Software development trends in business are constantly evolving and, as a result, impacting the way businesses operate. Therefore, more and more companies are using new technologies and software to improve their workflow. These are the main trends of 2021.
Internet of things
The growing popularity of the Internet of Things makes it possible to equip almost any asset with sensors and connect it to applications in the cloud – whether it’s copiers, TVs, cars, machines, or systems.
For ERP systems, this means: they have data that can be used to identify problems in real-time. For example, any technical difficulties that arise are then identified and reported before they become acute. Maintenance technicians can then act proactively and fix problems before they even break down.
Big data
The second trend that is directly related to the Internet of Things is big data. The ever-growing amounts of data that companies collect will enable entirely new types of analysis. With the appropriate assessment tools, accurate predictions can be made, from which companies can optimize their business strategies.
Cloud services are growing inexorably
Cloud solutions have already become part of many companies’ day-to-day operations.
The public cloud service market is expected to grow to $397 billion in 2022.
When using the appropriate solution, great attention should be paid to the maximum possible security in the corporate cloud. The big advantage of cloud solutions is that data can be used regardless of location.
Thus, employees have access to company data from almost anywhere, which is an advantage, for example, when meeting directly with a client or in the home office. It is also possible to work in teams on specific projects without having to be in one location. Changes in the cloud affect all saved versions of the document. This way you can avoid duplicate or different documents with the same name.
Create innovative business architecture
2020 has clearly shown that digitalization has reached a new stage. Software engineering no longer encompasses solely development departments but is becoming an integral part of business processes. This places new demands on everyone involved. IT vendors, consultants, and IT employees in companies must adapt their services to the business requirements of the company even more than before.
In short: software development must become more agile. One of the keys to success is the integration of development operations practices into your development process (DevOps). It enables more transparent interaction of development specialists with information technology service specialists, as well as external service providers, this means more quality of your business software as a result.
AI and algorithms are on the rise
Data is a valuable resource in the digital world. AI helps to collect data much faster than humans, in minutes or even seconds. Professional evaluation of collected data allows companies to make predictions, optimally plan their resources, and increase sales.
The data collected by AI and algorithms can be used in different ways: In B2C, they are mostly used for retargeting. Companies can use it to gain insight into the interests and characteristics of their customers and then send them targeted, personalized ads.
In B2B, it is especially important to analyze sales figures and draw conclusions about the future behavior of customers.
Effective Software for business: Progressive Web Apps
Today there is an app for every problem. Some want to stay fit and track their progress. Others use apps for shopping or gaming. So-called progressive web apps are a new trend.
They can be seen as a further development of native apps and many additional features.
Essentially, a PWA is something in between web development and app development. Not that long ago, companies aimed for both a good, responsive website as well as a great app.
PWAs eliminate the necessity of cross-platform development. In short, it’s a technology that allows customers to install your site on their smartphone as an app. In addition to offline mode, the main benefits of this trend are also lower costs for companies, better user experience, easier publishing, and better performance.
Blockchain
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have made blockchain a rapidly growing star in the business domain. One of the most important reasons for this is the data integrity of the blockchain, which provides the necessary trust in digital transactions.
At the same time, blockchain increases the efficiency and speed of transactions.
The first applications in fintech and logistics already show that the benefits of blockchain are evident for those organizations that are involved in the same process. Thus, this technology is recommended for collaborative projects where mid-sized companies try to reduce costs and increase efficiency and security.
Conclusion
Generally speaking, 2020 trends in software development are slowly moving to 2021: cloud services are soaring, artificial intelligence plays an increasingly important role for companies, while progressive web applications are offering new cost-effective solutions.
