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Azure DevOps Services

Azure DevOps Services
Formerly VSTS

Overview

What is Azure DevOps Services?

Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS, Microsoft Visual Studio Team System) is an agile development product that is an extension of the Microsoft Visual Studio architecture. Azure DevOps includes software development, collaboration, and reporting capabilities.

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Recent Reviews

Azure DevOps with SAFe

10 out of 10
January 09, 2024
We are following SAFe practices by using Azure DevOps starting from PI planning to retrospective. We are using all features starting from …
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ADO - an all encompassing tool.

8 out of 10
June 06, 2023
We use ADO for a wide range of things. We create work items in there, essentially being a unique number that we can associate with a …
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DevOps for the Win

10 out of 10
May 20, 2023
Incentivized
We use Azure DevOps to host our code repository. This has helped make it easy to integrate with Visual Studio to be able to write code and …
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Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Azure Artifacts

$2

Cloud
per GB (first 2GB free)

Basic Plan

$6

Cloud
per user per month (first 5 users free)

Azure Pipelines - Self-Hosted

$15

Cloud
per extra parallel job (1 free parallel job with unlimited minutes)

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Demos

Azure Pipeline Tutorial | Azure Pipeline Deployment | Azure DevOps Tutorial | Edureka Rewind - 3

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Azure DevOps Services?

Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS, Microsoft Visual Studio Team System) is an agile development product that is an extension of the Microsoft Visual Studio architecture. Azure DevOps includes software development, collaboration, and reporting capabilities, along with the basic plan which includes:
  • Azure Pipelines: automatically builds and tests code, combines continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD)
  • Azure Boards: Work item tracking and Kanban boards
  • Azure Repos: Unlimited private Git repos
  • Azure Artifacts: 2 GB free per organization
The Basic + Azure Test Plans bundle can be used to allow users to test and ship with confidence using manual and exploratory testing tools.

Azure DevOps Services Video

Introduction to Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps Services Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Azure DevOps (formerly VSTS, Microsoft Visual Studio Team System) is an agile development product that is an extension of the Microsoft Visual Studio architecture. Azure DevOps includes software development, collaboration, and reporting capabilities.

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 8.1.

