Which of the following describes deployment in software development?

Deployment in software development specifically refers to the process of transferring changes or updates to a production environment where the application is live and accessible to users. This step is crucial as it represents the transition from a development or staging environment, where the application has undergone testing and validation, to a state where those changes become operational and can directly impact users.

When changes are deployed, they are made available to end-users and can include new features, bug fixes, or any modifications that have passed through the necessary testing phases. Successful deployment ensures that the software operates as intended in the production environment, which is vital for maintaining quality and performance.

Other processes in software development, such as coding a new feature, modifying existing code, or testing user acceptance, are integral parts of the overall development lifecycle but do not specifically define the deployment phase. Coding involves the actual writing of code for new features, modifying existing code involves alterations to the current code base to enhance functionalities, and testing user acceptance is focused on validating that the software meets user requirements before it is deployed. Each of these activities plays a role in software development, but they serve different purposes in comparison to deployment.