{"id":53928,"date":"2025-10-23T03:34:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T03:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/?p=53928"},"modified":"2026-02-21T08:28:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T08:28:00","slug":"the-evolution-from-xl-release-%e2%86%92-digital-ai-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/the-evolution-from-xl-release-%e2%86%92-digital-ai-release\/","title":{"rendered":"The evolution from XL Release \u2192 Digital.ai Release"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1) Origins: XebiaLabs and the birth of XL Release (2008\u20132015)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Company founding (2008).<\/strong> XebiaLabs was founded in the Netherlands by Coert Baart and Vincent Partington (backed by the Xebia group). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>XL Release launches (2013).<\/strong> XebiaLabs announced <strong>XL Release<\/strong> as an enterprise-class release coordination\/orchestration product in Sept 2013. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Positioning &amp; capabilities.<\/strong> XL Release was designed to plan, track, and execute releases (phases &amp; tasks), acting as a \u201csingle source of truth\u201d for release orchestration. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community momentum (2014).<\/strong> XebiaLabs offered community editions of <strong>XL Release<\/strong> and <strong>XL Deploy<\/strong> to expand adoption. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early feature trajectory (XL Release 4.x)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>4.5\u20134.7 era (2015\u20132016).<\/strong> The 4.x line cemented core concepts and added a stream of enhancements (API, triggers, etc.) documented in the historic 4.5\/4.7 release notes. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>XL Release\u2019s reference manual from this period captures the canonical \u201creleases \u2192 phases \u2192 tasks\u201d model many enterprises standardized on. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2) The merger wave &amp; rebrand to Digital.ai (2019\u20132020)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pre-merger investment context.<\/strong> XebiaLabs had grown as a release\/orchestration leader; on <strong>Jan 21, 2020<\/strong> CollabNet VersionOne and XebiaLabs announced a combination to create an integrated Agile\/DevOps platform (TPG Capital-backed). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital.ai is born (Apr 15, 2020).<\/strong> CollabNet VersionOne, XebiaLabs, and <strong>Arxan Technologies<\/strong> formally combined and rebranded as <strong>Digital.ai<\/strong>\u2014an integrated value stream (DevSecOps) company. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Arxan\u2019s role.<\/strong> Arxan (app protection) announced it \u201chas come together with CollabNet VersionOne and XebiaLabs to form Digital.ai.\u201d (Apr 16, 2020). ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Post-formation acquisitions to fill out the platform (2020\u20132021)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Numerify (AI analytics) &amp; Experitest (continuous testing)<\/strong> acquired <strong>June 16, 2020<\/strong>, extending analytics and mobile\/web testing in the platform. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Branding\/renaming impact on XL Release<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The product name transitioned to <strong>Digital.ai Release (formerly XebiaLabs XL Release)<\/strong>\u2014Digital.ai\u2019s own materials state this directly. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3) What changed for customers after the rebrand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Continuity of product &amp; artifacts.<\/strong> Documentation and container images retained legacy identifiers (e.g., <code>xebialabs\/xl-release<\/code>) for continuity, while branding became Digital.ai Release. Red Hat\u2019s container catalog still lists <code>xebialabs\/xl-release<\/code> images (e.g., 9.0.11). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Support &amp; lifecycle policies modernized.<\/strong> Digital.ai has published EOL\/deprecation guidance (e.g., <strong>no \u201clatest\u201d Docker tag for Release images effective Oct 31, 2024<\/strong>; you must pull by explicit version). ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4) Digital.ai corporate &amp; platform milestones (selected)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Digital.ai launch &amp; first value-stream vision<\/strong> (Apr 2020). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Forrester VSM leadership<\/strong> recognition (Q3 2020). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Named platform releases<\/strong> (e.g., <em>Denali<\/em>, <em>Banff<\/em>) highlight periodic, cross-portfolio drops. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ongoing feature launches<\/strong> across Release\/Deploy\/Testing, including 2023\u20132026 updates to streamline enterprise delivery. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5) Product timeline: from XL Release to Digital.ai Release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">XL Release era (pre-2020)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2013:<\/strong> XL Release GA. