: Adopt a model where each design iteration builds upon the last, incorporating new requirements and feedback in successive loops.

2. Focus on the Player: Prioritize the End-User Experience

The Challenge: A Disconnect from Real-World Users

Semiconductor companies are engineering-driven, focusing heavily on transistor density and power targets. This focus can create a disconnect from the final consumers and software developers who use the technology.

The Lesson: Obsess Over Your End-Users

Game developers are fanatical about the “player experience.” They conduct countless hours of playtesting to ensure a game not only performs well but also “feels right,” prioritizing user enjoyment over raw benchmarks.

How to Apply It to Semiconductors:

  • Optimize for Reality, Not Just Benchmarks: Design chips for specific, real-world workloads like AI inference or high-fidelity gaming.
  • Partner with Software Developers: Actively engage with developers building on your hardware to reveal which features are most critical and how to optimize silicon for the people who program it.

3. Think Like a Game Engine: Implement Real-Time Optimization

The Challenge: Static, Pre-Defined Performance

A chip’s performance parameters are traditionally locked in during design. This static nature can lead to inefficiency, either consuming too much power for simple tasks or failing to deliver peak performance when needed most.

The Lesson: Adapt in Real-Time

Game engines like Unity and Unreal constantly adapt, dynamically adjusting rendering quality and physics to maintain a smooth frame rate, perfectly balancing visual fidelity with performance.

How to Apply It to Semiconductors:

  • On-Chip AI: Integrate AI directly into the silicon to predict future workloads and preemptively adjust clock speeds, voltage, or processing unit configurations.
  • Adaptive Architectures: Design chips with reconfigurable components that can dynamically reallocate resources between CPU, GPU, and neural units based on an application’s real-time demands.

4. Build a Bigger Playground: Break Down Ecosystem Walls

The Challenge: Fragmented and Proprietary Ecosystems

The semiconductor landscape is filled with fragmented architectures, forcing software developers to waste resources optimizing code for each proprietary platform, which stifles innovation.

The Lesson: Prioritize Cross-Platform Consistency

Game engines allow a developer to build a game once and deploy it on a high-end PC or an old smartphone with a consistent experience, achieved by focusing on APIs that abstract away hardware differences.

How to Apply It to Semiconductors:

  • Standardize Software Interfaces: Work collaboratively to create standardized APIs and hardware abstraction layers (HALs) to make the code “write once, run efficiently everywhere.”
  • Embrace Open Standards: Supporting open standards like **RISC-V** is a powerful way to demolish ecosystem walls and foster broader collaboration and adoption.

5. From Customers to Community: Build a Fanbase

The Challenge: A Siloed, B2B Mindset

Many semiconductor firms operate with a traditional B2B mindset, viewing their customers only as other companies rather than as a community of individual developers and users, missing opportunities for co-innovation.

The Lesson: Harness the Power of Community

Successful game companies treat their community as their greatest asset, actively engaging with players, streamers, and modders to get direct feedback, foster loyalty, and create a powerful, organic marketing engine.

How to Apply It to Semiconductors:

  • Embrace Open-Source: Actively contribute to and support open-source hardware and software projects to build goodwill and gain direct insight into user needs.
  • Gamify Learning: Inspire the next generation of engineers with creative engagement, such as the UC Davis game “Photolithography” that teaches the basics of chip building.

Designing an Adaptive and Collaborative Future

AI and gaming are driving the next wave of semiconductor innovation. The companies that lead this new era will be those that embrace agile methods, user-centric design, and real-time adaptability. This cultural shift requires the right tools to manage complexity.

This is where solutions like Perforce IPLM come in. It provides a unified platform to manage the complexities of modern semiconductor design, from IP lifecycle management to global verification. By breaking down silos and enabling secure collaboration, Perforce IPLM empowers companies to adopt the agile, community-driven principles of the gaming world and accelerate their journey to innovation.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Perforce Expands AI Capabilities with Delphix AI to Accelerate Secure Software Development

Perforce Software, a leader in DevOps solutions, today announced a significant expansion of its AI capabilities with the launch of Delphix AI. This new feature, embedded within the Delphix DevOps Data Platform, uses a proprietary language model to automatically generate secure synthetic data, enabling development teams to accelerate application delivery without compromising privacy. 

