Google’s Cloud IDP May Revolutionize Platform Engineering
▼ Summary
– Google Cloud introduced a new Internal Development Platform (IDP) that could replace traditional platform engineering by shifting development tasks to integrated cloud services.
– The IDP aims to simplify software development by offering a vertically integrated experience, combining elements like config management and deployment services into a unified solution.
– Google’s Application Design Center (ADC) enables users to create and deploy application templates using various Google services, streamlining the development process.
– The IDP concept, partly developed by Google Cloud engineering fellow Anna Berenberg, leverages Google’s infrastructure to integrate platform engineering directly into cloud services.
– The IDP could mark a shift toward app-centric cloud development, reducing the complexity of traditional platform engineering and improving scalability for developers.
Google’s latest cloud innovation could transform how businesses approach software development by introducing a groundbreaking Internal Development Platform (IDP). This new approach shifts responsibilities from developers to integrated cloud services, potentially making traditional platform engineering methods obsolete.
Platform engineering has long helped streamline application development by providing standardized tools, allowing engineers to focus on delivering business value rather than managing infrastructure. But Google Cloud’s IDP takes this further by integrating essential components—configuration management, infrastructure orchestration, and deployment services—into a seamless, application-centric experience.
Richard Seroter, Google Cloud’s chief evangelist, recently highlighted the potential of this shift in a blog post. He questioned whether developers should continue bearing the burden of piecing together disparate tools when cloud services could handle much of the heavy lifting. The goal is to create a unified, self-service environment where developers can build applications faster without relying on complex integrations or costly consultants.
At the recent Google Cloud Next ’25 event, the company unveiled its Application Design Center (ADC), a key component of the IDP vision. The ADC allows users to define application architectures using pre-built templates, combining services like Compute Engine, serverless functions, and databases without manual stitching. This approach promises to simplify development while maintaining scalability and security.
Though still in its early stages, the IDP concept has already generated significant excitement. Seroter noted that attendees at the event were particularly enthusiastic, with some suggesting it could “solve platform engineering.” The long-term vision is for the IDP to become the standard for app-centric cloud development, offering a more intuitive alternative to today’s fragmented tooling.
Behind this innovation is Anna Berenberg, a Google Cloud engineering fellow with nearly two decades at the company. Her vision reimagines platform engineering by embedding abstractions directly into the cloud infrastructure rather than layering them on top. This fundamental shift allows Google to offer deeper integration than third-party vendors, potentially reducing complexity for developers.
Looking ahead, Seroter believes the IDP could mark the end of cumbersome platform engineering practices. By leveraging Google’s cloud-native expertise, the IDP aims to make scalable, application-focused development accessible to a broader audience. If successful, it could redefine how businesses build and deploy software in the cloud.
The implications are significant: faster development cycles, reduced operational overhead, and a more intuitive experience for developers. While the full realization of Google’s IDP vision may take time, its potential to reshape the industry is already generating buzz, and could soon make traditional platform engineering a thing of the past.
(Source: The New Stack)
