2019 was an eventful year as far as software development is concerned. A lot of aspects that were predicted by techies, industry veterans, subject-matter experts and tech bloggers in 2018 came true. If you could recollect, 2019 was all about single-page websites, where JavaScript completely powered these dynamic websites and replaced the heavier traditional ones.
This was also the year companies and businesses realized the importance of mobiles and reshuffled their strategies to take a mobile-first approach. IoT started becoming mainstream and a lot of developments happened with sensors and scanners. Progressive web apps rolled out and bridged the gap between websites and native apps. Artificial intelligence came to the forefront and became the fulcrum of major advancements and a lot more happened.
But what’s more interesting is that 2020 promises to be even bigger for software development. When we started with our research, we were surprised to find the corners it led us to. This post is all about shedding light on the insights we managed to gather on software development trends that will be continued in 2020.
More Artificial Intelligence
As a developer, it sometimes feels exhilarating to just realize that a concept introduced almost half a century back is still mainstream and in fact, shaping our future. With Artificial Intelligence, I believe things are just starting up and in 2020, they will only get bigger and better. Big data made it possible for artificial intelligence to be deployed in companies of all sizes and now they are all adopting this technology in creative and practical ways to make profits and deliver a better user experience.
A report also claimed that 84 percent of the companies felt that the adoption of AI gave them a significant edge over their competitors. Custom software development companies are going the extra mile in incorporating this technology into their projects. In 2020, we could see more of AI combined with other technologies like virtual and augmented reality, chatbots and more.
Further Automation
Automation was more of a threat than a buzzword in 2019. With a lot of speculations claiming that automation was the cause for job losses, a lot of people failed to understand the newer and more lucrative job opportunities automation has created in the market. In 2020, this trend will continue.
With the global economic downturn, Guy Kirkwood – UiPath’s chief evangelist – revealed that this downturn will pave the way for more automation adoption. He also shared that education institutions will incorporate AI and automation in their course curricular. While we will still be going to work on a daily basis, automation will become more advanced and not just be restricted to reminding your refrigerator’s servicing time. Automation will allow bots to write code by themselves, be adopted into precision engineering, fight counterfeit medicines and more.
Instant Apps
Instant apps became a rage in 2019 though they were introduced in 2016. The further market penetration of the internet even in rural areas across the world probably made companies realize the importance of an advanced yet minimalistic app. These apps do not have to be downloaded and are much smaller in file size when compared to their native counterparts. With companies that incorporated instant apps also reporting a significant increase in their conversion and engagement rates, these apps will continue to rule the market in 2020.
Rise Of Python
The fact that this programming language was behind one of the most significant breakthroughs in 2019 – capturing the image of a black hole – is enough to claim that python will dominate the development sector in the coming months. In short, Python is becoming omnipresent. If you didn’t know, Python’s popularity has increased from 5% to 10% in 2019. Machine learning experts, data scientists, developers, and more love Python and it is also anticipated that it will bridge the gap between C and Java.
React Native and Hybrid App Development
One of the major advantages of React is that they can be written once and run everywhere. With Facebook using React Native to build their own app, companies into developing hybrid apps will make more use of React amidst other hybrid app development frameworks. The market currently has frameworks like Ionic, Xamarin, Flutter, and others, but React Native is what is anticipated to dominate this sector in the year 2020.
Outsourcing Development Projects
Project outsourcing has been increasing at a fast rate over the last couple of years. For those of you who didn’t know, the outsourcing sector in the IT industry is expected to prosper at a compound annual growth rate of 4.42%. In the coming months, more projects will be outsourced to companies across the globe. Businesses will focus more on marketing and other aspects of a product than operations and development.
This is also why we would see a spike in custom software development services. These companies are approached for the development of apps and products that come with specific requirements. Developers and professionals these companies recruit are skilled, experienced and most importantly, relevant. From staying at par with development trends to creating a few, these companies go the extra mile to ensure businesses have the best product in their hands to roll out in the market.
So, these are the trends that will continue to rule in 2020. Let us know on the comments if you feel there’s a different aspect of software development that would trend in the new decade.
