Kubernetes offers Infrastructure and a Service and Platform as a Service through container based orchestration. Often referred to as the “future of cloud computing” Kubernetes has rapidly become one of the most popular solutions for organizations around the world. The flexibility and cost effective storage solutions make it a viable choice for development teams, regardless of their project.
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is a container-based orchestration platform designed to schedule and automate the deployment, management and scaling of applications. This container-based ecosystem acts as a general computing platform that competes with and arguably outpaces the use of virtual machines. There are multiple claims that Kubernetes and container orchestration will be the “future of cloud platforms”.
Kubernetes offers both Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) to developers who are looking for a platform which allows development, computing services and storage for their applications. Due to the high scalability and load balancing, Kubernetes is well suited to large applications.
What is How does it work??
Kubernetes creates a network by using containers. These containers are organized into pods, which can consist of one or more containers. These are then deployed to manage certain requests or components of an application. The built-in load balancing with Kubernetes then sends requests to these containers or pods, evenly, to ensure data is not bottlenecked and that user requests are actioned at speed.
Containers in Kubernetes are lightweight application components which combine source code with operating system libraries and dependencies. They are used to allow code to run in any environment. Containers share virtualized OS kernels as well as virtualized hardware to offer similar scalability and isolation achieved by virtual machines while taking up less space as they do not carry their own OS instance.
In short, containers in Kubernetes were designed to be more portable than virtual machines for use through desktops, data centers and cloud environments, with new add-ons to allow the use of Kubernetes on bare metal. Kubernetes is a popular choice among developers employing the Agile and DevOps methodologies.
What is Brief history of Kubernetes
Kubernetes was designed by Google in 2014 as a successor to Borg, one of the original container orchestration platforms. Several years after the initial release of Kubernetes, it was made open source, allowing developers access to the platform for free. Following this, a vast ecosystem and community developed, further increasing the popularity of Kubernetes.
Why use Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is often described as the “future of cloud platforms”. The agile application of containers leads to incredibly scalable applications while limiting the resources required. This will allow for a large amount of applications without increasing the overall use of virtual machines.
Built in features such as the automated rollout and rollback of applications is also beneficial to developers as it means any updates or changes are applied to the application without additional input. However, should these updates lead to any bugs or crashes in the overall application, Kubernetes is able to immediately rollback the update, preventing any downtime or negative user experience.
Features
One popular feature of Kubernetes is referred to as “Kubernetes the hard way”. This is a guide or set of documentation specifically tailored for developers who are looking to understand Kubernetes in its entirety. While this is a lengthy and is considered a difficult task, this course provided by the original developers goes a long way to help build a fully comprehensive knowledge of the platform.
Knative, pronounced Kay-Native, is another popular feature of Kubernetes as it allows for serverless computing. This, in turn, makes cloud based applications more efficient and cost effective by increasing and reducing the amount of code run automatically to match demands. This prevents any waste and therefore reduces the cost as developers only pay for their exact usage.
Furthermore, Knative automates containerization code into three steps. These are build, serve and event:
Build is responsible for automatically changing source code into cloud native functions or containers.
Serve ensures containers are run as scalable services, with a range from 1 line of code upwards, with a limit that cannot realistically be breached.
Event enables the triggering of container based functions. In short, it allows an automatic increase to the number of containers following an increase to service demand or a high volume of request.
Shopify features:
Global reach made easy
Customer engagement & marketing tools
Shopify provides several marketing tools to help merchants build strong customer relationships and engage with their audience, including customer segmentation, email marketing, automation, messaging, etc., along with marketing insights and analytics.
Checkout and payment processing
Shopify provides a secure and reliable checkout process to help merchants manage customer orders & payments supporting various payment options. Shopify also has its own payment processing system called Shopify Payments.
Global markets
Shopify is a global platform that provides merchants with the ability to reach a broader audience with their products. With Shopify, merchants can sell their products online and reach customers from all around the world.
Shop app
Shopify’s Shop App provides a seamless shopping experience for customers on mobile devices. The app allows customers to shop across multiple Shopify stores, track their orders, and receive personalized recommendations.
“Shopify provides a dedicated support team that is available 24/7 to help merchants set up, design, and market their stores effectively.”
Shopify theme store and app store
Access to a vast selection of themes and apps enhance Shopify stores functionality and appearance. The Theme Store provides free and paid themes, while the Shopify App Store provides various apps that add functionality, such as payment providers.
Merchandising and visual displays
Shopify provides various tools for merchandising and visual displays, including product bundling, special offers, and brand recognition. With these features, merchants can showcase their products effectively and increase sales.
