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14 Feb 2024

Want To Enhance Time-To-Market And Innovate Faster With Low-Code?

Witness improved time-to-market and higher agility to revolutionize your business operations with our end-to-end low-code app development offerings.

Want To Boost Agility & Innovation By Creating Low Code Apps?

Leverage our Microsoft Power Platform capabilities to build custom app solutions catering to your unique business needs.

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Low-Code Mobile App Development Guide to Build Robust Apps

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Develop cross-platform apps with low-code mobile app development platform. Explore benefits, features, challenges & more in this low-code app development guide.

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Founding member at Prophecy.io. Passionate about bridging the gap between business and technology. Twitter: Introduction .
Macroeconomic conditions demand more efficiency and productivity. It's about accomplishing more with less. It's about smart work versus hard work. Hard work is putting in several hours or even days of blood, sweat and tears to accomplish a milestone, whereas smart work is quantity and quality together instead of quantity over quality.

Let's take the example of low-code programming to understand this. Today, coders can build highly flexible apps using low-code tools and platforms. Whether enterprises want to simplify the app development process or build a new app, low-code development paired with automated processes has changed app development.

Not too long ago, IT professionals had gotten used to facing endless challenges. With low-code solutions, enterprises have a great opportunity to build cost-effective and accurate apps and minimize potential difficulties. Low-code development efforts tie together with a company's available resources.

Collectively, when companies spend less money on professional development efforts, it paves the way for more innovation and additional capabilities. Low-code tools allow business users and developers to make their digital ecosystems more robust. These digital systems are things like applications, data platforms, machine learning models, etc.

In the context of macroeconomics, low-code development efforts help enterprises:

* Improve the customer experience: Contrary to naive misconception, low-code platforms don't just apply to IT organizations. In fact, one of the main benefits of low-code development is that it works wonders with speed and renders a superior customer experience. Through low-code development efforts, enterprises can quickly adapt to new customer needs and market trends.

* Decrease costs: Low-code tools help companies to build applications with less cost and time. On top of this macroeconomic driver, low code also cuts out the need to hire more developers and helps enterprises save hiring costs. Apart from the IT department, low-code tools can make different aspects of an organization productive.

* Increase agility: With low-code tools, enterprises can create new app capabilities for users and maintain operations in the digital space. Consequently, it improves the functionality of apps across different devices. With improved agility, enterprise users can access data and utilize collaboration apps for unique purposes.
Getting Started
* Provide effective risk governance and management: On a global scale, regulatory restrictions are getting more rigid than ever. With low-code tools, organizations can make quick changes and keep up with the current regulatory requirements. Low-code development allows enterprises to make new changes easily. And enterprise users can make changes to apps instantly, making it easier to adapt to new regulatory requirements.

There are various tools in the low-code space that addresses app development, data transformation and other use cases where developers don't need to code. There are a few important things to look out for when selecting these tools: vendor lock-in, extensibility and self-serve.
Conclusion
It's important not to get locked into a vendor solution where you have no way to get out without paying a hefty price in the form of time and money. Whatever low-code platform you are researching should come with a framework or SDK where your team should be able to develop new features without waiting on a vendor-in other words, the solution should be extendable. And finally, self-server is very important to make sure that there is not an expensive learning curve while using the tool.

With low-code development, companies can eliminate conventional complexities and build modern business applications. But removing hurdles from the process of building apps does not translate into smooth sailing. Low-code tools help organizations quickly adapt to new business conditions.

Data transformation has become essential for enterprises in the tech-driven and digital age. In the light of macroeconomics, low code renders faster data transformation.

As you can see, low code is used as an example to get to the point of focusing more on smart work. I recommend reading this Forbes article on the future of work.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: How Low-Code Development Helps Enterprises

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Data transformation has become essential for enterprises in the tech-driven and digital age. In the light of macroeconomics, low code renders faster data transformation.

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Low Code Development is revolutionizing the way software applications are built and delivered to the market. With the increasing demand for tools that facilitate digital transformation and the need for faster time to market, Low code development has become a game-changer in the software development industry. Low code empowers developers, business analysts, and non-technical users to build complex and sophisticated applications with minimal coding effort and in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.

In this post, we will dive into the world of Low code development and explore its benefits, use cases, and the future of this exciting technology. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting out, we will give you a comprehensive understanding of Low code and how it can help you streamline your software development process.