The launch directly addresses a critical industry challenge. With analysts predicting significant failures in synthetic data management, Delphix AI provides an enterprise-grade solution by uniting data masking, data delivery, and synthetic data generation in a single, intelligent platform. This integrated approach helps organizations overcome development bottlenecks and meet strict compliance requirements.

Key benefits of Delphix AI include:

  • Accelerated, Compliant Data Access: Provides developers, testers, and data scientists with immediate access to realistic, referentially intact data for analytics, AI model training, and application development.
  • Enhanced Data Privacy: Protects sensitive information by replacing it with tailored synthetic data that remains safe for use in any development or testing environment.
  • Secure and Responsible AI: Features a fully air-gapped, in-platform language model that operates within the organization’s IT perimeter, ensuring data security and cost-effective AI adoption.

“As organizations adopt AI, intelligent test data management becomes a strategic enabler of innovation,” said Jim Mercer, Program Vice President at IDC. “Perforce Delphix’s AI-powered capabilities are well-timed to help customers meet evolving challenges in this space.”

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

Vendor Consolidation Should Be Part of Your OSS Strategy

One of the great benefits of using open source software is the flexibility that it offers to developers and organizations to use various open source technologies, complementary components, many options to integrate with other software, and above all, independence from vendors. It offers freedom from being locked into a specific proprietary vendor’s technology, support, and contract. 

That said, the typical enterprise organization is using many pieces of open source software within their stack, each with varying support needs. For some organizations, that means managing different support vendors for each piece of open source software and, ultimately, managing the costs and challenges of working with those vendors.

In this blog, we look at the modern realities of using open source in the enterprise, why open source vendor consolidation is important, and how shifting to a vendor-neutral technical support strategy can reduce the complexity of infrastructure maintenance.  

Table of Contents

  1. Strategic Open Source Adoption
  2. Open Source as a Business 
  3. The Problem of Vendor Sprawl
  4. The Benefits of Open Source Vendor Consolidation 
  5. Making the Shift to a Vendor-Neutral OSS Support Provider
  6. Final Thoughts

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Strategic Open Source Adoption

At its core, OSS refers to software whose source code is openly available for modification, enhancement, and redistribution.

This transparency enables rapid innovation, security validation, and collaborative development. Many OSS projects operate under copyleft licenses, which require modifications to be distributed under the same terms — an important consideration for companies navigating commercial vs. community open source models.  

Major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Meta, and IBM are using OSS, as well as as contributing to certain key projects. These investments often align with initiatives like ecosystem expansion, developer engagement, and shared infrastructure strategies.  

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Open Source as a Business 

Cloudera, Confluent, Databricks, and MongoDB are prime examples of companies that have successfully commercialized OSS using two distinct business models: Software as a Service (SaaS) and Open Core Software. Both of these approaches can be combined or augmented with professional services and technical support. 

Software as a Service

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) business model involves open source software that is hosted, maintained, and easily available for consumption. Users of open source software under this model do not have to worry about installations, deployments, and infrastructure issues.

Open Core Software

The second category refers to what is called open core software, where vendors add proprietary features or tools to open source software (often geared toward enterprise use cases) and sell it via subscription, often with premium support included.

Why do organizations opt to pay for commercial versions of open source technologies they could deploy for free? We asked about this in the most recent State of Open Source Report, and the top response was “professional support and maintenance” (44%) followed by “additional features” (25%). 

With both of these models, there are two common pitfalls that organizations should be aware of: juggling too many vendors (and support contracts) and vendor lock-in. Avoiding vendor-lock in was the second most cited reason for choosing OSS in the State of Open Source Report, so organizations seem to already be aware of that risk. Vendor sprawl, though, can present just as many challenges. 

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The Problem of Vendor Sprawl

As we have seen with all types of technology over the years, there are periods of expansion and there are periods of consolidation. Open source software is well into an expansion phase and every day there are more open source projects — just look at the CNCF cloud-native and the AI & Data Foundation landscapes for a small sample. 

A byproduct of this is that organizations are using more open source software and, consequently, contracting with more commercial open source vendors. The most recent State of Open Source Report found that about a third (32%) of large enterprises (>5K employees) work with more than 10 vendors to support their open source, and a little over a quarter (27%) work with 20+ vendors. That’s a lot of different vendors to manage and can lead to finger-pointing when something goes wrong, delaying resolution. 

