Visually-Driven Development is the Future of Coding
Mark holds over 25 years of experience in successfully building profitable businesses and driving revenue growth.
Low-code tools is gaining precedence in the industry more so after the pandemic which needs swift business functioning from anywhere, anytime. siliconindia questions Mark Weaser, Vice President APAC, OutSystems on this.
1.How is the Low-Code Technology Perceived in the Indian market?
This year, adoption of low-code tools has recently exploded globally, and in developing countries like India, as companies are looking for ways to build applications quickly in response to the pandemic, ever-increasing developer workloads, and changing business needs. We see more and more businesses adopting rapid application development solutions like low-code, no-code and other visual development platforms to speed up and simplify their digital transformation journeys. Based on Forrester Research, investment in the low-code market segment is expected to reach $21.2 billion by 2022, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of approximately 40 percent.
In India, the market for these rapid application development approaches is expected to bring major disruption in the coming years as we witness the technology penetrating more and more vertical industries. Along with the IT and telecom verticals, the BFSI and retail sectors are expected to contribute largely due to the rise in demand for the technology in financial procedures like payments and online banking.
With India being the fastest growing tech hub in the world and also the IT hub to many of the best international technology companies, the country is leading the technology trends worldwide. However, Indian developers remain under intense pressure to deliver software at lightning speed. DevOps practices are well-entrenched, with the focus turning to secure DevOps and enterprise-wide data integration. All these trends point to increased demand for solutions that improve developer productivity and speed the development, deployment and continued evolution of enterprise-class applications. In fact, according to research by IDC on the low-code landscape in Asia-Pacific, 28 percent of enterprise leaders in India list faster integration of customer feedback to speed software releases as their main business goal.
2. Who can Build on Low-Code Platforms?
That depends. Most no-code and low-code tools are targeted specifically at non-developers attempting to build point solutions outside of the framework of IT. We find that this approach is quite limiting and fraught with risk. In the event that these applications do prove to add value, when IT is invariably asked to take over ownership to help scale, secure or adapt that application, IT is likely unprepared to do that. A critical limitation of these solutions is that they promote the building of applications that don’t adhere to the architectural, security, scalability or reliability guidelines required by IT in order for them to adequately support an application. As soon as these applications are deployed, they become burdensome legacy and are an impediment to progress.
In our experience, the most successful, high-value projects are delivered through close partnership between IT and the business. Instead of a silo-ed approach, a more holistic and collaborative approach, ensures that each participant in a multifunctional team benefits from a visual, model-driven, AI-powered application platform that is optimized for their particular contribution to the process. For instance, there is a visually-driven tool for UI/UX experts to design and build rich customer experiences whether those are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), mobile applications or traditional desktop apps. Another example is an AI-supported dashboard optimized for architects to ensure that applications adhere to proper coding standards, minimize duplicated code and avoid technical debt. In supporting better collaboration between business analysts and the rest of the development team, a truly collaborative platform, includes specialized tools for defining workflows that are integrated with all the other development and design tools.
Visually-driven development is definitely the future of coding. But it is critical for IT and the business to work together seamlessly to ensure that applications meet business needs and adhere to all of the governance requirements that assure high-security, scalability and reliability. While certain low-code and visual development solutions do enable non-developers to solve for one silo-ed problem, it’s only with modern, AI-powered application platforms, that organizations can truly realize the benefits of faster application development and total agility.
In summary, just about anyone can build an application using a low-code platform, but for that application to be of any real use to the business and for it continue to be useful as business needs change, business experts have to work hand-in-hand with developers and IT professionals in an integrated team, and platforms that take advantage of low-code but also offer a more feature-rich, capable platform, are the only way to enable that kind of strategic value.
3.Why are Companies Shifting to Low-Code Platforms?
Recent events have reshaped the world as we know it, accelerating the shift to virtual and remote working models for businesses across the globe. Now, working from home is no longer a benefit or privilege, it’s a necessity.
As such, businesses across the globe have been forced to transform to maintain business continuity during this difficult period of time. Many businesses are scrambling because their IT infrastructures don’t lend themselves to rapid reconfiguration or extension and thus stand in the way of solving the disruption issues brought on by the pandemic. Investing in IT and adopting new, more agile technologies is more critical than ever.
In addition to the pressures brought on by the pandemic, customer’s growing demands for highly-tailored products and services creates additional pressures on organizations to rapidly extend and adapt their existing systems in ways they were never built to do. This is where low code platforms step in to address these needs. Designed not only to help organizations rapidly build new applications that are scalable, secure and reliable, the low code platform is built from the ground up to enable applications that are adaptable - able to be changed as quickly as the need of the business shift. Whether applications require updates to workflows, user experience, back-end integration, support for new mobile devices, or new infrastructure technology – the platform helps developers adapt solutions to meet their organizations' latest challenges with unprecedented speed.
