What does the POC environment serve as?

The POC (Proof of Concept) environment serves as a crucial staging environment that is used to validate and test new ideas, functionalities, or integrations before moving to a testing or production phase. This environment allows developers and stakeholders to assess the feasibility of new features or changes in a controlled setting. By using a staging environment, organizations can ensure that any new implementations are reviewed for performance, functionality, and compatibility before they are introduced into more critical environments like testing (TST) or production (PRD).

In contrast, a build testing area is generally focused on testing specific builds rather than a broader evaluation of concepts. A primary production environment refers to the live operational environment that end users interact with, which is not what the POC represents. Lastly, a duplicate of PRD implies a mirror of the production setup, which is not the function of the POC as it focuses on innovative trials rather than replicating existing systems.