During the pandemic, quick development of digital applications and channels became necessary to meet a customer base that was increasingly performing day-to-day tasks online – behavior that experts predict will continue even once the pandemic is over. Here is where we’ll cover the evolution of low-code technology.
As a result, low-code and new development methods became essential tools for businesses looking to quickly undergo digital transformation – now, Forrester predicts that the field will grow by 15% in 2021. As the technology continues to mature and expand, integration of emerging technologies – such as AI, machine learning, and biometrics – is becoming essential as enterprises leverage the technology to push towards a digital-first future.
Although traditional development methods and the role of IT teams will never go away, low-code’s adoption is now enabling these teams to focus on higher-level tasks. In fact, low-code development is projected to account for 65% of all app development by 2024 – the technology is clearly the future of the enterprise. As low-code adoption continues, it is important to keep a pulse on the current technological capabilities, as well as what’s next.
How is low-code currently being used?
Low-code recently became a key technology in allowing enterprises to produce web and mobile applications using processes and templates specific to their industry, without the need to build software from scratch – Saving essential execution time.
As low-code technology has continued to develop and evolve to meet the rising demand, this year has seen an influx of use cases and capabilities of the technology – it has grown increasingly complex as platforms take into consideration new integrations, as well as industry standards in terms of security and comprehensive functionality. Adopting low-code development platforms has also helped eliminate bottlenecks, common in companies with little technological experience or with IT departments under immense burdens of responsibility.
Furthermore, there is a scarcity of programmers and IT talent available – 61% of HR professionals reported than finding qualified developers would be their biggest challenge of 2021, a problem that will only be exacerbated as companies aim to fill new tech roles and expand digital capabilities. As a result, low-code platforms are being used to support developers, allowing them to work on several projects at the same time and focus on other less mechanical objectives: How to produce software that is in-line with the needs of the business and the user.
Emerging technologies and what’s next
As low-code continues to mature and elevate to become a common enterprise-grade tool, it is inevitable that new capabilities will occur. Even in 2021, we can expect to see low-code evolving to meet the growing needs of organizations.
Looking forward, as low-code platforms move beyond their role as a beta technology, integrations need to be readily available – Being able to incorporate and connect to technology from specialized sectors, including facial recognition, biometrics, artificial intelligence and more.
Platforms will also likely shift focus on AI, machine learning, augmented reality and virtual reality – emerging technologies that are increasingly relevant and necessary for modern enterprises aiming to gain a competitive edge. In fact, organizations that don’t take advantage of progress in fields such as AI, open banking, and other accelerators currently available will run the risk of falling behind. Through reducing delivery times, limiting errors with software production cycles, and incorporating these emerging technologies, low-code can help ensure that enterprises maintain agility and dynamism.
Evolution of low-code technology
Ultimately, amid an unprecedented time for businesses large and small, many have turned to low-code platforms to quickly build out the digital capabilities needed to remain aligned with consumer needs and stay afloat during the pandemic. However, the evolution of low-code technology has only just begun to prove its usefulness – with adoption and capabilities only expected to continue increasing, the era of low-code and the citizen developer is here to stay.
