Developing software can feel like a marathon, and seeing the finish line in sight as release day is approaching can feel great. You’ve gotten everything done, you’ve tested your code and you want everyone to experience your new creation; however, is it really a good idea to roll everything out at once?

In many cases, rolling out a new piece of software to everyone all at once is fine as long as you have contingency plans to monitor and fix bugs. Feature additions, on the other hand, may benefit more from a controlled rollout. A controlled rollout of a new feature means that only a select number of users have access to the feature that is intended for eventual release to the general user base. In some cases, a controlled rollout will be based on a percentage of the total users. In others, users gain access to new features based on factors like location.

The Benefits of a Controlled Release

The main benefit in releasing features and updates in a controlled manner is that you have a chance to gauge reception, process feedback and avoid a disaster if major issues are found. If you release a feature to everyone all at once and a significant problem exists, user experience can plummet and your company stands to find itself in the middle of a PR nightmare.

A controlled rollout gives you the opportunity to ensure that any issues only affect a small number of users, and you can make changes before implementing a wider rollout. Additionally, you have the ability to get feedback about a feature to enhance it or remove parts before a wider rollout. If you need the best controlled rollout software, visit this website.

Automating Some Processes

If you do roll new features out gradually, controlled rollout software tools may be able to help you contain each step of the process. Controlled rollout software tools can automate aspects of the rollout itself in some cases, but these tools can also give you and your team the ability to document feedback, bugs and fixes. This ultimately makes the transition run smoother when the final version is released on a wide scale.

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