We’re officially in a new decade and the past decade has shown some of the diverse changes in the software development scene. Each year in the past two decades had its own trends but some of them have managed to evolve. Understanding these trends is important if you are a software developer or someone who wants to build a software counterpart for your product/service.
Top companies that offer software development services are known for keeping up with these trends. If you are someone who wants to become a part of such an organization culture, you have to buckle up. You have to understand these trends and optimize your coding/development knowledge accordingly. Now that we all know why we do this; shall we check out the trends?
#1 Internet of Things
Software development is now seriously concerned about the Internet of Things, commonly known as IoT. It should be noted that 5G connectivity would be a huge step in popularizing home tech and other services to offer convenience through internet connectivity. Now, developers have to ensure that their products are at least compatible with the new IoT standards, if not already tied up. Several big companies like Google and Microsoft are actually supporting this endeavor, and the available development kit offers a jump-start.
2 Cross-Platform Development
There was a time when a developer had to become an expert on a single development platform. Now, the stories are changing. We are looking at a future that advocates compatibility between different platforms, in user-end and development-end. Once again, major players are encouraging this through projects such as Flutter and Xamarin. Both of these allow developers to create software that works on multiple platforms — both desktop and mobile. You need to get a good grasp on hybrid apps before you even begin.
#3 Low Code Development
A modular approach in software development is not something specifically new. This trend has been in talks for quite a while, but now we have the right resources as well. Low Code Development refers to creating the code in a way that it can be split into components and reused as per requirements. In addition to lowering the infrastructure and resource requirement, this approach adds more control to the scene. Also, it would be easy to maintain and service the software products in the future.
#4 Serverless and Cloud
The gradual yet unavoidable shift to the cloud is something that we have seen in the structure. Developers now don’t have to worry about the infrastructure part, thanks to easy-to-deploy cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services and Azure. Instead of becoming an expert in taking care of these things, creators can now focus on the code and its functionality. While this may be seen as reductionist from the knowledge-gaining point of view, serverless and cloud tech adoption has made things simpler for many.
#5 Voice-Assisted Tech
It was Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant that brought up the culture of speaking to your gadgets as opposed to typing everything. Now, however, developers have to take this forward. As opposed to what some might think, this process is not really tough. Development kits are available at plenty of levels and all the developer has to do is to deploy them in the right manner. There are two options here: one is to add a voice-response system to your application and two, to allow some integration with popular assistants like Siri or Assistant.
#6 Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is such an evolving software development trend is that we can’t complete a list without it. The journey has truly been of evolution in that you could see it. In the beginning years, only experienced developers thought about AI implication, but that’s more or less universal. Customers are now loving services that make the best use of AI and developers have to keep the business moving forward. And, the possibilities that arise when we combine AI with big data is just incredible, to say the least.
#7 PWA for Future
Progressive Web Apps basically bring the best of both worlds and they have a position in the future of diverse software development. We are talking about a development culture that embraces mobile connectivity — all the while making things simpler for the commons. These web tools are not only making it easier to use resources from multiple platforms but also simplifying the entire process of development. Moreover, it’s a big statement towards compatibility.
#8 Blockchain
Blockchain could be one of the most controversial trends that the past decade has seen, but the possibilities are endless. We are talking about a quicker adoption rate of blockchain tech, helpful in the various parts of the industry. From retail to medical care and from finance to big data analysis, blockchain tech could become the core of many things. And, as a developer, it’s important that you have a clear idea of what it could do in your area.
The Bottom Line
We’re officially in a new decade and the past decade has shown some of the diverse changes in the software development scene. Each year in the past two decades had its own trends but some of them have managed to evolve. Understanding these trends is important if you are a software developer or someone who wants to build a software counterpart for your product/service.