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The Benefits of Open Source Vendor Consolidation 

As part of moving toward a more mature open source strategy, CIOs, CISOs, and IT executives would be wise to pursue vendor consolidation initiatives — something that benefited the largest software companies 10 or 20 years ago (e.g., consolidation into all Microsoft, or Oracle, or IBM software products).  

The benefits of vendor consolidation include:

  • Reduced Costs: Fewer vendors, streamlined processes, and optimized resource allocation can lead to significant cost savings.
  • Improved Efficiency: Consolidation simplifies workflows, reduces complexity, and allows teams to focus on core tasks rather than managing disparate tools and processes.
  • Enhanced Security: A more centralized approach to security management can improve vulnerability detection, response, and overall security posture.
  • Better Collaboration: Consolidation can break down silos between teams and departments, facilitating better communication and collaboration.
  • Simplified Operations: A unified platform or streamlined processes can make it easier to manage and maintain open source software. 

Now the question becomes, how can organizations consolidate open source vendors and get the best technical support for the OSS inside their mission-critical applications? (Hint: it’s also how they can avoid vendor lock-in.)

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Making the Shift to a Vendor-Neutral OSS Support Provider

A key reason to go with commercial versions of open source software is access to technical support — to have someone to contact when something goes wrong or is not working properly. But what if you could get SLA-backed support that was not attached to a commercial vendor?  

That’s where independent, vendor-neutral technical support for open source software comes in, as a viable alternative to commercial support that is tied to proprietary platforms. As an example, today’s container and container orchestration technologies (mainly Kubernetes) are being deployed in production environments all over the world with or without commercial support. 

An increasing number of organizations are discovering that it’s possible to skip commercial and open core solutions from companies like Cloudera and Confluent altogether and use only versions from the open source community, paired with support from third parties like OpenLogic. 

Vendor-neutral technical support requires technical expertise, not just for troubleshooting issues, but also to provide expert advice on architecture, configuration, and scalability of production environments. Assistance on how to use open source software at scale and how to integrate different technology stacks becomes very important. The bottom line is, if organizations need technical support for their open source, they no longer have to lock-in with multiple vendors and deploy commercial solutions; they can consolidate support for their entire OSS stack with one vendor-neutral provider.

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Final Thoughts

Vendor consolidation for open source support also brings another great benefit — the ability to investigate issues across multiple open source technologies. A business can troubleshoot across the software stack without the complexity of talking to multiple vendors that will only support their corresponding piece of functionality and point fingers at each other. 

As mentioned in the previous section, another trend we’re seeing related to vendor consolidation is more and more organizations migrating off of commercial and open core solutions and deploying 100% open source alternatives. The money they save by not paying for commercial licenses can then be reallocated to other infrastructure investments. For these companies, getting unbiased guidance while receiving the same level of support they are used to is crucial to not disrupting business operations.   

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.

RHEL 10 Overview: Features, Updates, and Derivatives Comparison

RHEL 10 was designed to address the most pressing challenges in modern IT infrastructure, positioning itself as the definitive operating system for organizations navigating digital transformation, hybrid cloud adoption, and increasingly complex security landscapes.

In this blog, we’ll explore the new features in RHEL 10 and explain how it compares to RHEL 9. We’ll also consider its value within the broader Enterprise Linux ecosystem of RHEL derivatives, to help organizations determine if a RHEL subscription is still worth the investment. 

Table of Contents

  1. About the RHEL 10 Release
  2. RHEL 10 Features and Updates
  3. Comparing RHEL 10 vs. RHEL 9
  4. RHEL Derivatives Ecosystem: Rocky Linux 10 and AlmaLinux 10
  5. Is RHEL Still Worth the Cost?
  6. Final Thoughts

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About the RHEL 10 Release

RHEL 10 was released on May 20, 2025 and goes by the code name “Coughlan” like the upstream CentOS Stream 10 release which came out in December 2024. RHEL 10 is based on Fedora 40 and will be supported until 2035. 

RHEL 10 is focused on three core pillars: enhanced security, cloud-native optimization, and AI-powered automation. The release targets a diverse range of enterprise applications, including containerized workloads, hybrid cloud operations, and Dev Ops workflows, to support organizations transitioning toward more agile, secure, and scalable infrastructure models.

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RHEL 10 Features and Updates

For a complete list of new RHEL 10 features, as well as removed ones, refer to the official release notes. In this section, we will highlight the most impactful changes.

