Kubernetes, often abbreviated as K8s, is an open-source container orchestration platform originally developed by Google and now maintained by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications, ensuring they run efficiently across a cluster of machines. Kubernetes abstracts the underlying infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on application development rather than operational concerns. With its robust features and extensive community support, Kubernetes has become the de facto standard for managing microservices and containerized workloads, making it essential for modern cloud-native applications.