Low-code/no-code platforms have gained a lot of attention as a way to meet the growing demands of software development as digital transformation continues apace.
These platforms are designed to streamline app development with intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built templates, enabling non-technical users to build custom applications and integrations without writing code. make
Growth for platforms continues at a rapid pace, largely due to enterprise-wide hyper-automation and composable business initiatives. According to Gartner research, the global market for low-code development technologies is expected to reach $26.9 billion this year, up 19.6% from 2022.
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Low-code/no-code platforms offer many advantages, but they are not without their share of obstacles and challenges. Tools can create a low-code/no-code vendor dependency. While the technology has seen an increase in simple workflow integration with cloud services, it can stumble as more complex projects are undertaken. Security and governance of low-code implementations can be delayed as citizen developers rapidly launch applications.
Still, the low-code/no-code paradigm gains momentum.
Demystifying Low Code/Code: The Reality Behind the Hype
Low-code/no-code platforms have existed in various forms for decades, but only in recent years have they gained such widespread popularity. This popularity can be attributed to the increasing digital transformation, which has led businesses to adopt cloud-based platforms and services. Low-code/no-code platforms provide accessible solutions for businesses that want to develop and integrate custom applications without investing in more developers.
“The low-code market has evolved because of the ability to connect with more tools and technologies,” Jessica D’Oliveira, an analyst at research and advisory firm Forrester, told VentureBeat. “Standard capabilities have not changed but user experiences, data management and process automation have gone deeper.”
D’Oliveira said the code is effective for companies of any size. But companies must embrace digital transformation, and be prepared to adjust their organizations to adopt low-code practices.
He said the needs of businesses and developers are the same across the enterprise and startup/small business segments of the market. In fact, developer tools are undergoing the same evolution currently seen in tools for business users.
“Low-code/no-code platforms are rapidly maturing, growing to integrate with other technologies in the field of artificial intelligence called Turing bots that build apps for you. It’s only low-code/ Not changing the code, but development for all methods,” explained D’Oliveira.
According to Shivanathan, founder and CEO of application development platform Onimos, low-code/no-code has become more modern and accessible over the past decade. Still, he advises caution.
The workflow looks for low-code/no-code paths.
“Low code/no code is particularly attractive during the peak part of the economic cycle, when software projects, and therefore software engineers, are in high demand,” Nathan told VentureBeat. Driving low-code/no-code interest is the need for more tech talent, where new tooling models typically help.
But one effort stands out right now: These tools have found their greatest uptake in workflow automation programs, Nathan points out.
“Workflow automation platforms are also low-code/no-code, and most sales and marketing teams today are leveraging them to automate their campaigns or poll their customer bases,” he said. ,” They said. “Pragmatists can bet that low code/no code will not be a good tool for use cases like these.”
Similarly, James Glover, general manager of AI at personalized marketing platform Movable Inc., said a major misconception is that adopting a low-code/no-code platform will automatically improve content production and marketability. Any known inefficiencies will be removed.
While this will certainly help in these cases, organizations still need a clear roadmap on how they will integrate these technologies into their existing tech ecosystem and what the impact will be on their customers.
“It’s important to note that low-code solutions won’t completely eliminate positions within the organization. The most successful companies understand that adopting low-code solutions empowers their staff, not them. place,” Glover told VentureBeat. “Another misconception is that it takes a massive implementation cycle to get there. That’s not the case – [these solutions] are implemented faster than people think.
Glover added that these platforms are capable of personalization, and personalization is proven to drive mass lift.
“Because it’s automated and contains no code, you can run clear A/B tests that demonstrate the lift of a codeless automated solution over more traditional methods. Improve measurement capabilities and increase revenue.” So using these platforms are key ways for CTOs and CEOs to get the most out of these solutions.
What is driving the low-code/no-code movement?
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a major shift towards a digital-first approach for many businesses. Low-code/no-code platforms offer a solution to these critical changes by enabling rapid deployment of applications, often in weeks, much faster than developing them from scratch. This is especially important for small and medium-sized businesses that lack the budget for traditional large-scale development efforts.
Critics argue that these platforms limit the customization of applications and often result in a product that does not fully meet the needs of the business. But a technology manager at a leading business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services provider believes this narrow view overlooks important benefits.
Balikrishna DR, popularly known as Bali, Executive Vice President and Global Head of AI, Automation and ECS at Infosys, said that he believes that low-code/no-code platforms are the key to the current technological advancements. More are becoming prominent.
“Low-code/no-code allows organizations to improve business agility and cost by evolving verticals – including experiential design, digital experience and application platforms, digital process automation, enterprise productivity, and data science and AI,” Bali told VentureBeat.
Infosys has seen these benefits since it helped create low-code mobile regulatory compliance tools for sales and relationship managers at a leading U.K. commercial and business banking services provider, Bali said. With more than 7,000 managers in 58 countries using the platform, the company reduced administrative staff costs by 50-60% and increased app adoption by 30% in less than five months, he said. What did
Another under-resourced resource in many low-code/no-code platforms is the ability to seamlessly integrate with other tools and technologies, such as project management tools, CRMs and databases. This makes it easier for businesses to develop end-to-end solutions.
Best practices indicate long-term success.
Low-code/no-code platforms are not without limitations. For one thing, as with every technology, security and data privacy concerns still loom large.
“Decentralizing application development for business customers introduces the risk of spreading applications into environments that don’t meet company standards,” said David McIntyre, director of engagement for application managed services at Capgemini Americas. Applications that are implemented without following proper development standards may face security or regulatory compliance issues in the environment.
McIntire recommends that companies study the potential risks associated with the platform and define standards and governance for the use of the platform, before releasing it to non-professional developers.
“Dedicate time at the start of the engagement to defining the structures and processes that govern the use of the platform,” McIntyre told VentureBeat. “Defining training requirements for citizen developers, standards around security and data, delivery processes and review processes for new applications are all key to using low code/no code so that time-to-market and Application quality can be balanced.”
Similarly, Liran Hassan, CEO and cofounder of AI model monitoring platform Aporia, said allowing departments outside of core R&D access to building automation through low-code/no-code platforms would have led to higher efficiency and productivity. Is. But Hassan acknowledged “the security side of adopting these tools with minimal standardization, especially when it comes to permissions and misconfigurations.”
“To counter these fears,” Hassan said, “build the right infrastructure and equip your security teams with the visibility to easily assess the benefits of these tools versus the risk.”
Haasan gets to the heart of the matter by saying that it is easier to educate and teach non-technical staff to use the app than to learn computer science.
He said that this movement is nothing less than the next step to democratize software engineering.