Evolving Trends in Software Application Development you need to be aware of in 2020

Information technology has been evolving at a rapid pace since the dawn of the 21^st century. The global spending on IT had reached $3716 billion USD in 2018 and the figure will soar to $4018 billion by 2021.

In an industry where unpredictability, constant innovations and advancements are the norms, the key lies in keeping pace with the latest trends. As an emerging business, you not only need to be aware of the nuances of information technology but also incorporate the latest technological trends while building your software application. By doing so, you will be able to expedite your application development process, all while offering your users a phenomenal experience.

In this brief post, we present a rundown of the evolving trends in custom software application development that you need to know about in 2020 and beyond. So, let’s discuss these trends one by one.

 

• Artificial Intelligence

Among the buzzwords prevalent in the software industry, AI is one that stands out.

Software development companies across the globe are integrating advanced machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing capabilities into their applications in order to make them ‘intelligent’.

Intelligent applications not only create a hyper-personalised experience for your customers but also give you an edge over your competition.

Across the industrial spectrum, several applications of the technology are emerging:

 

Application	Industry
Price Optimisation	Travel, E-commerce
Chatbots	Business Process Outsourcing
Automation of Grading System	Education
Intrusion Detection	Cybersecurity
Tailoring Promotions	Marketing
Anticipation of Future Purchases	E-commerce

World over, the predictions made with regard to artificial intelligence are promising. As per a report by MarketsandMarkets, the global market for AI will touch $190.61 billion by 2025, up from $21.46 billion in 2018.

If you want keep pace with the strides in AI, focus on integrating the technology with your application. You should build front-ends that resonate AI actions, back-ends that supplement advanced AI algorithms and databases that can be managed by AI systems.

 

• Progressive Web Apps

In software development, websites and mobile apps have their own set of positives and negatives. While websites can be accessed from any browser and device, they are unable to leverage the benefit of platform-specific hardware and achieve excellent performance.

Apps, on the contrary, can embrace software and hardware capabilities of their platform to offer phenomenal experience but remain restricted to the platform they were developed for.

Progressive web apps or PWAs offer the combined benefits of both websites and apps. Simply put, a PWA is a website built with web technologies that has the look and feel of an app.

PWAs differ from traditional apps on many grounds: they can be used directly without requiring to be downloaded and installed. PWAs can be added to the home screen of the user for easy access.

Besides, they are compatible with all devices and browsers and can work even in low connectivity and offline modes. They are also SEO-friendly.

PWAs are gaining traction in the software development industry, as a result of which many impressive PWAs have sprung up in recent times:

Housing.com: With the new PWA in place, the conversion rate of Housing.com has grown by 38% and bounce-rate has fallen by over 40%.

MakeMyTrip: India’s leading travel company MakeMyTrip’s PWA has reduced their page-load time by 38% and improved their conversion rate by three times.

So, you see PWAs have pioneered an era of software development where the user is getting the capabilities of websites and apps combined into one.

 

• Internet of Things

 

 

We have reached an age where the devices connected to the internet go beyond computers and smartphones. Smart home appliances, Bluetooth trackers, wearables and a plethora of other devices are connected to the internet today. These fall under the ambit of Internet of Things (IoT).

 

 

IoT devices make it easy to track and monitor the world around us. No wonder, they find immense applications in diverse industries:

 

Application	Industry
Predictive Maintenance	Manufacturing, Oil and Gas
Smart Meters	Oil and Gas
Asset Tracking	Supply Chain, Logistics
Fleet Management	Transportation
Connected Vehicles	Automotive

 

Application Industry Predictive Maintenance Manufacturing, Oil and Gas Smart Meters Oil and Gas Asset Tracking Supply Chain, Logistics Fleet Management Transportation Connected Vehicles Automotive

Because connected devices are experiencing huge demand across the industry, there has been an exponential rise in the number of IoT devices. Gartner believes there will be over 20.4 billion IoT devices by 2020.  

The global spend on IoT was $235 billion in 2017 and will very likely touch $520 billion by 2021. You can harness the power of this technology to build a secure and reliable software application for your business.

 

• Immersive Technologies: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

The twin technologies of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality find varied applications in areas of education, training, gaming and entertainment. Together, they are referred to as ‘Mixed Reality’.

The market for mixed reality is booming and estimated to touch $160 billion by 2023. (See chart below).

 

In Augmented Reality, a machine-generated image is superimposed on the top of real surroundings to deliver a composite view. AR can be easily integrated with mobile applications, so companies are building avant-garde AR applications to bolster user engagement.

AR-based applications like Anatomy 4D, Arloon Geometry and Experience Real History are helping students comprehend complex concepts in a simple manner. Likewise, some AR apps are helping organizations train their employees in a simulated environment.

While VR may not be as popular as AR, it is being extensively used to deliver an immersive user experience in gaming and entertainment applications. Companies like Walmart are harnessing the technology for assessing their employees in a simulated environment.

As a business, you can catch the mixed reality wave and devise a software application that allows users to try your products in a virtual environment and thus enhance your conversions.

 

• Cross-Platform Development

Not long ago, when developers had to build an application, they started with a single platform, either iOS or Android. Only after building the app for one platform, they created another version for a different platform. This needed them to port code between different operating systems.

Not any longer.

Custom software application development companies have realised the benefits of cross-platform development and are investing heavily in cross-platform development tools. (See chart below).

 

 

With development environments like Microsoft’s Xamarin and Google’s Flutter, they can create applications that work on almost every desktop and mobile platform. They can also take full benefit of native APIs and user interfaces to build applications that behave like native ones.

By capitalising on this trend, you can not only create applications compatible with all popular platforms but also save considerably in terms of time, money and other resources.

 

• Low-Code Development

In addition to cross-platform development, another trend that has gained traction in recent years is low-code development.

Low-code development is a visual approach to application development that minimises the need for writing code. With this approach, developers can build web and mobile applications using drag-and-drop components and model-driven logic through a graphical user interface.

With low-code development, businesses can get sophisticated applications built in far less time as compared to the traditional approach. They can also minimize the dependence on niche technical skills that are difficult to hire. So, by switching to a low-code approach, you can not only reduce the cost of development but also accelerate digital transformation.

Some popular platforms for low-code development include Appian, Mendix and OutSystems.

 

• Software Development Outsourcing

 

As the business environment is getting more competitive, organisations are trying to make the most of their capabilities. As a result, they are focussing on their core competencies and outsourcing peripheral work to a software development outsourcing company that has core competency in those areas.

Another driving factor for the growth of software development outsourcing is the availability of global talent pool. Enterprises in the USA and Europe are looking upon Asia, Africa and Latin America as favourable outsourcing destinations that can get their work done at a fraction of the price.

No wonder, the global spend on software outsourcing is rising. According to a study by MarketWatch, large businesses spent 8.7% of their IT budget on outsourcing in 2019, up from 6.3% in 2018.

So, it’s high time you offload some of your work to a reliable software development outsourcing company. You should, however, take care that the quality of your product isn’t compromised.

The Final Word

The aforementioned trends offer a glimpse of where the industry is heading to. By staying abreast of these trends, you can minimise operational expenses, expedite the development process and offer a great user experience and eventually take your business to newer heights. Consider hiring a reliable custom software application development partner like Cyfuture to ensure you navigate through your transformation journey smoothly.