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2014:<\/strong> Community edition offered. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2015\u20132016:<\/strong> XL Release <strong>4.5 \u2192 4.7 \u2192 4.8<\/strong> (and beyond) add robust API, trigger, and orchestration features (see 4.7.x notes &amp; contemporaneous posts). ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital.ai Release era (2020 \u2192 present)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital.ai documents the product simply as <strong>\u201cRelease\u201d<\/strong> with numeric streams (22.x, 23.x, 24.x, 25.x). Selected highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>22.x (2022):<\/strong> New Release versions under the Digital.ai banner appear in docs (e.g., <strong>22.3<\/strong>; CLI enhanced for new operator-based install). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>24.x (2024):<\/strong> The Release docs standardize on current install\/upgrade guidance and operator\/Kubernetes paths (also see EOL policy introduced for Docker tags in 2024). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>25.3 (Oct 2026):<\/strong> Latest major stream at time of writing; <strong>Bitnami Helm charts deprecated<\/strong> beginning 25.3, to be removed in later versions. (Parallel 25.3 updates exist across Deploy\/Testing as well.) ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Digital.ai Release is now the canonical name. Legacy \u201cXL\u201d labels may still exist in image names, some configuration keys, and historical docs; functionally you\u2019re looking at a continuous lineage. ()<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6) Ownership today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Owner:<\/strong> <strong>Digital.ai<\/strong> (formed by the 2020 combination of CollabNet VersionOne, XebiaLabs, and Arxan; subsequently expanded via acquisitions like Numerify and Experitest). ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7) Practical migration &amp; versioning notes (for teams coming from \u201cXL Release\u201d)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Naming &amp; artifacts:<\/strong> Expect mixed legacy naming in technical artifacts (e.g., Docker <code>xebialabs\/xl-release<\/code>). Follow the <strong>EOL policy<\/strong>: always pin explicit versions (no <code>:latest<\/code> after <strong>Oct 31, 2024<\/strong>). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upgrade approach:<\/strong> Use the <strong>current upgrade guides<\/strong> (JVM or Kubernetes\/operator paths) aligned with your deployment model. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Compatibility planning:<\/strong> When moving from older 4.x\/early \u201cXL Release\u201d versions, review historic release notes to catch deprecations and manual actions. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8) Concise timeline (company + product)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2008:<\/strong> XebiaLabs founded. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2013:<\/strong> <strong>XL Release<\/strong> launched (release orchestration). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2014\u20132016:<\/strong> 4.x feature maturation; community editions announced (2014). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jan 21, 2020:<\/strong> CollabNet VersionOne + XebiaLabs announce combination (TPG). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Apr 15\u201316, 2020:<\/strong> <strong>Digital.ai<\/strong> formed; Arxan joins the combined company; <strong>XL Release<\/strong> continues under the <strong>Digital.ai Release<\/strong> name. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Jun 16, 2020:<\/strong> Digital.ai acquires <strong>Numerify<\/strong> (AI analytics) and <strong>Experitest<\/strong> (continuous testing). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2022\u20132026:<\/strong> Major Release streams <strong>22.x \u2192 25.x<\/strong>; operator-based install work, lifecycle tightening (Docker tag policy), and <strong>25.3<\/strong> deprecates Bitnami Helm charts. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9) Where to track \u201cwhat\u2019s new\u201d next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Release (product) notes:<\/strong> Best single source for version-by-version changes (e.g., <strong>25.3<\/strong>). ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Upgrade guides &amp; support policy:<\/strong> For impact\/planning and supported paths. ()<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Corporate history &amp; press releases:<\/strong> For rebrand\/acquisition context. ()<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\">\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1) Origins: XebiaLabs and the birth of XL Release (2008\u20132015) Early feature trajectory (XL Release 4.x) 2) The merger wave &amp; rebrand to Digital.ai (2019\u20132020) Post-formation acquisitions to fill out&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11138],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53928"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59846,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53928\/revisions\/59846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devopsschool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}