Which of the following statements describes the fundamental relationship between Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous...

Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) are complementary practices. Option A is correct: CI is a prerequisite for CD. CI focuses on automating code integration by building, testing, and validating changes, ensuring code quality and early detection of defects. CD builds upon CI by automating the process of releasing validated builds into staging and production environments, making delivery repeatable and reliable.

Option B incorrectly treats them as entirely separate. Option C reverses the relationship, as CD cannot exist without CI pipelines. Option D is inaccurate because CI and CD are not interchangeable—they represent distinct stages in the software delivery lifecycle.

Together, CI/CD accelerates software delivery, reduces risk, and improves quality. In platform engineering, CI/CD pipelines are critical enablers of developer productivity and efficient operations.