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Why Growing Dev Teams Should Upgrade to GitLab Premium—Now With Built-In AI

Written by Darla Kost
Published on September 5, 2025

As development teams grow, so do the challenges of collaboration, quality control, and delivery speed. What worked for a small team quickly becomes inefficient at scale. That is why many teams are upgrading to GitLab Premium, a complete DevSecOps platform that comes with AI-native capabilities built in. With GitLab Premium, organizations gain the visibility, automation, and security they need to accelerate innovation while maintaining guardrails for compliance and IP protection. For growing teams, it’s the smartest way to consolidate tools, streamline workflows, and future-proof your development pipeline.

GitLab 16.0

GitLab Premium: One Platform for Teams of Every Size

GitLab Premium brings together everything a modern software team needs into one secure, unified platform. Premium eliminates silos and keeps teams focused on delivery.

Key highlights include:

  • Unified Code Management: Git-based repositories with advanced branching, automated approvals, and built-in compliance controls.
  • Integrated Project Management: Track issues, responsibilities, and security requirements without switching systems.

  • Advanced CI/CD: Features like Merge Trains, Push Rules, and Artifact Registry prevent broken builds, reduce conflicts, and standardize workflows across teams.
  • Collaboration Without Barriers: Remote Development Workflows allow engineers to code from anywhere without local setup, while inline Code Reviews ensure feedback stays in context.

  • Automated Compliance: Secret Detection, Event Audits, and Role-Based Access eliminate errors and reduce risk.

This single-platform approach means faster onboarding, better visibility, and lower overhead compared to juggling multiple DevOps tools.

Why Dev Teams Should Upgrade to GitLab Premium

Growing development teams can’t afford bottlenecks, and GitLab Premium is designed to address the pain points that often stall scale. It accelerates speed with shorter review loops, reduced deployment times, and faster delivery cycles. In addition to this, security is strengthened through proactive scanning, secret detection, and Secure by Design principles that keep code safe. Teams gain visibility with end-to-end reporting and KPI tracking. Furthermore, this enables leaders to make informed, data-driven decisions. Lastly, by consolidating multiple DevOps and AI tools into a single platform, GitLab Premium maximizes ROI. It helps organizations cut technology costs and achieve faster payback periods.

AI Features: GitLab Duo for Premium

The biggest game-changer for GitLab Premium is the addition of GitLab Duo, enterprise-grade AI features that are now included at no extra cost.

With GitLab Duo, developers get:

  • AI Chat in the IDE: Contextual, conversational AI for code explanation, test generation, and refactoring.

     

  • AI Code Suggestions: Secure code generation and completion directly in the IDE, helping developers write higher-quality code faster.

     

  • Guardrails for Compliance: Unlike standalone AI tools, GitLab Duo protects your organization’s intellectual property while boosting productivity.

This combination of AI assistance and robust DevSecOps workflows gives teams the confidence to innovate at speed without sacrificing security or compliance.

GitLab Duo GitLab AI

Upgrade to GitLab Premium with Confidence

If your development team is outgrowing its current workflows, now is the time to move to GitLab Premium. With built-in AI, advanced CI/CD, and end-to-end visibility, GitLab Premium equips organizations to scale faster, safer, and smarter. At SPK and Associates, we specialize in helping growing organizations adopt GitLab successfully. From migration planning to workflow optimization, our experts ensure you get maximum value from your investment.

Ready to see what GitLab Premium with AI can do for your team?  Contact SPK today and let us help you accelerate your DevSecOps journey.

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