Software development trends have always changed rapidly, but the current pandemic has accelerated the process. What seems like an acceptable practice in software development today may no longer be so in the near future.
The rapid digitization that started in 2020 will continue in 2023. We are seeing more investment in automating repetitive processes, providing a multi-channel customer experience; greater attention to privacy and greater adoption of new technologies in all sectors.
When creating a digital solution, entrepreneurs need to be well informed of where the software industry is headed and strategize accordingly. These are the top software development trends in 2022 that entrepreneurs need to consider when planning a new product.
Rapid growth of the IT sector
Although the IT sector was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused project delays and investment reductions, it managed to maintain its strong position compared to other sectors. All companies are gradually becoming software businesses. As digital transformation accelerates, software will dramatically transform what businesses do, how they do it, and what services they provide to their customers. As a result, software development is becoming a game changer for many organizations, if not a strategic imperative.
According to data from the consulting firm Bain & Company, technology has driven global economic growth. “Born tech” companies, which include technology as a central component of their identity, are the ones that have grown the most. Since 2015, these companies have generated 52% of global market value growth. Companies with a technology focus that augments more traditional methods accounted for another 20% of market value growth.
Outsourcing demand will continue to grow
By 2022, the global software industry is expected to reach $536.24 billion, with the market for offshore software development services growing at 11.72%.
Many companies are finding that they lack the resources to keep pace with the ever-changing needs of the industry. Due to the difficulties in finding talented IT specialists in the local market, companies turn to custom software development companies to obtain highly qualified specialists outside their area (be it nearshore or offshore).
Outsourced teams can perform a variety of tasks, such as programming, testing, and product management, and are proficient in a variety of programming languages. Delegating software development to business IT professionals is on the rise and will be even more popular in 2022.
The growing demand for IT outsourcing can be explained by the need for companies to adopt innovations quickly and cost-effectively.
In addition to meeting those needs, outsourcing helps companies access the most qualified specialists while remaining focused on their core competencies. As management tools are constantly improving, it's becoming easier to establish efficient workflow and productive relationships between internal and outsourced employees.
The new era of cloud computing
Cloud migration is not a new software trend, it has been around for a long time. Regardless of size and purpose, more and more organizations are moving to cloud computing, and this trend isn't going to go away any time soon.
According to Statista, the global market for public cloud computing is estimated to exceed $482 billion next year.
Cloud migration has a wide range of applications. Machine learning and artificial intelligence, data analytics, web and mobile app migration, and other uses are covered.
Most companies choose to put their applications and systems in the cloud due to its greater ease of maintenance and storage. It has also become a great facilitator of remote work. Companies manage to create work environments with the help of cloud services and tools and establish effective team collaboration. SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS solutions are increasingly in demand as they are easier to adopt and deploy, and help reduce costs, which is especially important in post-crisis times.
The rise of ecommerce software
While most businesses were facing tough economic times in 2021, the eCommerce market was in full swing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses switched to online sales and delivery services as it was the only way to shop safely during the lockdown.
However, the field of e-commerce will continue to develop after the pandemic. Statista states that companies will follow the trend and that by 2023 the e-commerce market is expected to grow up to 22%, compared to 14.1% in 2019.
E-commerce apps have proven to be a huge improvement to the customer experience and a major boost to automating business processes during the pandemic. Companies will continue to implement digital e-commerce solutions, making them more attractive to customers.
Continued growth of artificial intelligence and machine learning
These disruptive technologies have the potential to change every industry by helping organizations meet business goals, make critical decisions, and deliver innovative products and services.
Here are some examples:
* Healthcare: Help doctors make diagnoses and prescribe treatments
* Logistics: vehicle management, driver behavior analysis
* Education: automated and fair grading
* E-commerce: better customer service thanks to chatbots
* Smart home: energy consumption analysis
* Smart automotive: autonomous vehicles and route optimization
* Others: speeding up and smoothing processes, more accurate predictions
AI and ML make it possible to delegate a wide range of tasks that people usually do to computers, which can solve those tasks faster and more efficiently, and eliminate errors.
By 2027, the AI and ML sector is expected to grow by 33%. According to estimates, by 2022 companies will have implemented at least 35 AI initiatives in their operations.
More IoT-based solutions
With the proliferation of smart devices, everything will soon be part of the IoT. According to Gartner, 61% of companies have reached a high level of IoT maturity, and the hype surrounding this technology shows no signs of abating. This makes IoT one of the most trending software development technologies.
The opportunities that the IoT has for companies are significant: predictive maintenance of equipment and facilities, tracking of vehicles and loads in real time, as well as control of the health status of patients in real time, improvement of the security of properties, intelligent energy consumption, and many more. This technology is best represented in sectors such as healthcare, logistics, public sector, manufacturing, hospitality, etc.
The IoT is not one big thing, but rather a large number of small things that have the potential to have a huge impact on businesses and provide competitive advantage in a short period of time. It is one of the most promising technologies today, and its full potential will only be realized in the future.
Blockchain-powered security
The more processes depend on technologies, the greater the risks of any vulnerability. So, along with the number of software solutions, the need for strong security grows. The best technology to protect systems and data is blockchain, so it will be widely used to develop secure and reliable software in healthcare, public administration, banking, gaming, logistics, and other sectors.
In addition to improving security, blockchain solutions provide transparency of all operations, as well as introducing smart contracts to automate processes and improve trust between partners.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has prompted companies to look beyond their established business models and embrace new digital strategies.
Every software trend has a developer behind it, who works tirelessly to improve the customer experience.
If you have an idea in mind for a current or new project, get in touch with our team.
From Mawesi we will analyze your business model, your market and your public, and we will propose the optimal technological solutions for your needs.