Inventory and selling strategies
Shopify provides various inventory and selling strategies, including unique pricing, promotions, pre-orders, try-before-you-buy, raffles, discount strategies, and Subscriptions Apps, letting merchants create customized experiences for their customers.
Dedicated support team
Shopify provides a dedicated support team that is available 24/7 to help merchants set up, design, and market their stores effectively. Additionally, Shopify provides various guides and articles that help merchants connect with customers and experts.
Why use Shopify?
Shopify’s integrated commerce platform, robust technical framework, and range of themes and apps make it an excellent choice for entrepreneurs, merchants, and developers looking to build and scale eCommerce businesses. With its emphasis on simplicity, accessibility, and creative expression, Shopify is a platform that enables businesses to create personalized and engaging experiences for their customers, leading to growth and scalability.
Shopify’s intuitive and user-friendly platform allows merchants to quickly and easily set up and manage their online stores, providing the building blocks and tools to enable creative expression and extensibility.
Shopify’s integrated commerce platform provides organizations with a broad range of commerce ecosystem integrations that enable merchants to seamlessly integrate with different channels, surfaces, and products – meaning businesses can expand their reach to new customers and markets, making growth and scalability more accessible than ever.
Through its robust technical framework, Shopify provides a powerful foundation for building online stores, with a large collection of themes and apps available to aid businesses in extending the functionality of their stores. Merchants can use these tools to create personalized and engaging experiences for their customers, enhancing the overall shopping experience.
Another significant advantage of using Shopify is its simplicity and accessibility. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with an intuitive interface that makes it simple to navigate and manage online stores. This accessibility means that merchants can focus on growing their businesses without worrying about technical complexities – which particularly important for small to medium sized organizations.
Advantages of Shopify: Why it’s a popular choice for eCommerce businesses
Shopify offers comprehensive tools for building and managing an e-commerce store. Its user-friendly admin panel, robust features, customizable themes and design elements, reliable hosting, subscription plans, robust app store, and low barrier to entry make it an excellent choice for organizations of all sizes.
User-friendly admin and comprehensive reports
Shopify’s admin panel is user-friendly and easy to navigate, making it an excellent platform for beginners, offering comprehensive reports into the performance of your online store.
Robust features for online store management
Shopify offers a wide range of features that help you manage your online store effectively. You can create product pages, manage orders, and view a real-time overview of your store’s performance.
Customizable themes and design elements
Shopify has range of free themes that you can use to design your online store, customize branding, font, color scheme, and photos to match your business’s unique style and branding choices.
Cloud-based platform with reliable hosting
Shopify is a cloud-based platform, which means you don’t need to worry about server or hosting maintenance. The platform offers reliable hosting, and downtime is rare, even during high-traffic periods.
Subscription plans for eCommerce stores of all sizes
Shopify offers various pricing plans that cater to eCommerce stores of all sizes. With plans ranging from Shopify Starter to the Shopify Plus , you can easily find the plan that suits your business needs and budget.
Robust app store with tools for marketing & store management
Shopify has a robust app store with a host of tools and apps to enhance a store’s marketing and management capabilities, including countdown timers, image background removers, and more.
Shopify use cases and what it can do
Online and offline commerce
Businesses can create online storefronts with custom and personalized shopping experiences with Shopify, with storefronts that can integrate with the company’s website, social channels, and other sales channels. Businesses can sell their products through various marketplaces and the Shopify Shop App platform.
Audience growth and promotion
Shopify provides a range of tools to help businesses grow their audience and promote their products. Social media integration allows businesses to reach a broader audience through various social channels, while the sales channels feature enables selling products on marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.
Centralized data & staff management
Shopify offers a centralized platform for managing all aspects of the business, including inventory tracking, staff management, and sales analytics. The platform provides real-time data on sales, inventory, and customer behavior, enabling businesses to make data-driven and evidence-based decisions.
Creator tools & business building
Shopify provides a range of creator tools and business-building features, such as content production and store data analytics. These tools allow businesses to create and publish high-quality media, including images, videos, and blog posts, to engage with their audience and build their brand.
Shopify for business growth
Shopify provides organizations with a comprehensive platform to manage and grow their businesses and enhance their eCommerce efforts with a powerful set of features and tools, such as streamlined business management, fulfillment and shipping, optimized supply chain and backend management, payment options, mobile app, automation, and marketing and conversion optimization. With Shopify, organizations can focus on what they do best – growing their businesses – while leaving the technical details to the platform.
