Platform engineering unifies development and operations by providing self-service infrastructure, reusable tooling, and automated workflows. When combined with DevSecOps principles, it enables secure, compliant, and fast software delivery. The rising complexity of cloud-native environments and distributed teams demands reliable internal platforms that reduce developer toil and enforce organizational policies. Challenges include fragmented toolchains, inconsistent security enforcement, and cultural resistance.

Platform engineering teams act as internal service providers, delivering golden paths, templates, and environments optimized for speed and compliance. Policy-as-code, secrets management, and continuous compliance automation are integral. By 2025, companies with mature platform engineering practices see accelerated innovation, improved security posture, and greater developer satisfaction.