5 Software Development Trends for 2021

2020 has been a relatively good year for technology and software development. Companies such as Zoom witnessed record growth, and the sector saw relatively low levels of employment and a strong job market. Consequently, software developers have enjoyed a significant amount of job security that has been difficult to find amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does 2021 hold for the technology sector, though? Read on as we discuss the top software development trends for 2021.

1. The Rising Popularity of Low-Code/No-Code

Low-code software allows you to customize applications and software with a minimal amount of programming. In the case of no-code software, you can get fully customized software without having any knowledge of programming.

With digital transformation driving business continuity amid the pandemic, we can expect such software to rise in popularity in 2021. So far, tools such as QuickBase and Mendix have allowed non-technical individuals to harness the power of programming. This has been very useful for businesses that can hire a technical resource for digital transformation.

2. Emphasis on UX and CX Design

Data collection and analysis has proven to be pivotal for businesses in strategy development and process improvement. One way to collect data is to deliver a seamless user experience and customer experience that win over customers and encourage them to share their information with you.

Consequently, companies must develop better UX and CX for their website and applications to encourage more data sharing. We expect businesses to focus on this aspect in 2021 to ensure robust data collection, analysis and improvement.

3. Increased Use of DevSecOps

This is another software technology trend likely to gain popularity in 2021. DevSecOps is a set of practices that offers more accountability for implementing security in an application. You can implement DevSecOps in the SDLC or the Software Development Lifecycle. This allows an organization to ensure proactive and customer-focused security based on anticipating instead of reacting to security threats. It also enables companies to reduce the cost of fixing security gaps and integrates security into every step of developing an application.

Since companies cannot appoint developers with access to every step of the development process, we can expect increased use of DevSecOps. It allows them to control security risks, lower costs and offer a better customer experience.

4. A Rise in Progressive Web Apps

A progressive web app is built using web technologies such as JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. It can work on any platform that utilizes a web browser and can be used on desktops and mobile devices.

Simply put, progressive web apps offer the best of both worlds. They combine the benefits of websites and mobile applications to offer a holistic solution. Companies do not have to build native iOS or Android applications and can use progressive web apps instead to save on development costs. Instead, their websites can be used as a mobile application. The use of this type of application also helps the avoid paying Apple and Google for in-app purchases and boost their revenues.

Given the benefits of this technology, we expect progressive web apps to become increasingly popular in 2021. They can allow companies to improve customer engagement and drive conversions in a cost-effective manner.

5. Use of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery

Continuous integration is the process of automatically integrating code changes from numerous contributors to a software project. The process utilizes automatic tools that affirm the new code’s correctness, followed by integration.

Continuous delivery allows you to get changes in configuration and features along with bug fixes deployed safely, quickly, and sustainably. It enables automated delivery into the hands of users and speeds up the overall process of integrating new code and deploying it.

Also known as CI and CD, Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery are very useful for testing teams as they get to the code faster. If the code cannot be integrated, it can be reverted to the developer automatically, and they can continue to make changes. The overall process greatly improves and accelerates the process of developing an idea for an application, creating and compiling code for it, and deploying it to initiate production.

Besides accelerating development, it also streamlines communication and helps companies save money. Given these benefits, we expect Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery to play an integral role in software development in 2021.

Wrapping It Up

From low-code and no-code and progressive web apps to CI, CD and increased use of DevSecOps, many software technology trends are likely to dominate the industry in 2021. For the most part, we can expect a growing emphasis on efficiency, automation, cost reduction, and easy digital transformation. We can also assume a high demand for software developers skilled in these areas.

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