In one of its reports, Gartner predicted that “By 2025, 70% of new applications being developed will have low-code or no-code technologies.” In recent years, the demand for software solutions has exploded, leading to a greater need for agile application development. IT leaders have admitted that project backlogs are one of the most significant obstacles in accomplishing strategic projects. It is here that the low-code/no-code (LCNC) technology has been filling the gap—helping businesses deliver quality software applications in record time.
As the names suggest, low-code platforms need very little coding knowledge to use, while no-code platforms can be used easily by folks with no coding expertise. Apps built on no-code platforms are typically limited to simple features and interfaces, whereas low-code platforms allow for the creation of more complex apps
The benefits of LCNC platforms include their user-friendly interface and out-of-the-box authentication. Because of this, many businesses are choosing to build on low-code or no-code platforms that can make apps almost 10 times faster than traditional development processes!
Forrester Research estimates that the total spending on low-code development platforms will hit USD 21.2 billion by the end of this year.
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The LCNC development technology is finding its way into most industry segments including healthcare, banking & finance, insurance, manufacturing, and retail. Developers are using these platforms extensively to build new applications as well as to modernize existing legacy apps. From self-service portals to training modules to e-learning apps, apps to monitor customer onboarding, inventory management apps, claims settlement apps, and more — low-code and no-code platforms are driving every type of app development in the present software market.
Getting Started - Evaluating & Identifying the Right LCNC Platform
With so many LCNC platforms out there, it can be hard to decide which one is right for you. There’s Microsoft’s PowerApps, Google’s AppSheet, Appian, Mendix, Bubble, Appy Pie — the list goes on…
The two most important things to keep in mind are how easy a platform is to customize, and its flexibility. If these criteria are met, an organization can easily create prototypes of business ideas and make iterations without investing much time or money. Also, with LCNC tools taking care of simpler development processes, businesses can allocate their expert developers to focus on complex development projects.
To make the right move, here are a few questions that the IT leaders of enterprises can ask to evaluate and identify the tool that will work best for their business –
- What is the type of application that is to be built?
- What are the customization capabilities of the LCNC platform being considered for development?
- What is its pricing model—is it monthly or yearly? Does the pricing depend on the development scale or on usage metrics?
- How flexible is the chosen LCNC platform? Does it allow custom integration with APIs, Cloud, or databases?
- Does the platform offer a simple interface?
- Can the platform build a better business-IT connection by empowering the non-technical management team or the citizen developers? Without much coding knowledge, will these business experts be able to create visual models and share their valuable inputs?
- Does the chosen platform support multi-device deployment?
- How secure is the platform?
A Few Must-have Features to Look-out For
- Easy-to-use Interactive Visual Interface
- Flexible Deployment and Scalability
- Code Snippets and other Customization Capabilities
- Intelligent Automation and ML Components
- Real-time Data Analysis Support
- Capability to Integrate with External Data Sources
- Bug-free and Secure Coding, and Compliance Assurance
- Consistent Technical Support
With so many development platforms to explore, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, it can be easy for enterprises to lose track. They may fail to pick the right LCNC tools or put this technology to use intelligently and this leads to development complexities, project backlogs, and ultimately impacts ROIs.
To develop applications that are in sync with the latest market trends and can fulfill the growing intricacies of today’s business processes, most leading enterprises seek expert guidance. Having a solution partner on board helps align the right tools and technical know-how to bring software ideas to life within shorter timeframes.
KANINI’s expertise in Product Engineering has been helping businesses across industries, including healthcare, banking & financial services, and manufacturing, to translate their innovations into successful operating models. Contact us if you wish to know more about how we can be a part of your digital transformation journey.
Author
Robert Claypool
Robert has 16 years of experience in software development and spatial data analysis. Since 2012, he has been managing our Windows and Linux cloud infrastructure on AWS and Azure, and as Director of Applications Development, he oversees systems architecture, security, and DevOps practices across the organization.