Furthermore, modern, AI-supported application platforms, provide IT leaders with the potential to bridge silos, streamline processes and enable teams to collaborate and focus on core innovation. IT leaders will be able to bridge the digital gaps, update business processes, and most importantly, focus on constant innovation by empowering developers and IT with better, smarter tools. Companies can build and deploy applications within weeks instead of months and now have the agility to ensure their applications keep pace with every change in the business.
4. Can Businesses Rely on Low-Code Completely?
Basic no-code or low-code tools are just not enough for the full range of needs in today’s enterprise - it takes a more complete and modern approach. Essentially, traditional low-code is like putting a band-aid on instead of stitching a wound. As the pressures on businesses and developers to build fast and modify existing apps grows, this sentiment holds even truer.
Basic low-code tools run into walls when attempting to solve serious problems, or when attempting to iterate or manage long-term. Developers will often find that low-code only allows for a very narrow set of solutions that are limited in scope and are not adaptable, so they don’t provide the long-term value that businesses really need.
5. What is the Future & Upcoming Trends of Low-Code?
Our latest research report, ‘The Speed of Change: How Fast Are You?’, highlights the importance of ingenuity and adaptability in the current dynamic environment. Yet the data reveals that the bulk of survey respondents indicated that their average application delivery time is about three-six months, which is considered an eternity these days. Given the speed of the COVID-19 spread, it is more crucial than ever for organizations to act fast.
It is clear that in this new normal, digital-first and cloud-first transformation have become even more urgent. While COVID-19 has caused many disruptions, it also presents opportunities for digital innovation and differentiation initiatives. As a result, demand for applications is increasing.
Four percent of respondents from IT organizations in Southeast Asia have 25 or more applications scheduled for delivery in 2020, and 27 percent of respondents said that they have plans to deliver 100 or more applications during 2020.
Changing market conditions always bring new opportunities to relook at business and operating models. Digital innovation has always been the key to staying relevant and ahead of the pack, but organizations are often unsure how they can leverage technology and make it a core value that can deliver smart solutions and lasting agility.
23 percent of the respondents plan to adopt low-code tools and some of their top development priorities include, security, integrating data silos and training/hiring. The research also revealed Education leadership about secure DevOps (58 percent); Secure the DevOps process (56 percent; and Making sure DevOps teams are multidisciplinary as the top challenges they face.
To address these challenges and enable Indian developers to successfully shift their priorities, this is where modern, visually-driven, AI-powered platforms excel. By utilizing the technology, it speeds up innovation, boosts agility, while providing benefits for both IT and business users alike. This new technology will not replace developers. Instead, it will help them be more productive and work closer with the business to meet its changing needs and challenges.
Low-code tools is gaining precedence in the industry more so after the pandemic which needs swift business functioning from anywhere, anytime. siliconindia questions Mark Weaser, Vice President APAC, OutSystems on this.
1.How is the Low-Code Technology Perceived in the Indian market?
This year, adoption of low-code tools has recently exploded globally, and in developing countries like India, as companies are looking for ways to build applications quickly in response to the pandemic, ever-increasing developer workloads, and changing business needs. We see more and more businesses adopting rapid application development solutions like low-code, no-code and other visual development platforms to speed up and simplify their digital transformation journeys. Based on Forrester Research, investment in the low-code market segment is expected to reach $21.2 billion by 2022, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of approximately 40 percent.
In India, the market for these rapid application development approaches is expected to bring major disruption in the coming years as we witness the technology penetrating more and more vertical industries. Along with the IT and telecom verticals, the BFSI and retail sectors are expected to contribute largely due to the rise in demand for the technology in financial procedures like payments and online banking.
With India being the fastest growing tech hub in the world and also the IT hub to many of the best international technology companies, the country is leading the technology trends worldwide. However, Indian developers remain under intense pressure to deliver software at lightning speed. DevOps practices are well-entrenched, with the focus turning to secure DevOps and enterprise-wide data integration. All these trends point to increased demand for solutions that improve developer productivity and speed the development, deployment and continued evolution of enterprise-class applications. In fact, according to research by IDC on the low-code landscape in Asia-Pacific, 28 percent of enterprise leaders in India list faster integration of customer feedback to speed software releases as their main business goal.
2. Who can Build on Low-Code Platforms?
That depends. Most no-code and low-code tools are targeted specifically at non-developers attempting to build point solutions outside of the framework of IT. We find that this approach is quite limiting and fraught with risk. In the event that these applications do prove to add value, when IT is invariably asked to take over ownership to help scale, secure or adapt that application, IT is likely unprepared to do that. A critical limitation of these solutions is that they promote the building of applications that don’t adhere to the architectural, security, scalability or reliability guidelines required by IT in order for them to adequately support an application. As soon as these applications are deployed, they become burdensome legacy and are an impediment to progress.
In our experience, the most successful, high-value projects are delivered through close partnership between IT and the business. Instead of a silo-ed approach, a more holistic and collaborative approach, ensures that each participant in a multifunctional team benefits from a visual, model-driven, AI-powered application platform that is optimized for their particular contribution to the process. For instance, there is a visually-driven tool for UI/UX experts to design and build rich customer experiences whether those are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), mobile applications or traditional desktop apps. Another example is an AI-supported dashboard optimized for architects to ensure that applications adhere to proper coding standards, minimize duplicated code and avoid technical debt. In supporting better collaboration between business analysts and the rest of the development team, a truly collaborative platform, includes specialized tools for defining workflows that are integrated with all the other development and design tools.
