Expanded Observability, Orchestration, and Security with Kong Gateway 3.13

Kong Gateway 3.13 introduces several enhancements aimed at simplifying API management and improving observability and security, including expanded OpenTelemetry support, cloud-native authentication, and advanced orchestration capabilities through the Datakit plugin. The update consolidates metrics, logs, and traces into a unified OpenTelemetry plugin, reducing maintenance overhead and improving system reliability. Kong Konnect and Cloud Gateways have achieved PCI DSS 4.0 attestation, ensuring compliance with rigorous security standards for industries handling cardholder data. Gateway 3.13 also fully integrates cloud Identity Access Management solutions and supports JSON Web Token authentication with self-managed HashiCorp Vault. New node types in the Datakit Flow editor facilitate sophisticated workflow construction, including XML to JSON translation, catering to hybrid application needs. These features are available on the Kong Konnect SaaS platform and can be downloaded for self-hosted environments, offering improved deployment efficiency and system visibility.