"Low Code is not just a tool, it's a change in the way we think about building software."

- Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.

What is low code development and why is it important?

Low Code Development is a software development approach that enables the creation of applications using visual models and minimal manual coding, reducing the time and effort required for development. It is important because it helps organizations to speed up the development process, increase efficiency, and reduce the time-to-market for their applications, enabling them to quickly respond to changing business requirements and stay ahead in a fast-paced digital landscape. Low Code Development also empowers non-technical users, such as business analysts and subject matter experts, to participate in the development process, making it a more collaborative and inclusive approach to software development.

Low Code Development platforms typically use visual models to represent different elements of an application, such as workflows, forms, dashboards, and data models. Here are some common examples of low code visual models:

UI prototypes - A visual representation of the user interface, including the layout, design, and user experience of an application.

These visual models allow developers to quickly and easily understand and modify the underlying logic of an application, without having to write complex code. They also facilitate collaboration and communication between technical and non-technical stakeholders, enabling everyone to work together to build better applications, faster.

What is the difference between low-code and no-code platforms?

Low-code and No-code platforms are both software development approaches that aim to reduce the amount of manual coding required to build applications. The major difference between the two is the level of coding involved:

Low-code platforms: These platforms allow developers to build applications using visual models, reducing the amount of manual coding required but still allowing some coding to be done when necessary. Low-code platforms are typically used by professional developers to speed up the development process and increase efficiency.
Examples of Low-code platforms are:
No-code platforms: These platforms eliminate the need for manual coding altogether, enabling non-technical users to build applications using drag-and-drop interfaces and pre-built templates. No-code platforms are designed for individuals who don't have a technical background, allowing them to build applications without having to learn how to code.
Examples of No-code platforms are:
"Low Code is the future of application development. It enables organizations to rapidly build, test, and deploy applications with a much faster time to value."

- Paul Daugherty, CTO of Accenture.

Demand for Low Code Development: A Look at Industry Growth Trends

The following statistics provide insight into the growth trends of Low Code Development in the enterprise:

In 2022, Market size: According to research by Grand View Research, The global low-code development platform market size is expected to reach USD 35.2 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 22.9% from 2022 to 2030.

According to a recent report by Forrester, the global Low Code Development market is expected to grow from $10.3 billion in 2020 to $45.2 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.2%.

Additionally, a study by Gartner reports that the Low-Code Development Technologies Market to Grow 23% in 2021.

These statistics demonstrate that Low Code Development is becoming increasingly popular among enterprises, as businesses seek to modernize their technology stacks and respond to changing customer and market demands.

Why developers that love to code should also embrace low-code application development

While you may enjoy coding and find it rewarding, Low-code platforms can still offer several benefits even for experienced developers:

Support for Agile Development: Low-code platforms are ideal for Agile development, allowing you to rapidly iterate and make changes to applications as needed, making it easier to keep up with changing business requirements.

"Low Code is an essential tool for companies looking to rapidly deliver digital solutions that drive business growth.Its visual, drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for non-technical users to build complex apps, reducing the need for specialized development skills and freeing up developers to focus on more strategic initiatives."

- John Rymer, Vice President and Principal Analyst at Forrester Research

What applications are ideally suited to low-code development?

Non-Technical Stakeholder Involvement: Low-code platforms allow non-technical stakeholders, such as business analysts and subject matter experts, to be involved in the development process, resulting in better collaboration and a more inclusive approach to software development.

Are there low code platforms for back-end developers and front-end developers?

Low Code Development platforms can be used by both backend developers and frontend developers, depending on their role and expertise.

Back-end developers typically use Low Code platforms to automate and streamline the development of server-side logic, such as business logic, data access, and integrations with external systems. Low Code platforms often provide visual models and pre-built templates for common backend tasks, such as connecting to databases, integrating with APIs, and implementing security and authentication.

Front-end developers typically use Low Code platforms to create custom UI components, build and customize forms, and create responsive and interactive dashboards and user interfaces. Low Code platforms often provide visual tools and pre-built templates for creating and customizing user interfaces, as well as built-in support for responsive design, accessibility, and other frontend best practices.

In short, Low Code platforms can be used by both backend and frontend developers to streamline the development process and focus on what they do best - delivering high-quality, innovative applications.

