Jenkins is an open-source automation tool written in Java that helps enable continuous integration through automation and plugins. It allows organizations to accelerate their software development process by integrating various DevOps stages. Jenkins has over 1000 plugins, is easy to install, free, and portable across platforms. Continuous integration aims to detect problems early by constantly integrating, building, and testing code. The stages of adopting continuous integration range from occasional commits to automated testing and deployment with each change.