Security Enhancements

  • Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Integration represents perhaps the most significant security advancement. This FIPS-compliant implementation defends against sophisticated “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks, where adversaries collect encrypted data today with the intention of decrypting it using future quantum computing capabilities. Organizations handling sensitive data or operating in regulated industries will find this protection essential for long-term data security.
  • Improved SELinux delivers enhanced flexibility and usability without compromising security. The updated implementation offers more intuitive configuration options, enhanced auditing capabilities, and improved troubleshooting tools, making it easier for system administrators to implement and maintain robust access controls.
  • Encrypted DNS integration includes both DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT) protocols, protecting DNS queries from interception and manipulation. This capability becomes increasingly critical as organizations implement zero-trust security models.
     

NEW: CIS-Benchmarked Hardened Images 

OpenLogic now provides Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux images hardened according to CIS Benchmarks (Level 2) for VMs and containers, making it easier than ever to meet compliance requirements. 

Explore Hardened ImagesSee Latest Releases

 

Performance and Hardware Upgrades

  • The updated Linux Kernel 6.12.0 provides foundational performance improvements and expanded hardware compatibility. This kernel update ensures optimal performance on the latest server hardware while maintaining stability across diverse infrastructure environments.
  • Support for New Hardware includes comprehensive compatibility with next-generation processors, storage systems, and networking equipment. This expanded support ensures organizations can leverage cutting-edge hardware while maintaining their existing RHEL environment.

Cloud Integration and Hybrid Cloud Support

  • Image Mode for RHEL (bootc) revolutionizes deployment flexibility by enabling OS deployment as a container image directly to hardware, virtual machines, or cloud environments. This container-native approach streamlines deployment processes and enhances consistency across diverse infrastructure platforms.
  • Enhanced Compatibility with Major Cloud Providers delivers deeper integration with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. These optimizations reduce deployment complexity and improve performance when running RHEL workloads in public cloud environments.
  • Optimized for OpenShift improves integration with Red Hat OpenShift, enabling more efficient container orchestration and management. Organizations leveraging Kubernetes will benefit from enhanced performance and simplified operations.

Developer Tools and System Administration Improvements

  • Updated Application Streams include newer versions of essential programming languages: Python 3.12, Perl 5.40, Go 1.23, and GCC 14.2. These updates ensure developers have access to the latest language features and performance improvements.
  • RHEL Lightspeed integrates generative AI directly into the platform, offering context-aware guidance for system administration tasks. This AI-powered assistance reduces the learning curve for complex administrative operations and improves operational efficiency.
  • Expanded Ansible System Roles automate configuration management, application deployment, and infrastructure provisioning across diverse environments. These roles significantly reduce manual administrative overhead while ensuring consistent configurations.
  • Improved Podman and Buildah Support streamlines building, testing, and deploying containerized applications.

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Comparing RHEL 10 vs. RHEL 9

The transition from RHEL 9 to RHEL 10 introduces several fundamental changes that will impact user experience and operational capabilities. 

Feature AreaRHEL 9RHEL 10
KernelLinux Kernel 5.14Linux Kernel 6.12
SecuritySELinux, OpenSSL 3.0Post-Quantum Cryptography, Enhanced SELinux, Encrypted DNS
Developer ToolsPython 3.9, Node.js 16Python 3.12, Perl 5.40, Go 1.23
System ManagementWeb Console, Basic Ansible RolesEnhanced Web Console, Comprehensive Ansible Roles, AI-Powered Lightspeed
Supported Architecturesx86-64-v2, ARM64, IBM Power, IBM Zx86-64-v3, ARM64, IBM Power, IBM Z, RISC-V Developer Preview
FocusStability, consistency, foundational hybrid cloud readinessAI integration, post-quantum security, container-native OS deployments

The most significant architectural change involves dropping x86-64-v2 support in favor of x86-64-v3 baseline requirements. This change improves performance on modern hardware but may impact organizations running older infrastructure. 

The shift toward AI integration and container-native operations reflects Red Hat’s strategic focus on emerging technologies and modern deployment patterns. Organizations planning upgrades should evaluate their current infrastructure compatibility and strategic technology direction.
 

Get the Decision Maker’s Guide to Enterprise Linux

Compare security, stability, features, and use cases for commercial Enterprise Linux distributions like RHEL, Oracle Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) and open source alternatives like CentOS Stream, Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux in our free guide.