What are the top low code platforms for backend development?

Here are some of the top Low Code Development platforms for back-end development:

Martini - Martini, the highest rated iPaaS on G2, is ideally suited to building API centric backends that use data sources such as SQL and NoSQL databases, SaaS apps, and custom line of business applications. It also works seamlessly with Bellini for building low code frontend applications.

These platforms provide a wide range of tools and features for automating and streamlining backend development, including visual models, templates, pre-built connectors, and drag-and-drop functionality. Whether you are building custom business applications, integrating with enterprise systems, or automating complex processes, these platforms can help you get the job done faster, with less code and more confidence.

"Low Code frontend development enables companies to quickly and easily build beautiful, responsive user interfaces without having to write a single line of code. This speeds up the development process, reduces costs, and enhances the overall user experience."

- Sarah Johnson, UX Designer at Google

What are the top low code platforms for frontend development?

Here are some of the top Low Code Development platforms for frontend development:

Bellini - Bellini is a leading low code application for building frontend applications, dashboards, and reports. It takes an API centric approach to application development that allows developers to bind user interface components to the operation of a source API.

These platforms provide a wide range of tools and features for automating and streamlining front-end development, including visual models, templates, pre-built components, and drag-and-drop functionality. Whether you are building custom web and mobile applications, creating custom user interfaces, or automating complex processes, these platforms can help you get the job done faster, with less code and more confidence.

Can I build a native mobile app using a Low-Code Platform?

Yes, most low code platforms provide a visual drag-and-drop interface that allows users to build native mobile applications with little to no coding required. Low-Code platforms also come with pre-built templates and components that can be used to quickly create common application elements, such as forms, workflows, and dashboards.

However, it is still important to have some basic understanding of the underlying technology, such as APIs, data structures and database design, to build a robust and scalable application. Additionally, some customizations and more complex functionality may still require coding, but the amount of code required is significantly reduced compared to traditional development methods.

Low-Code Development is here to stay

Low Code Development is an innovative approach to software development that enables businesses to build and deploy applications faster, with less manual coding required. With its drag-and-drop interface and pre-built templates, Low Code Development makes it possible for non-technical users to build applications without writing code. Additionally, it allows developers to focus on more complex tasks and reduces the likelihood of coding errors, resulting in more accurate and reliable applications.

The benefits of Low Code Development are many, including increased productivity, faster time-to-market, better collaboration, improved accuracy, cost savings, and support for Agile development. Low-Code platforms are ideally suited for rapid prototyping, Agile development, time-sensitive projects, business process automation, custom application development, and involving non-technical stakeholders in the development process.

In an increasingly competitive business landscape, Low Code Development provides businesses with a competitive advantage by enabling them to quickly and effectively respond to changing business requirements and deliver innovative applications that meet the needs of their customers. Whether you are a developer, business analyst, or subject matter expert, Low Code Development is a valuable tool that should be considered as part of your technology toolkit.

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Revolutionizing software development: the power of low code platforms

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Discover the advantages of utilizing Low Code Development for your next project. Learn about the top low code platforms for front-end and back-end development and how they can help streamline the app building process. Read now to find out more.

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Software development has traditionally been a complex and time-consuming process that requires specialized technical expertise. However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of low-code and no-code development platforms. These platforms allow users to create applications, automate workflows, and build websites without the need for extensive coding knowledge. The rise of these platforms has been driven by a need for faster, more efficient software development, and a desire to democratize the process of creating software.

What are Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms?

Low-code development platforms offer an easy way for developers to build applications more quickly by abstracting away much of the manual coding that would otherwise be required. Instead of writing code line by line, developers can use pre-built components and drag-and-drop tools to create custom workflows and interfaces. This saves time and reduces errors, allowing developers to focus on higher-level tasks like designing the user experience.

No-code development platforms take the concept even further, allowing users with no coding experience to build applications and automate workflows. These platforms typically offer a library of pre-built templates and components that can be assembled with simple drag-and-drop tools. While they may not be as powerful as low-code platforms, no-code platforms are ideal for users who want to automate simple tasks or create basic websites without needing to learn how to code.

