Zsolt Tövis - Full Stack Developer
Zsolt TövisFull Stack Developer
What is Git
What is Git

What is Git?

Git is the fundamental industry standard for modern software development, known as a distributed version control system. Below is a business-focused evaluation of the technology to assist in strategic decision-making regarding its implementation or application.

The Essence of the Technology

Git is a software tool that records every change made to the source code, stores its history, and allows multiple developers to work on the same project simultaneously and independently. The system does not rely exclusively on a central server, instead, the complete project history is available on every developer's machine, which increases security and speed.

Business Benefits

Implementing Git results in immediate efficiency gains in development processes. Due to the possibility of parallel work, teams can deliver new features faster, as they do not have to wait for each other during coding. The system provides full auditability, every change can be traced back to who modified what and when, which is critical for quality assurance and quick bug fixing. Additionally, the "reversibility" option reduces business risk, as in the case of a faulty development, the system state can be immediately restored to a previous, functioning version.

Drawbacks and Risks

Although Git is the industry standard, its learning curve can be steep for less experienced employees, which may cause an initial slowdown. Due to the system's flexibility, strict internal regulations (workflows) are required, otherwise, the codebase can become chaotic. A significant risk is that without proper oversight, developers might accidentally record sensitive data (passwords, keys) in the system, which then become part of the version history and are difficult to remove.

Practical Application

Git is practically the cornerstone of every modern software development project, whether it be websites, mobile applications, or artificial intelligence models. The world's largest technology companies — such as Google, Microsoft, Netflix, or Meta — all base their development infrastructure on this. It is particularly recommended in environments where the development team size exceeds one person, or where precise tracking of software versions is critical.

Executive Summary

From a strategic perspective, Git is not just an optional choice but an indispensable condition for software development. Its application ensures that the company's intellectual property (the code) is secure, development speed increases, and professionals can be easily integrated from the labor market, as this is the minimum expected knowledge. The risk of implementation is low, and the expected return on investment (ROI) is high due to efficiency gains and reduced bug-fixing costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Git software itself is open-source and completely free (GPLv2 license). However, enterprise management platforms built on Git (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) usually charge a monthly fee per user, which can range from approximately $4 to $21 per month depending on the service level.

Knowledge of Git is a basic requirement in the developer market today, practically every software developer knows it. There is no need to hunt for special, expensive experts for this. The preparedness of existing or new colleagues in this area is almost guaranteed.

Git uses cryptographic methods to ensure code integrity, making retroactive, undetected modification of recorded history impossible. However, corporate data security depends on access management and the security settings of the chosen central platform (e.g., GitHub Enterprise).

Transitioning from older systems (e.g., SVN) is technically well-supported, mature tools exist for migration. The risk of "Vendor lock-in" is minimal since Git is decentralized and standard, so the code and full history can be moved from one provider to another at any time.

Git does not require special hardware. You can choose a cloud-based service (SaaS), where operations are the provider's task, or a self-hosted solution, in which case standard server maintenance tasks should be expected.

The technology is currently dominant in the market, and there is no rival in sight that would threaten its position. Long-term support and the activity of the professional community ensure that Git will remain the basis of development for decades.

ROI comes from the more efficient use of developers' working hours — less time is spent merging code and searching for bugs. Faster Time-to-Market and improved software quality create direct business value.

Yes, Git is highly scalable. Although it is not the most optimal tool for handling very large files (multi-gigabyte), the largest global companies use it for code management, supplemented by appropriate access control systems.

The biggest mistake is the lack of establishing proper workflows and rules. If developers do not use the tool according to a unified methodology, it can lead to opacity in version history and conflicts.

Unlike file copies, Git provides a full, auditable history, shows the exact content and author of changes, and allows for safe experimentation without endangering the live system. This is the difference between professional software production and ad-hoc tinkering.

Share on:

Need experts for the next project?

An expert team is ready to help you understand your business needs and challenges and provide customized solutions. Take a look at our services and contact us today.

Contact Us

DevOpsCI/CD