With technology continually evolving, software lifecycles are becoming shorter and shorter. Tech that may have been trending can become obsolete overnight, which is why developers must continually keep an eye out for the latest software development trends. Leveraging these trends can help developers and testers focus on quality engineering and greater client satisfaction. The following are some software industry trends to consider:

1. Blockchain Technology

All the hype around Bitcoin has transformed blockchain into the latest buzzword in the industry. Blockchain offers a network with interconnected peer-to-peer devices. With the absence of centralized computers, Blockchain is set to revolutionize the financial and healthcare industries. Currently, giants like IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and Amazon are redefining organizational processes to accommodate Blockchain technologies in their workforce.

2. Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT offers connectivity between software and hardware along with remote accessibility. While this translates to larger ease of control, software developers and testers must be aware of the challenges it can present. For starters, automation will feature heavily in most processes and developers who are not yet accustomed to the same need to upskill quickly. Moreover, from the point of view of developing applications, developers must shift their focus to applications that will make the controlling of different devices far easier from remote locations as well.

3. Cybersecurity

The cybersecurity market may reach a market size of 246.88 billion USD by 2023. With more organizations turning to tech for their processes, there is a growing need to protect data, assets, and computing devices connected to an organization’s network. According to Forbes, a comprehensive understanding of security, whether cyber or physical, positively affects employees’ careers, as there are such few subject matter experts within this field. As developers looking to have your software implemented by organizations across the world, building in assets that can neutralize the threat of cyber terrorism will certainly work in your favor.

4. Mixed Reality

Mixed reality offers a hybrid between virtual reality and real worlds. This can translate to a range of benefits, particularly in the world of e-commerce, learning, and augmented reality. For instance, e-commerce websites can use mixed reality systems to present their products on virtual mannequins. This allows customers to view the desired product as comprehensively as they want before choosing to make a purchase.

5. Artificial Intelligence 

With a remarkable range of offerings like Big Data analyses (which is a trend in itself), Insights as a service, voice-activated programs like home assistants, data summarizing, and more, it is no wonder that more and more organizations are looking to integrate artificial intelligence in their workflow processes. In fact, artificial intelligence may be one of the latest trends in the software industry, with the current market size estimated at 7.35 billion dollars. Software developers must align their visions in a manner that incorporates AI to tap into the market.

6. Progressive Web Apps

Progressive web apps are websites or pages that mimic native mobile phone apps. They offer a combination of the best features of apps and websites to create an experience that adds the most value to customers. Experts believe that web apps will garner large chunks of the market share that belongs to mobile apps. As PWAs tend to mimic the look and feel of traditional mobile phone apps, they provide the same user experience, making customers comfortable with the navigation from the get-go. Tech giants like Google are some of the early adopters of PWAs. Google is already reforming certain browser features to allow web apps to function like mobile apps. This is good news for developers as web apps are generally far easier to develop and maintain than conventional mobile app development.

7. Low Code Development

Low code development platforms aim to facilitate the development of apps without a large amount of hand-coding. As companies aim to build applications that work across multiple types of platforms, these initiatives are key in determining the kinds of current trends in software development that the future holds. A key indicator of the same is the fact that Siemens recently acquired Mendix (a low code development company) for 730 million USD. One can expect this type of development to overtake the conventional methods of app development over the coming years. For developers that rely on the core skills of coding, this can be quite catastrophic as it seeks to eliminate hard-core coding altogether.

Keeping these software industry trends in mind can help you align your career and goals to the changes in the industry. By staying abreast of the latest trends in the software industry, you can ensure that you can keep up every time new technologies become more mainstream.

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