Difference Between Low-Code & No-Code

Benefits of Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms

The benefits of low-code and no-code development platforms are many. They allow businesses to develop software faster, more efficiently, and with less reliance on specialized technical expertise. This can lead to cost savings and increased agility, allowing companies to respond more quickly to changing business needs. Additionally, low-code and no-code platforms can help to democratize the process of creating software, making it accessible to a wider range of people.

One of the key benefits of low-code and no-code platforms is their ability to improve collaboration between technical and non-technical teams. In traditional software development, there is often a significant gap between the development team and other stakeholders such as business analysts, project managers, and end-users. Low-code and no-code platforms bridge this gap by allowing non-technical users to participate in the software development process. This leads to better communication and collaboration between different teams, resulting in software that better meets the needs of the business.

Low-code and no-code platforms also offer greater flexibility than traditional software development. With these platforms, it is easier to make changes to the software and to adapt to changing business requirements. This means that companies can respond more quickly to new opportunities and challenges, giving them a competitive advantage in their respective markets.

Examples of Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms

There are many low-code and no-code development platforms available on the market today. Here are some popular examples:

1. Microsoft Power Apps: A low-code platform that enables users to build custom applications for web and mobile devices using pre-built templates and components.

2. Google AppSheet: A no-code platform that allows users to build mobile and web applications by assembling pre-built components using a visual interface.

3. Bubble: A low-code platform that allows users to build web applications by dragging and dropping pre-built components onto a canvas.

4. Zapier: A no-code platform that enables users to automate workflows between different apps and services by creating simple "Zaps" that connect them together.

5. Airtable: A no-code platform that allows users to create custom databases and automate workflows using pre-built templates and components.

Choosing the Right Platform

When choosing a low-code or no-code development platform, it is important to consider a number of factors. These include the platform's ease of use, the availability of pre-built components and templates, its scalability and extensibility, and its integration capabilities with other systems and services.

Ease of use is an important consideration, especially for no-code platforms, as these are designed for users with no coding experience. Look for platforms that offer intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces and clear documentation and tutorials.

The availability of pre-built components and templates can also be a major time-saver, especially for low-code platforms. Make sure the platform offers a wide variety of components that can be easily customized to fit your specific needs.

Scalability and extensibility are important considerations for any software development platform. Look for platforms that can easily accommodate changes to your application over time, as well as platforms that can integrate with other systems and services as needed.

Finally, consider the cost of the platform and any associated fees. Some low-code and no-code platforms may be free or offer a low cost of entry, but may charge additional fees for advanced features or scalability.

In conclusion, the rise of low-code and no-code development platforms has been driven by a need for faster, more efficient software development, and a desire to democratize the process of creating software. These platforms offer many benefits, including improved collaboration, greater flexibility, and cost savings. When choosing a platform, consider factors such as ease of use, availability of pre-built components and templates, scalability and extensibility, integration capabilities, and cost. With the right platform, businesses can accelerate their software development efforts and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets.

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The Rise of Low-Code and No-Code Development Platforms: Benefits and Considerations

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Software development has traditionally been a complex and time-consuming process that requires specialized technical expertise. However, in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of low-code and no-code development platforms.

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Low-code Development: How is it Changing the Software Industry?

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Discover what is low code development and what impact it will have on the software industry. Learn about applications and use cases.

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Low-Code | A Complete Guide to Low Code Development [Wiki]

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Low-Code Wiki- Low-Code is a technology to create applications with a less manual effort by offering blocks of pre-built code to build programs with a drag-and-drop and visual interface. Get a complete guide to Low Code Development here.

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Businesses thrive by tightening work cycles and driving value. Meanwhile, experienced developers and teams are committed to long-term project roadmaps. At this intersection is the rise of low-code software development initiatives, tools and techniques.

Low-code is a visual, highly abstracted, largely automated approach to software development that defines desired tasks at a high level and then relies on tools to generate much of the underlying code base. Professional developers and line of business (LOB) staff understand business problems can use low-code concepts and practices to tackle a wide range of everyday programming chores. This can free developer teams to focus on larger and more complex projects.

How does low-code work?

Conventional software development has long been a painstaking and detailed effort. Developers write individual lines of code that represent instructions and data. They organize that code into functional routines and modules that provide the software's features and functionality.

This approach demands detailed knowledge of aspects across the application development spectrum: development languages, development environments such as integrated development environments and compilers, testing and deployment tools, and the various policies and practices used to approach coding, testing and deployment.

