The methodology that has become known as DevOps is proving to be a key driver towards gaining the competitive edge in the enterprise, on par with the Big Data and cloud computing movements that have swept through the market in recent years. According to the IBM Institute for Business Value, 70 percent of companies that leverage software development for competitive advantages maintain a stronger bottom line than than their more traditional peers.

In light of this overwhelming evidence, IBM decided that it would be a good idea to expand its DevOps footprint. This morning the vendor announced the acquisition of UrbanCode, a Cleveland, Ohio-based provider of development and deployment automation tools.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but IBM Software director of marketing Randy Newell disclosed that the firm’s 50 employees will join his company’s Rational group. UrbanCode’s assets will be integrated into Big Blue’s SmartCloud and Mobile First initiatives.

“Companies that master effective software development and delivery in rapidly changing environments such as cloud, mobile and social will have a significant competitive advantage,” said Kristof Kloeckner the general manager of IBM Rational Software.  “With the acquisition of UrbanCode, IBM is uniquely positioned to help businesses from every industry accelerate delivery of their products and services to better meet client demands.”

IBM boasts that UrbanCode’s solution can reduce release times from a few days to a couple of hours. An online retailer that is using the firm’s technology cut deployment times by 95 percent, and an investment firm that leverages the software managed to save $2.3 million in development expenses.

An emerging firm called Platfora is following in the footsteps of UrbanCode’s success in the Big Data space. The startup recently launched its flagship product, a BI-on-Hadoop solution that eliminates the need for legacy systems and makes it possible to extract insights in hours rather than days.