By: Lalit Mehta, the Co-founder & CEO of Decimal Technologies
No-code and low-code platforms have witnessed a surge in popularity over the past few years. They have started a global shift in the technological terrain and empowered employees to create applications and streamline the software development process for all businesses alike. These platforms were developed to cater to people with time constraints or needing to be better versed in coding. While such software is built using coding languages such as Java, Python, and PHP, developers are not burdened with the technical details while working on them. Instead, they are provided with inbuilt interfaces that allow them to drag and drop certain elements, interconnect them, and work with the resulting outcome.
As we traverse through 2024, many organisations are now investing in and adopting the no-code and low-code platforms. Considerably, this trend is likely to continue and pick up its pace in the AI-led world. Moreover, with the growing demand and evolving digital transformation, the low-code and no-code app development industry is projected to reach $86.9 billion by 2027. The shift towards these platforms is set to bring new trends to the global marketplace. Bearing this in mind, here are five global low-code/no-code trends to look out for.
According to Gartner, low-code tools will make up 70 percent of all software developments by the year 2025. Developers and cross-functional teams will participate in building applications by utlising user-friendly, intuitive, and visual interfaces. On top of that, here are five ways in which this technological trend will take shape in the upcoming years.
Growing adoption by large businesses: In the recent past, large businesses relied on complex and customised software. The development demanded a substantial amount of time, resources, and technical expertise. However, the digital terrain is experiencing a significant shift as businesses are now acknowledging the advantages of low-code/no-code platforms. These platforms offer solutions to businesses by providing them with enhanced application development.
The increasing number of citizen developers: Historically, the development of software was only limited to professional developers in the IT sector. However, with time, the low-code applications have homogenised the app-building process. It has empowered individuals across different domains to actively participate in app development. Currently, individuals with non-technical backgrounds are creating applications and shaping the future of software development.
Collaboration with other devices and technologies: The upcoming year is set to witness the fusion of drag-and-drop interfaces with AI-led functionalities. This blend will enable natural language processing, and predictive analytics in your application software. Also, the no-code/low-code will see an integration with Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This coalition will enable individuals to devise applications that manage and respond to real-time data from interconnected devices.
Enhanced security advancements: The integration of low-code platforms with AI will further enhance the security of low-code development tools. Increased encryption strategies and double-factor authentication will secure low-code applications against growing cybersecurity threats, and protect user data.
Adoption of no-code and low-code tools in India: The pandemic has forever changed the way how businesses operate in India. Currently, enterprises are heavily investing in no-code platforms to make their businesses fully digital. The reason for this lies in the fact that these platforms are solving the problem of managing a huge workbench of skilled resources. Sectors such as Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) are among the early adopters of LC/NC tools. SaaS product and retail firms are also evolving to this change.
The way forward
The low-code and no-code tools are powerful tools that empower individuals across diverse industries beyond the realms of IT to actively participate in app development. As we go further into 2024, these platforms are set to gain more traction, enabling businesses to streamline their workflow and development processes. By leveraging low-code and no-code technologies, both large-scale and small-scale enterprises can make informed decisions, and stay abreast of new technologies and trends.