By comparison, low-code technology abstracts and encapsulates much of the programming knowledge otherwise needed to create software. Rather than write individual lines of code, users select from a menu of reusable functional components through a drag-and-drop visual interface. They arrange and organize the available functional components to form the intended software flow, similar to creating a flow chart to approach a business problem or task. Users can easily add, move or delete functional components to build the final process. At that point, the low-code tool incorporates the underlying code and support tasks, such as testing and deployment.

The main benefit of low-code development vs. traditional app development is cost and time savings, which can enable an enterprise to deliver some products and features faster and for less money. There are many reasons a business should continue to use conventional development models, especially for complex or specialized enterprise software. Many projects demand functions and operations, such as optimized performance, that do not fit easily into low-code approaches, and the amount of work to create and modify low-code to meet those requirements can't be justified.

Low-code vs. no-code: Low-code techniques can simplify and accelerate many everyday business programming tasks, but low-code is not designed nor intended to eliminate all coding. Many low-code projects require some amount of programming knowledge, either to modify existing functional components or create new ones, and assemble components in specific ways that a low-code tool may not accommodate.

Low-code and no-code systems are fundamentally identical, but there is a key difference: no-code aims to provide all of the intended features and functions and eliminate the need to add or modify components, which means users need no knowledge of programming or application design. No-code systems are typically seen as a subset of low-code platforms.

Low-code development principles

Low-code incorporates a high degree of automation, but the platforms and development processes are not automatic. Best results from low-code projects also depend on sound principles of business and technology.

Understand the low-code platform. Low-code platforms don't do the work for you. It's still important that all stakeholders, from developers to business analysts to project owners, participate in the evaluation, selection and use of the low-code platform. The time invested to learn the platform's features and capabilities will pay dividends when stakeholders can identify applications for low-code in future projects and potentially add more value to the initiative.

Avoid customization. The power of low-code is in its predefined components that are dragged and dropped into the workflow. Components are typically generic and fit many different use cases, but don't always address the needs of a programming task at hand. It's possible to modify existing components and add new ones, such as UI and visual design elements, but such customization increases development time and work (and cost), and can blunt the speed and simplicity that low-code technologies promise.

Generalize customizations. When an application needs customization, consider features from the context of high-level or common use goals. Design the customized component for potential reuse in other projects.

Don't overlook the team. The team that selects and uses a low-code platform must understand the requirements and business goals for the project at hand, even if those requirements may be simpler compared to traditional software projects. Product owners and other key stakeholders should be available to answer questions and review builds in rapid low-code environments.

Keep business in the lead. Low-code makes it easy to iterate and experiment with new or different features and functions. Still, a project plan and roadmap can be valuable to keep a low-code development on-track. Test and review builds early and often, and involve business stakeholders for any changes to requirements and features.

More organizations have adopted low-code platforms, within and across central IT and IT situated in business units, to shift innovations closer to desired business outcomes.

What are the benefits of low-code development?

Low-code development offers many benefits to a business:

Accelerated development speed. It's a significant effort to write individual lines of code and master complex syntax. Low-code allows practitioners to assemble complex ideas and workflows as packaged functions or components, arranged in a convenient visual interface. This can also speed future updates and iterations of the project.

Broader staff availability. Skilled developer talent is at a premium in most enterprises. Low-code allows less-skilled programmers (or even non-programmers) to participate in the software development process -- they possess a clear knowledge of the business goals at hand. Any required customization or hand-coding can often be accomplished with less support from professional developers.

Improved efficiency. Businesses can use low-code to create tools for individual departments. For example, HR may want a tool to help model or forecast salaries and benefits to make better payroll decisions.

Lower-cost innovation. Similarly, businesses can experiment with ideas that might be costly or time-consuming with traditional development -- for example, creating a tool for marketing units to analyze advertising campaign spending versus response and determine the most efficient ways to reach customers.

Accommodation of niche projects. Low-code can accommodate narrow applications and small user bases quickly and cost-effectively. For example, a business might not budget for the development of a tool used only in a finance department, but low-code might provide an attractive option.

Management for performance, governance and compliance. Low-code platforms typically track and manage the software project and its associated elements. This makes it easier for the business to maintain control over development and set guidelines that help ensure business governance and compliance. Low-code platforms also usually provide instrumentation, analytics and reporting that can help gather important details about a project's performance and utilization, which can help teams plan updates and troubleshoot.

