What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes is an open-source platform that automates deploying, scaling and managing containerized applications across a cluster of machines. Originally developed at Google and now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, it restarts failed containers, balances traffic and rolls out updates according to rules you define.
Why it matters for your business
For products with many services or variable load, Kubernetes keeps applications available and scales them automatically, though it adds operational complexity that smaller systems may not need.
A SaaS company runs its API on a managed Kubernetes service that adds container instances during weekday business hours and scales back down overnight.