Visually-driven development is definitely the future of coding. But it is critical for IT and the business to work together seamlessly to ensure that applications meet business needs and adhere to all of the governance requirements that assure high-security, scalability and reliability. While certain low-code and visual development solutions do enable non-developers to solve for one silo-ed problem, it’s only with modern, AI-powered application platforms, that organizations can truly realize the benefits of faster application development and total agility.
In summary, just about anyone can build an application using a low-code platform, but for that application to be of any real use to the business and for it continue to be useful as business needs change, business experts have to work hand-in-hand with developers and IT professionals in an integrated team, and platforms that take advantage of low-code but also offer a more feature-rich, capable platform, are the only way to enable that kind of strategic value.
3.Why are Companies Shifting to Low-Code Platforms?
Recent events have reshaped the world as we know it, accelerating the shift to virtual and remote working models for businesses across the globe. Now, working from home is no longer a benefit or privilege, it’s a necessity.
As such, businesses across the globe have been forced to transform to maintain business continuity during this difficult period of time. Many businesses are scrambling because their IT infrastructures don’t lend themselves to rapid reconfiguration or extension and thus stand in the way of solving the disruption issues brought on by the pandemic. Investing in IT and adopting new, more agile technologies is more critical than ever.
In addition to the pressures brought on by the pandemic, customer’s growing demands for highly-tailored products and services creates additional pressures on organizations to rapidly extend and adapt their existing systems in ways they were never built to do. This is where low code platforms step in to address these needs. Designed not only to help organizations rapidly build new applications that are scalable, secure and reliable, the low code platform is built from the ground up to enable applications that are adaptable - able to be changed as quickly as the need of the business shift. Whether applications require updates to workflows, user experience, back-end integration, support for new mobile devices, or new infrastructure technology – the platform helps developers adapt solutions to meet their organizations' latest challenges with unprecedented speed.
Furthermore, modern, AI-supported application platforms, provide IT leaders with the potential to bridge silos, streamline processes and enable teams to collaborate and focus on core innovation. IT leaders will be able to bridge the digital gaps, update business processes, and most importantly, focus on constant innovation by empowering developers and IT with better, smarter tools. Companies can build and deploy applications within weeks instead of months and now have the agility to ensure their applications keep pace with every change in the business.
4. Can Businesses Rely on Low-Code Completely?
Basic no-code or low-code tools are just not enough for the full range of needs in today’s enterprise - it takes a more complete and modern approach. Essentially, traditional low-code is like putting a band-aid on instead of stitching a wound. As the pressures on businesses and developers to build fast and modify existing apps grows, this sentiment holds even truer.
Basic low-code tools run into walls when attempting to solve serious problems, or when attempting to iterate or manage long-term. Developers will often find that low-code only allows for a very narrow set of solutions that are limited in scope and are not adaptable, so they don’t provide the long-term value that businesses really need.
5. What is the Future & Upcoming Trends of Low-Code?
Our latest research report, ‘The Speed of Change: How Fast Are You?’, highlights the importance of ingenuity and adaptability in the current dynamic environment. Yet the data reveals that the bulk of survey respondents indicated that their average application delivery time is about three-six months, which is considered an eternity these days. Given the speed of the COVID-19 spread, it is more crucial than ever for organizations to act fast.
It is clear that in this new normal, digital-first and cloud-first transformation have become even more urgent. While COVID-19 has caused many disruptions, it also presents opportunities for digital innovation and differentiation initiatives. As a result, demand for applications is increasing.
Most no-code and low-code tools are targeted specifically at non-developers attempting to build point solutions outside of the framework of IT
Four percent of respondents from IT organizations in Southeast Asia have 25 or more applications scheduled for delivery in 2020, and 27 percent of respondents said that they have plans to deliver 100 or more applications during 2020.
Changing market conditions always bring new opportunities to relook at business and operating models. Digital innovation has always been the key to staying relevant and ahead of the pack, but organizations are often unsure how they can leverage technology and make it a core value that can deliver smart solutions and lasting agility.
23 percent of the respondents plan to adopt low-code tools and some of their top development priorities include, security, integrating data silos and training/hiring. The research also revealed Education leadership about secure DevOps (58 percent); Secure the DevOps process (56 percent; and Making sure DevOps teams are multidisciplinary as the top challenges they face.
To address these challenges and enable Indian developers to successfully shift their priorities, this is where modern, visually-driven, AI-powered platforms excel. By utilizing the technology, it speeds up innovation, boosts agility, while providing benefits for both IT and business users alike. This new technology will not replace developers. Instead, it will help them be more productive and work closer with the business to meet its changing needs and challenges.
.jpg "Engeotech: Innovating Smart Ways to Offer Customized Water Treatment Solutions")
