Software development trends have always changed rapidly, but the current pandemic has accelerated the process. What seems like an acceptable software development practice today may no longer be so in the near future. The rapid digitization that started in 2020 will continue in 2023. We are seeing more investment in automating repetitive processes, providing a multi-channel customer experience; greater attention to privacy and greater adoption of new technologies in all sectors.
When creating a digital solution, entrepreneurs need to be well informed of where the software industry is headed and strategize accordingly. Here are the top software development trends in 2022 that entrepreneurs should keep in mind when planning a new product.
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Rapid growth of the IT sector
Although the IT sector was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused project delays and investment reductions, it managed to maintain its strong position compared to other sectors. All companies are gradually becoming software businesses. As digital transformation accelerates, software will dramatically transform what companies do, how they do it, and what services they provide to their customers. As a result, software development is becoming a game changer for many organizations, if not a strategic imperative.
According to data from the consulting firm Bain & Company, technology has driven global economic growth. “Born tech” companies, which include technology as a central component of their identity, are the ones that have grown the most. Since 2015, these companies have generated 52% of global market value growth. Companies with a technology focus that augments more traditional methods accounted for another 20% of market value growth.
Opportunities for low-code development
Another growing trend in software development is low-code development . Low-code platforms are becoming more and more popular as the demand for building applications quickly and easily grows. Essentially anyone with basic programming knowledge can now try to create their own applications. Low-code solutions are popular because they allow developers to speed up the development process.
In addition to low-code development, no-code development (no code at all9) has become a popular option because the demand for software developers exceeds the available supply. However, no-code development is not a reliable solution to long term because software built this way is not robust enough to handle the changing requirements of your business. However, as the world continues to fight the pandemic and there is a great need for software developers, you can expect no-code development to play a big role in 2023.
Demand for outsourcing will continue to grow
By 2022, the global software industry is expected to reach $536.24 billion, with the overseas software development services market growing by 11.72%. Many companies are finding that they lack the resources to keep up with the ever-changing needs of the industry. Due to the difficulties in finding talented IT specialists in the local market, companies turn to bespoke software development companies to source highly-skilled IT specialists from outside their area (either nearshore or offshore).
Outsourced teams can perform a variety of tasks, including programming, testing, and product management, and are proficient in a variety of programming languages. Delegating software development to professionals in IT companies is on the rise and will become even more popular in 2022. The growing demand for IT outsourcing can be explained by the need for companies to adopt innovations quickly and cost-effectively. In addition to meeting those needs, outsourcing helps companies access the most qualified specialists, while continuing to focus on their core competencies. With management tools constantly improving, it’s becoming easier to establish efficient workflow and productive relationships between internal and outsourced employees.
The new era of cloud computing
Cloud migration is not a new software trend, it has been around for a long time. Regardless of size and purpose, more and more organizations are turning to cloud computing, and this trend isn’t going away anytime soon. According to Statista, the global market for public cloud computing is estimated to exceed $482 billion next year. Cloud migration has a wide range of applications. Machine learning and artificial intelligence, data analytics, web and mobile app migration, and other uses are covered.
Most of the companies choose to place their applications and systems in the cloud due to its greater ease of maintenance and storage. It has also become a great facilitator of remote work. Companies manage to create work environments with the help of cloud services and tools and establish effective team collaboration. SaaS, IaaS and PaaS solutions are increasingly in demand, as they are easier to adopt and deploy, and help reduce costs, which is especially important in post-crisis times.
The rise of eCommerce software
While most businesses were facing difficult economic times in 2021, the eCommerce market was in full swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses switched to online sales and delivery services as it was the only way to shop safely during the lockdown.
However, the field of e-commerce will continue to develop after the pandemic. Statista states that companies will follow the trend and that by 2023 the e-commerce market is expected to grow up to 22%, compared to 14.1% in 2019. E-commerce apps have proven to be a huge customer experience enhancement and a major boost to business process automation during the pandemic. Companies will continue to implement digital e-commerce solutions, making them more attractive to customers.
Continued growth of artificial intelligence and machine learning
These disruptive technologies have the potential to change every industry by helping organizations meet their business goals, make critical decisions, and deliver innovative products and services.
Here are some examples:
- Health : helps doctors make diagnoses and prescribe treatments
- Logistics: vehicle management, driver behavior analysis
- Education: automated and fair grading
- E-commerce: better customer service thanks to chatbots
- Smart home: energy consumption analysis
- Intelligent automotive: autonomous vehicles and route optimization
- Others: acceleration and smoothing of processes, more accurate predictions
AI and ML allow a wide range of tasks typically performed by humans to be delegated to computers, which can solve those tasks faster and more efficiently, and eliminate errors.
By 2027, the AI and ML sector is expected to grow by 33%. According to estimates, by 2022 companies will have implemented at least 35 AI initiatives in their operations.