Hussain Fakhruddin
Latest posts by Hussain Fakhruddin (see all)
- How do mobile apps help small businesses? - October 10, 2019
- Top 15 Mobile App Ideas For 2020 - October 1, 2019
- Top 15 Software Development Trends To Watch Out For In 2020 - September 18, 2019
Change is the only constant, be it any industry. There have been significant technological advancements in the past few years. The industry is growing at a rapid pace and there are always better alternatives to the current technologies. The industry is looking for more, always adapting to new trends. Here is a list of top 15 software trends to look forward to in 2020 and beyond.
LOW CODE DEVELOPMENT
Coding has always been a thing of coders. Coding a new application or changing the codes for an existing app is difficult. Moreover, it’s a labour-centric and time-consuming process. Whereas Low-code development simplifies the process with it’s drag and drop pre-built feature. Also, it has its own set of advantages like low learning curve, no resource constraints and lower time-to-market. And most importantly it gives an opportunity to the non-programmers and citizen developers.
CLOUD COMPUTING
The evolution of cloud computing will continue in 2020. Cloud service providers Google, AWS and Microsoft Azure are promoting serverless paradigm for computing. The enterprises are embracing the hybrid and serverless cloud architectures to lower the operational costs and to support different applications. Also, several open source frameworks have geared up and are revolutionizing the way enterprise software applications are developed on the cloud.
PROGRESSIVE WEB APPS
It’s very likely that progressive web apps will be growing and would be a trend in 2020. These apps lie somewhere between mobile applications and web applications. They seamlessly provide the best user-experience across all devices, as these apps are much easier to develop and maintain than the standard mobile apps. Moreover, browser script enables offline functionality, smart caching, background updating, push notifications etc. which helps a site load faster after the first visit.
MIXED REALITY
Many people believe that the scopes for AR and VR are limited to gaming and entertainment. But the fact that the US army and Walmart are using this technology for training purposes is making many companies invest in their own AR application(s). Mixed reality is a combination of twin technologies of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). And it is gradually making its market in the industry.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI has been around since 1956 and is widely used. It has already received a lot of buzz in recent years and continues to be a trend in the industry. Last year there were many use cases of AI like automatic voice calls, transcription of voicemails, digital assistants and even self-driving cars on the road. 2020 will also witness huge involvement of AI as many companies, like Coca Cola, are considering the implementation of AI to analyze company’s data and support new product development.
IOT
Internet of Things covers all the devices connected to the internet. IoT has been buzzing in the industry from quite some time. In the area of safety and customer experience, IoT is witnessing exponential growth. Also, research says that every second, 127 new devices are getting connected to the internet. In 2020, over 90% of all automobiles will be IOT enabled – moreover, there are already 26.66 billion devices as of now. Definitely IOT has a huge scope and will continue to be a trend.
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE TRENDS
JavaScript and its various frameworks are widely used by the full stack developers. A survey shows that 71.5% are already using JavaScript. And this number will continue to grow as languages are being used to build hybrid mobile applications. Github says JavaScript is a programming language with the maximum number of contributors in the public and private repositories, organizations and every region of the world. In 2020 and beyond, JavaScript is surely going to dominate other languages in the frontend and backend.
SINGLE PAGE APPLICATIONS
Requirements change with time. Today no one really looks for an application loaded with too many features. People generally like something with simple UX/UI and friendly interface. Currently, single page applications are becoming more popular. These pages allow you to load single HTML page, updates dynamically and refreshes while interacting. Definitely something people would continue to prefer!
5G
It is something which is already in the news and people are looking forward to it. 5G-ready smartphones are due to release, which will increase the download speeds over mobile networks and provide much faster internet services than 4G. Also, it is predicted that 5G will accelerate the development of the Internet Of Things, virtual and augmented reality mobile apps, drones and many other things.
ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION
RPA is used to automate business processes such as interpreting applications, processing applications, processing transactions, replying to mail and dealing with data. RPA automates the repetitive tasks and it’s already automating jobs. While RPA is taking over the jobs more than 230 million people, it is also creating jobs as only 5% of occupations can be totally automated. In the coming years, there will be great career opportunities for project managers, business analysts, solution architects and consultants.
EDGE COMPUTING
No doubt cloud computing has become the mainstream with huge players in the ground like AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. The adoption of cloud computing is still growing – but there are some shortcomings. Edge computing is designed to help solve such problems. It can used to process time-sensitive data in remote areas with limited connectivity. In the coming year, it will increase the number of devices connected to the internet. And by 2020, edge computing market is expected to reach $6.72 billion.
OUTSOURCING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
This might be a trend beneficial for freelance developers. The industry is growing and the software development requirements are increasing in all domains. Businesses are now looking for full-stack developers in fields like software development, healthcare software development and e-learning. Though this is not something very widely recommended, but it might prove to be a trend in the coming years giving more opportunities to the freelancers.
CODE QUALITY
With low code development spreading it roots in the contemporary software development industry, the code quality is also coming into focus. The area of code trend is becoming an area of focus. Thanks to low code development, companies are hiring non-technical employees for programming software. But the quality of code is the primary concern. Every company starts with a strong strategy for development to ensure best coding is done.
BaaS
BaaS (Blockchain as a service) allows developers to link their apps to a cloud-enabled backend space. It is used by many businesses and enterprises. Also, it enables features like push notifications, managing users on the app and connecting to third-party cloud services. The scope is high as people are looking forward to more such features.
INSTANT APPS
Instant apps are getting very popular since quite some time. Even the businesses are finding it useful as it helps the iOS and Android developers achieve better conversion rates. Apps like Hollar and NYTimes have managed to increase their conversion rate somewhere by 30%, by using instant mobile applications. Moreover, they don’t eat up space in your smartphones and provide all the functionality of a website. In 2020, we will be seeing more instant apps emerging for all individuals, developers and businesses.
Technology is evolving so are the trends. Microservices, cybersecurity, wearable devices and software security will also gain further momentum in the coming years. Also, the trends of the industry will be changing according to the business and customer requirements.