Low-code and enterprise digital transformation

Today, every enterprise needs a digital strategy, a blueprint that describes how to apply digital technologies and services to support business goals, create or enable new goals, improve business performance or re-create business processes -- often in ways that were impractical or impossible without digital technologies. A comprehensive digital strategy can fundamentally change policies, priorities, investments and long-term goals across an enterprise.

Low-code aligns with digital transformation strategies because many of these efforts involve software development projects that low-code can accommodate or even accelerate. Examples include user portals, mobile applications and business tooling.

One of these areas is business process management (BPM), which usually involves manual paper-based business processes, analyses and time-consuming managerial approvals. Businesses embrace BPM methods, such as a BPM platform, to help organize and analyze business data, evaluate budgets, streamline approvals and more. Low-code and BPM complement one another -- BPM functions can be added as low-code initiatives, and some BPM tools offer low-code abstractions when digitizing business processes.

Of course, low-code is only part of a digital transformation strategy. It also requires strong collaboration between teams of business and technology leaders to understand the business, identify digital products and opportunities that best suit the organization's needs, and evaluate and introduce various technologies.

What are the challenges of low-code development?

While low-code approaches and tools make compelling arguments for enterprise use, low-code also presents some significant disadvantages:

Knowledge beyond the tools. Low-code is not a way to skate around skilled staff and a well-designed infrastructure -- apps built with reliable code require knowledge of enterprise software development and business practices. Enterprises that ask individuals who lack programming knowledge to take on enterprise-level programming tasks can actually spend more to fix bad code than if they'd crafted good code from the start.

Inefficient and unoptimized code. When code is abstracted into generic, reusable components, it can create underlying code that is bloated and excessive for the actual task at hand. It's easy to lose many of the potential optimizations that could reduce software size and improve performance. Quality, handwritten code can address such coding problems with efficiency and even elegance.

Complexity under the hood. Low-code's promise of simplicity is true when the resulting code functions as expected. What if it doesn't work or performs poorly? Is the application secure and consistent with the organization's compliance strategy? Someone within the organization must possess a comprehensive knowledge of what's happening under the hood of the low-code platform to understand underperformance, address errors or enforce software security and other coding standards.

Businesses can use low-code in a number of ways to improve app development and delivery, but there are some industry-specific benefits from using low-code as well.

Limited use cases. Low-code platforms effectively solve some business programming problems, but not all. It may stumble with many complex tasks, or require so much customization and integration that conventional software development approaches and tool sets are the better choice.

Potential vendor lock-in. When a team uses a low-code tool to create an app, the tool may produce code that is poorly documented and difficult to maintain outside of the tool. Evaluate a low-code tool's ability to export, access and edit code using other editors and software development tools.

What are low-code use cases and examples?

Once IT and the business-side identify and align the business goals with clear IT requirements, low-code projects can fill an array of potential opportunities. Common low-code applications include the following:

Web portals. Portals are common and popular means for customers to interact with businesses, find services or products, get quotes, check the availability of resources, schedule work or place orders, and make payments. Low-code can help to quickly create an array of portals with common front ends or user interfaces instead of manually coding HTML and back-end components.

Line-of-business systems. Businesses rely on LOB systems and apps to conduct everyday tasks. For example, a mortgage lending company adopts a system to organize mortgage documents and paperwork, integrate appraisals, and conduct credit checks and financial analyses of borrowers. Businesses often buy such a platform from a vendor or build it in-house using traditional coding processes. Low-code brings a third option to help businesses build and add adaptive and scalable applications, and even migrate them to single or multi-cloud deployments.

Digitized business processes. Traditional paper- or spreadsheet-based business processes are time-consuming and error-prone. Businesses can use low-code to create applications that gather required information, pass the information and requests through the company's approval process, deliver results to requesters and integrate with conventional business systems, such as ERP. For example, low-code can be used to streamline a capital request application.

Mobile apps. With low-code, a business can build a wide range of apps for mobile devices that present data and business interactions to customers. For example, an insurance company's mobile app lets customers file claims and upload documentation of an incident, such as collision photos, from their smartphones. Today's low-code platforms can assemble apps for both Android and iOS devices from the same project.

