Microsoft-owned GitHub has announced a couple of major updates to make the open source platform more accessible to developers. The updates include unlimited private repositories for users of GitHub Free edition, and a simple and unified Enterprise offering.
The first update, unlimited private repositories with GitHub Free version, will enable developers to use the open source platform for their private projects with up to three collaborators per repository. They wouldn’t need to pay anything for this.
Before the update, the users of GitHub Free needed to host their code in public repositories. Now they can do the same in private repositories.
The update will be especially useful for those who look to use private repositories for a job application, work on a side project, or try something out in private before releasing it publicly.
“Starting today, those scenarios, and many more, are possible on GitHub at no cost. Public repositories are still free (of course—no changes there) and include unlimited collaborators,” wrote Nat Friedman, CEO of GitHub, in a blog post.
The second update, GitHub is combining the Enterprise Cloud and Enterprise Server, and forming a new unified product called GitHub Enterprise. Whether enterprises want to use GitHub in a cloud or a self-hosted configuration, the GitHub Enterprise will be available for both use cases at one per-seat price.
Further, organizations can choose to securely link the products and provide an option to developers using GitHub Connect. This will allow developers to work seamlessly in the cloud and in a self-hosted configuration.
The new move will accelerate the adoption of GitHub by more developers. Since the acquisition of GitHub by Microsoft last year, the company has rolled out several new features and updated to the open source platform. In October, Microsoft open sourced the Infer.NET machine learning framework on GitHub, rolled out new developer tools focused on collaboration and security, and more.
Along with the recent updates, Microsoft is also making GitHub Pro and GitHub Team available to facilitate developers and teams with professional coding collaboration features.
Also read: GitHub rolls out new developer tools focused on collaboration and security
“Whether you’re a student about to write your first line of code, an enterprise leader with teams around the world, or an open source maintainer, we want GitHub to be the best place for you to code, collaborate, and connect with the global community of developers. Today’s changes are a big investment in the future of GitHub, and we’re excited to see what you build in 2019,” added Nat Friedman.
