Short Release Cycles are prevalent in AgileDevelopment methodologies as they provide the team with a better way of coping with change.
Short release cycles improve the quality and quantity of feedback, allowing customers to get a better grasp of whether or not a project is delivering value, and for a development team to adjust their processes to changing requirements, unforeseen problems or environmental concerns that may affect the pace of development.
Short release cycles reduce the dependency on "accurate forecasts" as real results replace imaginary numbers as a better representation of what a team is capable of delivering. Running with short release cycles is also a better risk management strategy, with a smaller set of items to manage, and potentially change or move out of each release when time constraints become tight.