Microservices applications. A microservices architecture creates highly scalable applications from a series of independent components that communicate through APIs across a network. The components can be developed, deployed and maintained independently, which enables faster development and easier updates with less regression testing than conventional monolithic applications. Low-code is a viable platform for microservices-based components, to quickly create and re-imagine core applications for greater performance and stability, and to help to translate traditional legacy code into modern, agile microservices applications.

IoT-based apps. Businesses grapple with ways to derive meaningful business data from the volumes of sensors and real-world devices that make up the internet of things (IoT), and to monetize the resulting data or services. Businesses can use low-code to build apps and functions that integrate IoT endpoints and collect data, send IoT data through back-end computing infrastructures, and provide resulting data requests to internal or external customers. For example, a low-code horticultural application might use moisture and temperature sensors - combined with data about growing cycles and conditions - to automatically control indoor lighting and irrigation for cultivated crops.

Low-code vendors and software

The marketplace for low-code tools and platforms continues to mature and evolve. Many vendors combine low-code and no-code functions in a tool or platform. Businesses can choose from various cloud-native and third-party low-code products and platforms for uses that range from simple websites and mobile apps to enterprise-class application development. An incomplete list of current offerings is as follows:

AppGyver

Appian low-code platform

AWS Honeycode

Google AppSheet

Landen 2.0

Looker 7 business intelligence

Mendix low-code platform

Microsoft PowerApps

OutSystems application platform

Rintagi

Salesforce Lightning

ServiceNow

Sisense business intelligence

Skyve platform

VisionX

Wix Editor X

Yellowfin 9 business intelligence

Zoho Creator

A recent trend is the emergence of major enterprise and cloud vendors -- notably Amazon, Microsoft and Google -- to compete with more traditional low-code vendors such as OutSystems, Mendix, Appian and others. These large vendors have made significant investments to provide customers with deeper integrations to longstanding enterprise systems as well as cloud platform stacks.

Businesses should evaluate a low-code platform's specific capabilities and pay particular attention to how the low-code platform handles components. For example, the low-code tool's packaged models and components should closely map to the high-level building blocks and functional methodologies that the business already uses, which will reduce the need for changes and new custom components. A low-code tool might offer strong API support and integrate with traditional code projects -- but if the tool doesn't fit the use model, the customization work will negate the benefits.

An enterprise that determines it must develop new components should evaluate the ease and efficiency with which the customization engine creates new visual blocks or custom code. It's often better to create a new component than change an existing one since developers can ensure optimal and secure code for specific purposes or projects.

The future of low-code and the low-code platform market

The future for low-code development and platforms will largely build on the trends and behaviors that shaped 2020 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has placed a tremendous strain on development budgets, personnel availability and team dynamics. Many businesses have struggled to develop apps, portals, web forms and automated workflows because employees are now remote and less available.

Gartner predicted that the majority of application development will be low-code in the next several years, mostly for smaller-scale projects.

Low-code helps businesses fill this gap and build apps for specific business purposes with a wider range of IT and business participation. Low-code and no-code represented less than 25% of all application development in 2020 but will account for 75% of it by 2025, according to analyst firm Gartner. Over that same time frame, Gartner projected, annual revenues for low-code and no-code platforms will surge from a little over $9 billion to nearly $30 billion.

Low-code will benefit from automation capabilities realized from emerging technologies, including hyperautomation and AI. Hyperautomation -- the drive to automate every business function that can be automated -- will depend on the ready availability and reliability of low-code capabilities. Similarly, AI can play a key role in determining the business need and functional requirements for future low-code projects, such as what a low-code project must do and even how the project is built.

As low-code platforms evolve with more speed and automation, the need to ensure proper coding standards and manage defects (testing and bug fixes) will drive additional testing capabilities and push test automation deeper into the CI/CD pipeline.

Ultimately, the developer community must embrace the reality of low-code and low-code business strategies. Developers must learn low-code platforms and work more closely with low-code practitioners to extend and customize low-code components. This requires improved communication and collaboration skills, and the ability to interact with business personnel and even " citizen developers" to build future enterprise applications.

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What Is Low-Code? A Guide to Enterprise Low-Code App Development

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Explore how low-code development techniques and tools can help make enterprise developers more efficient, create and deliver apps and functionality more quickly, and contribute to broader digital transformation initiatives.