Policy as Code revolutionizes platform engineering by automating the enforcement of policies through code, allowing for more consistent and efficient management of infrastructure and compliance. This approach enhances collaboration between teams, reduces human error, and increases the agility of development processes. By integrating policies directly into the software development lifecycle, organizations can achieve better governance and streamline operations.

DevEx Platform Engineers play a critical role in enhancing developer experience by advocating for developers' needs and streamlining workflows within Internal Developer Platforms (IDPs). Their responsibilities include developing self-service tools, automating workflows, maintaining documentation, and fostering collaboration between platform teams and developers, all aimed at boosting productivity and reducing friction. As platform engineering evolves, their role will increasingly incorporate AI and data-driven insights to further improve developer experiences and efficiency.

Pulumi IDP is an Internal Developer Platform designed to streamline platform engineering by providing organizations with tools to automate, secure, and manage cloud infrastructure. It integrates with the Pulumi product suite, enabling platform teams to create self-service workflows and maintain standardized, reusable infrastructure building blocks. This new framework aims to enhance developer productivity and simplify the management of complex infrastructure needs.

Many teams mislabel themselves as platform engineering teams while merely managing infrastructure, leading to scalability issues. True platform engineering involves creating a product-like Internal Developer Platform (IDP) that enables self-service for developers, shifting responsibilities and fostering a user-centric approach. Without this mindset, teams risk becoming bottlenecks and failing to meet the demands of larger organizations.

Governance in platform engineering transforms from a manual bottleneck to an automated enabler, allowing organizations to scale confidently while maintaining consistency, compliance, and cost control. By embedding governance features like policy-as-code, RBAC, audit logs, and resource lifecycle controls into the platform, teams can enhance autonomy and speed without sacrificing security and oversight. Real-world examples demonstrate how these practices lead to efficient development and operational trust.

Security should be integrated into platform engineering to enhance developer autonomy and innovation rather than act as a gatekeeper. By leveraging policy-as-code, centralized secrets management, and identity-based authentication, organizations can create a security framework that supports rapid development while maintaining robust protection against risks. This approach fosters collaboration between security and development teams, enabling a more efficient and secure workflow.

AI agents are reshaping platform engineering at Microsoft, enabling developers to automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity. By integrating these intelligent systems into their workflows, Microsoft aims to streamline processes and foster innovation across its engineering teams. The adoption of AI-driven solutions reflects a broader trend in technology towards automation and efficiency.

Chakravarthy Kotaru discusses the importance of scaling data operations through standardized platform offerings, sharing his experience in managing diverse database technologies and transitioning from DevOps to a platform engineering approach. He highlights the challenges of migrating legacy systems, integrating AI and ML for automation, and the need for organizational buy-in to ensure the success of data platforms.

The Developer Experience Summit offers insights and strategies from industry leaders on leveraging AI and platform engineering to enhance developer productivity and satisfaction. Attendees will learn about emerging trends, best practices for measuring developer experience, and the importance of creating a supportive culture to attract and retain talent. Keynote sessions and breakout panels cover various aspects of developer experience in the context of modern technology advancements.