Which term best represents the practice of combining development and operations to improve delivery?

The practice of combining development and operations to improve delivery is best represented by the term DevOps. DevOps is a collaborative approach that seeks to enhance the software development lifecycle by fostering a culture of cooperation between development teams (who create software) and operations teams (who deploy and maintain it).

This methodology emphasizes automation, continuous integration, and continuous delivery, allowing for faster and more reliable software releases. DevOps improves communication and collaboration across traditionally siloed departments, leading to more efficient workflows and better quality products.

In contrast, other terms such as Agile methodology focus on iterative development processes without the explicit emphasis on operations integration, and SysOps pertains specifically to system administration practices rather than a broader culture of collaboration. The Waterfall model represents a linear and sequential approach to software development, which contrasts with the iterative and flexible nature of DevOps. Thus, DevOps encapsulates the essential practices of merging development and operations to streamline and enhance the delivery process effectively.