Central admin for streamlined business management
Shopify’s Central Admin dashboard is a powerful tool for managing your business. From a single location, you can monitor your business metrics, track your inventory, manage your shipping and fulfillment, and much more. This centralized approach allows you to stay on top of your business operations, giving you the time and resources to focus on growing your business.
Fulfillment and shipping made easy
Shopify offers a range of powerful tools to help you manage your fulfillment and shipping processes. With the Shopify Fulfillment Network, you can outsource your fulfillment to a network of trusted 3rd-party logistics providers (3PLs), so you can focus on other aspects of your business. The Shipping Partner Platform connects you with shipping providers, giving you access to competitive rates and streamlined shipping processes.
Optimized supply chain and backend management
Shopify provides robust supply chain and backend management tools to help you streamline your operations. From managing inventory to tracking sales and financial data, Shopify’s backend tools allow you to keep your business running smoothly. With access to banking, balance, and capital features, Shopify also offers options for funding and managing money.
“Shopify offers a range of payment options to help you capture more sales and improve your customer checkout experience.”
Shop Pay and installments for easy payment options
Shopify offers a range of payment options to help you capture more sales and improve your customer checkout experience. Shop Pay is a secure and convenient payment option that saves customers time by securely storing their payment and shipping information. Installments is another payment option for customers to split purchases into four interest-free payments, making larger purchases more accessible and affordable.
Automation for streamlined business processes
Shopify offers a range of automation features to help you streamline your business processes. With Flow, you can automate repetitive tasks, such as sending order confirmation emails or updating inventory levels. This helps you save time and resources, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
Marketing and conversion optimization
Shopify offers a range of powerful marketing and conversion optimization tools to help you drive more sales. From email marketing to abandoned cart recovery, Shopify provides you with the tools you need to reach your target audience and convert them into paying customers. With advanced analytics and reporting, you can also track your performance and optimize your marketing efforts over time.
Understanding Shopify’s product layers
At its core, Shopify offers a robust and reliable e-commerce platform that includes all the essential tools and features needed to create an online store. This core product includes templates, tools for managing products and orders, payment processing, SEO, and marketing tools. However, Shopify’s product layers go beyond the core product, providing additional products and services that can help businesses grow and scale.
Core product
This includes essential tools for creating an online store, such as templates, tools for managing products and orders, payment processing, SEO, and marketing tools.
Third-party apps
A vast array of apps, plugins, and tools developed by third-party developers help businesses add new functionalities and features to their online stores.
Professional services
Shopify Experts provide businesses with a range of professional services, such as design, development, marketing, and SEO – to optimize and grow their online stores.
Additional products
Shopify offers products such as Shopify Payments for access to a secure payment processing system, and Shopify Capital, for businesses seeking funding.
Upgrades and custom solutions
Shopify’s product layers offer access to custom solutions such as code customization and custom integrations, by 3rd-party developers or Shopify Experts.
App marketplace
In addition to third-party apps, Shopify also offers its own marketplace of apps and tools, designed to integrate seamlessly with Shopify’s core product.
Shopify features: Global reach made easy
Checkout and payment processing
Shopify provides a secure and reliable checkout process to help merchants manage customer orders & payments supporting various payment options. Shopify also has its own payment processing system called Shopify Payments.
Global markets
Shopify is a global platform that provides merchants with the ability to reach a broader audience with their products. With Shopify, merchants can sell their products online and reach customers from all around the world.
Customer engagement & marketing tools
Shopify provides several marketing tools to help merchants build strong customer relationships and engage with their audience, including customer segmentation, email marketing, automation, messaging, etc., along with marketing insights and analytics.
Shop App
Shopify’s Shop App provides a seamless shopping experience for customers on mobile devices. The app allows customers to shop across multiple Shopify stores, track their orders, and receive personalized recommendations.
Inventory and selling strategies
Shopify provides various inventory and selling strategies, including unique pricing, promotions, pre-orders, try-before-you-buy, raffles, discount strategies, and Subscriptions Apps, letting merchants create customized experiences for their customers.
Merchandising and visual displays
Shopify provides various tools for merchandising and visual displays, including product bundling, special offers, and brand recognition. With these features, merchants can showcase their products effectively and increase sales.
Shopify theme store and app store
Access to a vast selection of themes and apps enhance Shopify stores functionality and appearance. The Theme Store provides free and paid themes, while the Shopify App Store provides various apps that add functionality, such as payment providers.
Dedicated support team
Shopify provides a dedicated support team that is available 24/7 to help merchants set up, design, and market their stores effectively. Additionally, Shopify provides various guides and articles that help merchants connect with customers and experts.