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RHEL Derivatives Ecosystem: Rocky Linux 10 and AlmaLinux 10

Both AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux continue building their distributions using CentOS Stream as their primary upstream source, supplemented by publicly available resources and RHEL sources obtained through Red Hat’s licensing framework.

These distributions maintain Application Binary Interface (ABI) compatibility with RHEL 10, ensuring applications compiled for RHEL 10 will execute seamlessly on AlmaLinux 10 and Rocky Linux 10 without modification. This compatibility provides organizations with deployment flexibility while maintaining application integrity.

AlmaLinux 10 (codename “Purple Lion”) was released on May 27 (one week after RHEL 10) and offers a unique advantage through its continued support for x86-64-v2 architecture, making it viable for organizations with older hardware that cannot meet RHEL 10’s x86-64-v3 requirements. This capability extends infrastructure lifespan and reduces hardware replacement costs.

Rocky Linux 10 (codename “Red Quartz”) came out on June 11 and includes support for RISC-V computers. 

Both distributions benefit from active community ecosystems and third-party commercial support options, often at significantly lower costs.

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Is RHEL Still Worth the Cost?

Weighing RHEL’s value proposition requires balancing comprehensive enterprise capabilities against significant licensing costs and vendor lock-in risk.

RHEL Advantages

  • Enterprise-Grade Stability and Reliability: Rigorous testing and quality assurance processes guarantee a stable platform for mission-critical workloads.
  • Predictable Lifecycle: Each major RHEL release is supported for 10 years, which means extended availability of security fixes and patches.
  • Support: RHEL subscriptions comes with 24/7 technical support with SLAs, which is invaluable during critical incidents or for complex deployments.
  • Security and Compliance: RHEL is consistently updated with the latest security patches, including proactive vulnerability remediation. Organizations in regulated industries particularly benefit from RHEL’s comprehensive certifications that ensure security and compatibility with various other solutions.
  • Integrated Ecosystem: RHEL subscriptions often include access to other Red Hat tools for lifecycle management, analytics, and automation that your organization might also want to utilize.  

RHEL Derivatives Benefits

  • No License Costs: This is by far the most compelling differentiator because it eliminates a substantial line item from IT budgets, freeing up resources for other projects and investments.
  • Freedom and Flexibility: By using RHEL derivatives, organizations can avoid getting locked into the RHEL ecosystem of products and retain greater control over their infrastructure.
  • Binary Compatibility: Applications designed for RHEL 10 should be able to run without modification.
  • Community and Third-Party Support: Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux have very active communities and good documentation, and commercial support vendors like OpenLogic can provide expert, 24/7 SLA-backed Enterprise Linux support for less than the cost of a RHEL subscription.
  • Niche Use Cases: AlmaLinux 10’s continued support for x86-64-v2 makes it a more viable option for organizations that cannot meet RHEL 10’s x86-64-v3 baseline and want to defer hardware replacement costs.

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Final Thoughts

With its advanced security capabilities, AI-powered administration, and comprehensive cloud integration, RHEL 10 and its derivatives set a new benchmark for Enterprise Linux distributions. The choice ultimately depends on organizational priorities: Enterprises requiring extensive certifications and preferring integrated management tools may find the ROI for RHEL worthwhile. Organizations prioritizing cost optimization and operational flexibility may find Rocky Linux 10 or AlmaLinux 10 more attractive, particularly when combined with third-party commercial support.

About Perforce
The best run DevOps teams in the world choose Perforce. Perforce products are purpose-built to develop, build and maintain high-stakes applications. Companies can finally manage complexity, achieve speed without compromise, improve security and compliance, and run their DevOps toolchains with full integrity. With a global footprint spanning more than 80 countries and including over 75% of the Fortune 100, Perforce is trusted by the world’s leading brands to deliver solutions to even the toughest challenges. Accelerate technology delivery, with no shortcuts.

About Version 2 Limited
Version 2 Digital is one of the most dynamic IT companies in Asia. The company distributes a wide range of IT products across various areas including cyber security, cloud, data protection, end points, infrastructures, system monitoring, storage, networking, business productivity and communication products.

Through an extensive network of channels, point of sales, resellers, and partnership companies, Version 2 offers quality products and services which are highly acclaimed in the market. Its customers cover a wide spectrum which include Global 1000 enterprises, regional listed companies, different vertical industries, public utilities, Government, a vast number of successful SMEs, and consumers in various Asian cities.