Docker, Inc. Accelerates Updates to Tools Portfolio

Docker, Inc. has revealed that Docker Desktop for Linux (DD4L) is now available via a developer preview program and that an updated version of the Docker Compose tool for building applications spanning multiple containers will become generally available next month.

Docker Compose v2.0 has been completely rewritten from Python to Go and provides integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure along with support for Apple M1 silicon and graphic processor units (GPUs) embedded in desktop PCs.

Finally, a Docker Desktop Volume Management tool that provides visibility into container volumes is now being included as part of the free DockerPro and Docker Team licenses.

Docker CEO Scott Johnston says these updates represent an acceleration of the public roadmap that is being made possible by the engineering resources the company can bring to bear in the wake of raising prices for businesses that built applications using the company’s tools.

DD4L, the second-most popular feature request on the roadmap, should also help increase the total number of developers building container applications using these tools. Today there are more than 10 million developers using Docker tools, but by the end of the decade the total number of developers is expected to reach 45 million, notes Johnston. The company currently estimates that 55% of professional developers now employ Docker containers every day.

The challenge many developers face today is that building container applications remains a cumbersome challenge. Docker, Inc, is committed to streamlining that process as part of an overall effort to make container platforms much more accessible, adds Johnston.

Achieving that goal will require presenting developers with higher levels of abstractions that mask the underlying complexity of platforms such as Kubernetes, he notes. Unfortunately, there’s still a lot of work to done before achieving that goal, says Johnston.

The updates come in the immediate aftermath of a decision to add a Docker Business subscription priced at $21 per user per month. At the same time, the company changed subscription terms for Docker Desktop to $5 per user per month for professional use within large organizations. It remains free, however, for organizations with fewer than 250 employees that generate less than $10 million in revenue. The Docker Pro and Docker Team subscriptions also now include commercial use of Docker Desktop, while an existing Docker Free subscription has been rechristened Docker Personal.

Johnston reiterates that providers of open source software still need to generate profitable revenue to sustain their operations. In general, vendors that have business models based on open source software are trying to strike a balance between making investments that increase the number of users of free software and the percentage of those users that might pay for additional capabilities or enterprise support. When not enough free software users consume additional commercial services, the financial pressure on the provider of that software increases.

Ultimately, Johnston says, the community benefits from the investments made by Docker, Inc. The issue is finding a way to make it possible to continue making those investments for the benefit of all users.

Mike Vizard

Mike Vizard is a seasoned IT journalist with over 25 years of experience. He also contributed to IT Business Edge, Channel Insider, Baseline and a variety of other IT titles. Previously, Vizard was the editorial director for Ziff-Davis Enterprise as well as Editor-in-Chief for CRN and InfoWorld.

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