Spotify is offering more capabilities based on its open source project Backstage with the beta launch of Spotify Portal for Backstage.
The new offering will enable development teams to more easily get set up with their own internal developer portal using Backstage. It includes a Setup Wizard to install Portal and link it to a GitHub organization and cloud provider; a Catalog Wizard to import services, websites, and libraries from GitHub Enterprise; and onboarding guides that explain how to create Software Templates, import docs, and more.
Software Templates provide reusable building blocks for backend services, websites, etc. These will help facilitate easier setup for future projects, Spotify explained.
The Software Catalog is one of the central components of Portal and it is where all the development team’s services, websites, and libraries can be found. According to Spotify, the Catalog provides insight into who owns what projects, makes it easier to discover components and dependencies related to those projects, and cuts down on the time spent finding projects.
Portal also offers a number of plugins that can be installed to make it more customizable, such as Spotify’s Soundcheck plugin which can be used to implement more quality checks.
According to Zohar Einy, CEO of the internal development platform Port, this move is an indication that Spotify is taking its development tool business more seriously and is branching out from just being a provider of an open source project to becoming a vendor of software development tools.
“Ideally, developer portals should offer a product-like experience, delivering a comprehensive portal that meets all developer needs and creating a standardized way of work,” he said. “While the product aspect of this announcement is intriguing, the real story is Spotify’s business play. This could alter how Backstage’s role is perceived in the internal developer portal community.”