What is Rate of Change? — UK Software Development Guide
Direct Answer
Rate of change (in software) refers to how frequently a software system is updated — including new features, bug fixes, security patches, and configuration changes. High rate of change enables faster innovation and rapid security patching; low rate of change reduces the risk of introducing new bugs but also slows security response.
Rate-of-change in the UK
Rate of change has specific UK Cyber Essentials significance. The Patch Management control requires high-risk vulnerabilities to be patched within 14 days — this is only achievable with an automated deployment pipeline that enables rapid, low-risk deployments. A low rate of change (deploying once per month) means security patches accumulate and the 14-day window cannot be met. UK DevOps benchmarks: elite UK software teams deploy multiple times per day; high-performing teams deploy daily; medium teams deploy weekly; low performers deploy monthly or less. DORA (DevOps Research and Assessment) metrics include deployment frequency as a key software delivery performance indicator.
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