The most common users of Azure DevOps Services are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(451)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-3 of 3)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Amy Liston | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using Azure DevOps to manage the workflow for all of our software development teams. We use this software to provide team metrics, identify team dependencies and manage agile boards. We also use the software to manage pull requests.
  • Agile Management.
  • Metrics.
  • Customized Reporting.
  • Scaleable Team Projects.
  • Column sorting when in filtered states.
  • A way to show cross-team dependencies.
  • A customized "From" field for notifications. Sometimes when a mail comes from Azure DevOps the teams do not realize that I am sending it
  • A way to do online poker that doesn't require a plug-in.
Before using Azure DevOps, the department was calculating metrics by hand. It was a very tedious process that, at times required duplicate effort. Once we added the online boards, we were able to let the cards automatically calculate dates and provide us with team metrics instantly. It is also great for being able to easily move features from one team to another. Before we added all teams in the same project, it would require us to re-enter the features. We move features around a lot so that has been a big help. I also like the board customization, not all of our teams follow the exact same Agile flow, so allowing each board to have its own columns, states, and notifications give flexibility to each team.
  • We have saved a ton of time not calculating metrics by hand.
  • We no longer spend time writing out cards during planning, it goes straight to the board.
  • We no longer track separate documents to track overall department goals. We were able to create customized icons at the department level that lets us track each team's progress against our dept goals.
Azure DevOps covers way more than just an awesome Agile storyboard. The widgets, the reporting, the interaction with Power BI and the features that hook into pull requests and DevOps in general, go way beyond what your competitors offer. I find Azure DevOps easy to navigate and anytime I have had a question or concern, I have received a quick, answer from tech support.
I have had to reach out to tech support a few times and I always received a quick response that answered my question. Everyone was very knowledgeable and courteous when they were trying to help me through my problems.
100
Developers, Product Owner, Scrum Masters, Product Managers, Marketing Team
5
Enterprise Architect, DevOps Build Engineer, Product Owner
You do not need a high level of technical background to support Azure DevOps. I am a former developer, but as a Product Owner, I set up the project for the entire department and was able to explain to the teams how to use the software.
  • Planning Day
  • Grooming
  • Stand-Ups
  • Team Metrics
  • We use it to share our innovation concepts with stakeholders prior to them entering the SDLC.
  • We might use more of the DevOps features so that they hook into our zero downtime deployment setup.
Azure DevOps is by far my favorite software that I use. It has saved me a lot of time and has helped out department get a better understanding of the work that each team is doing.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My department utilizes Microsoft Visual Studio to create workflows for the system, organization, and application process flows.
  • Great for documenting process flows.
  • Great for developing org charts.
  • Great for mapping out ideas and brainstorming.
  • I'd like to be able to set up the automatic spacing and organizing workflows to flow from top to bottom.
Wonderful for process mapping.
  • Positive: System development efficiency.
  • Positive: Process mapping made easier.
Mind manager has additional components which allow you to not just map out process workflows but also project plan.
Microsoft SQL Server, OnBase by Hyland, Cisco Business Edition 6000 (BE6000)
5000
Development, business, HR
I'm not sure. It's a very large company.
  • Process mapping
  • Organization structuring
  • Brainstorming
  • brainstorming
  • I'm not sure what else we could use it for.
It's a great tool for process mapping.
Not Sure
I was not part of the decision process for purchase.
I wouldn't, great product.
  • Don't know
  • We did not encounter any serious issues.
Was not part of the process.
I do not deal directly with support, the IT department does.
No
My IT department works with Microsoft support.
  • Mapping process flows
  • Brainstorming and throwing in symbols
  • Aligning arrows.
Great system easy to use.
Raylene Wall, PMP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) is used as a software development lifecycle (SDLC) management tool for our entire company. All projects use VSTS/TFS version 2010 at this point and we are looking at upgrading to 2012, too. As a Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3 company, VSTS/TFS provides the MSF structure for Process (which also allows tailoring of our processes) and VSTS allows us to create work items to track our requirements, change requests, tasks, test cases, burn down of work, conduct meetings, and capture artifacts related to following our processes as well as providing proof that we follow those processes. We can create queries to help us find data/information related to requirements and their area paths, bug rates and resolution time periods, build status, etc. VSTS/TFS has a SharePoint module that allows us to store/link documents to work items as well, which makes it an excellent tool for SDLC management as it helps us plan, execute, monitor, track, and deliver our products consistently and with quality.
  • The Excel reports provided within VSTS 2010 help provide visual information in the form of Excel pivot tables and charts that are easily tailored and modified to provide valuable feedback on burn-down slope for development, bug rates that tie to milestones, build status and quality, and other Project Management activities such as unplanned work, requirements development/progress, and backlog development.
  • We use Work Item Templates within the SharePoint server, so that we create consistent/correct work items such as Requirements, Change Requests, or Bugs that take our process requirements into account and ensure that the work items meet quality standards. We embed the text of our process within these Templates to help me (and others on the Team) make sure that our Work Items aren't missing any information, that artifacts are correctly captured, and there is accuracy in the information captured, presented, and used by the Team when reviewing, validating, baselining (with our customer), and then triaging work into an iteration.
  • The Team Project Portal allows a Project Manager (or any other Team Member) the ability to create customizable dashboards using the Excel Reports and the charts created when pulling in VSTS/TFS data related to an iteration, a build, the issues or risks associated with a project. These dashboards are fairly easy to create and provide a wide variety of widgets that can be used to present pictures, charts, lists, links, whatever you need to help the team establish a focal point for finding status, learning about milestones, sharing issues, etc. I particularly found this module useful when I was a Project Manager for several Teams and could use the dashboard to present information on our burn-down, bugs, and risks to management just by creating a useful dashboard.
  • Creating SQL Queries is very easy too, once you learn how to structure a SQL query. VSTS/TFS is essentially a database of work items that document the work planned, work in progress, what was delivered and when. You can filter the data by dates, by who the work item was assigned to, who created it, the state changes that occurred and when, and on and on. I have found the query ability enormously useful when combing through the data to find answers I need related to creating requirements, tracking tasks, determining when bugs were resolved and fixed, etc.
  • Lastly, I really like being able to export the information (in the form of Work Items) provided within a TFS database query to MS Project or MS Excel where I can filter the information, view hours assigned to each developer (to help with capacity/velocity planning), create other excel reports/charts, or plan an iteration using MS project using the tasks and hours to determine the timebox of a particular iteration.
  • I don't have any recommendations for improvement myself as I use the tool for specific reasons and for all my own uses, it works very well. However, I AM looking forward to the upgrade to the 2012 version because I'm excited about improved graphics tools and improvements in reports, etc.
If you're part of a project that needs the ability manage tasks, requirements, or change requests as well as provide reports, then Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) is well suited to that environment. It is an excellent SDLC management tool as it provides a database to house work items, a SharePoint interface to store documents, and a reports function to gain reports and information based on the database of work items. It also has source control, the ability to monitor builds, and manage the team members security settings very easily. You can also set up iterations and area paths for a product, and the various work items can be linked to show their relationships - this is especially useful when proving bidirectional requirements traceability!
  • For us, as a software development company, MS VSTS has served us well by providing the ability to plan and execute that plan with more efficiency and less risk.
  • VSTS provides a central point of communication for Team members with the use of Work Items, Reports, Document Storage, the Team Portal/Dashboard, which has aided us greatly during scrum.
  • We can also provide better information and status to our customers on whether we will meet our agreed-upon milestone dates for code freeze, testing, and delivery. Using the burn-down reports (based on the hours within Tasks and Bugs that are assigned to a particular iteration), we can look at the burn-down trend and know well in advance whether we will meet that deadline or not.
  • VSTS/TFS provides a good way tracking and monitoring risks and issues within a project and capturing mitigation and contingency plans related to those risks and issues. As a former PJM who used risk and issue work items quite a lot, I found that using the right field settings and queries, I could determine just how many risks have high impact to a plan or what work items were being blocked and preventing the plan from moving forward.
I haven't used any other products, so I can't say how VSTS/TFS would stack against any competitors, but I know that for an SDLC management tool, VSTS/TFS has everything you need to help an organization meet the requirements needed to adhere to the specific/general practices related to CMMI.
I don't think our organization will stray from using VSTS/TFS as we are now looking to upgrade to the 2012 version. Since our business is software development and we want to meet the requirements of CMMI to deliver consistent and high quality software, this SDLC management tool is here to stay. In addition, our company uses a lot of Microsoft products, such as Office 365, Asp.net, etc, and since VSTS/TFS has proved itself invaluable to our own processes and is within the Microsoft family of products, we will continue to use VSTS/TFS for a long, long time.
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