The first is a low degree of automation in a company's IT organization, which could signal the need for infrastructure automation or CI/CD opportunities.

The second is a client that requires weeks or months to deliver software changes which could indicate a need for CI/CD tools.

The third is a client needing weeks or months to make changes to its IT infrastructure, an issue that could be handled with infrastructure automation.

The fourth "flashing red light" is when clients take too long to discover problems in their applications. Brown said if a customer says it needs a week or more to find an issue, or finds the issues only after their end-user customers point it out, it may be time for them to implement monitoring and auto-remediation tools.

Finally, when a client's IT department becomes more of a revenue driver than a cost center, it is likely time to bring in all three pillars of DevOps, he said.

Brown said there are some ways in which solution providers can get involved in DevOps which can provide new business opportunities and help them recruit workers. "This has allowed us to bring in talent who otherwise would have been turned off by the old-style organization," he said.

Channel partners should get involved in local DevOps communities, Brown said. He said that every major city holds DevOps days, and that they are worth attending. "We send three engineers there, and we have six months of lunch and learn discussions," he said.

Solution providers should also attend DevOps meetings with clients, and attend conferences sponsored by many of the DevOps tool developers, Brown said.

However, it's not necessary to dive right into the business, Brown said. He suggested starting with one of the three pillars that make most sense. "You need to be concretely defined," he said. "Otherwise, you will boil the ocean."

Solution providers also need to decide which delivery model to monetize, whether it's as a strategic consultant, as an implementer of tool-based services, or as a managed service provider. Once that is done, partners can build a cross-functional organization of engaged learners to staff the chosen model.