Emerging Trends in Software Engineering

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, global IT spending was reduced by 5.4%. However, the industry is bouncing back and is expected to reach $3.8tn in the coming years. Software development has explored areas that we would have never imagined. For example, people will be expected to begin building apps with zero IT experience, and there will be more machines to track patients’ health.

Because digital products determine the success of a sustainable business, software engineers will play an essential role in building a post-pandemic world. It must move forward despite the setbacks. Therefore, a number of strategies and tools have been adapted to achieve better results.

What software development trends do we expect in 2023? Here are some of the latest trends in software engineering.

Businesses adopt low-code and no-code development

There are several problems associated with software development. About 20% of all software projects fail, while 52% of others are challenged. These problems have led companies to find simplified ways of creating software. One of the latest technologies is low-code/no-code development. This strategy does not require advanced IT knowledge or coding skills. Innovation means easier and faster growth with fewer issues.

No-code platforms allow users to drag and drop blocks of pre-made code in a visual interface. They are more technical but have shortcuts that help developers work faster. The bubble is a visual development tool that builds everything from project management tools to virtual learning apps and budgeting programs. Adalo is another no-code platform that is gradually making the rounds.

Remote work drives an increase in cloud computing

While the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a number of budding companies folding, it also accelerated the growth of others, especially those in cloud computing. In 2020, many businesses expanded remote work capabilities and experienced a remarkable shift in IT needs. The cloud was the perfect tool to help companies adjust to this new normal. Not only was the cloud useful during the period, but it also helped businesses that needed to downscale.

For instance, firms in the tourism industry didn’t need to maintain expensive data centers because they didn’t require them at the time. While the IT industry experienced decreased spending in 2020, cloud spending increased exponentially. The demand for cloud-native software engineers has increased in the past few years, but you need some skills to excel in the industry. Engineers who want to take advantage of this new opportunity must open their minds to learn new ideas.

 AI adoption accelerates

The global artificial intelligence (AI) market grew to $136bn in 2022. It is expected to reach $500bn by 2024. AI is becoming common in our homes and offices today. The adoption rate has increased significantly in the past two years. The banking industry alone predicts that the use of AI will add value yearly. AI reduces costs and increases efficiency for banks. It also allows these financial institutions to provide hyper-personalization, which modern-day customers need.

Deloitte notes that AI’s top three goals in healthcare are to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and enhance existing products and services. This technology automates mundane tasks so that skilled workers can focus on other projects with higher value. Today, military aircraft in some countries fly with an AI algorithm that controls tasks a pilot would have previously done.

Expansion of the IoT

Statistics show that there will be 65 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices in 2025. Smart speakers are expected to see an upward trend, and the market will boom in the coming years. Sensors and wearables aimed at allowing patients to monitor their health will surge. However, what we’ll see in 2023 will only be the tip of the iceberg. The data collected from patients enables doctors to be proactive in medical treatment. IoT will expand beyond homes. It will be attached to seed packs or chemical compounds to track items that leave the warehouse.

A course in software engineering keeps you updated with the latest technological changes and customer expectations. This degree trains next-generation software engineers for the task ahead. The goal is to create life-changing solutions for this budding industry. You can specialize in full-stack, backend, frontend, mobile, or data engineering. These specializations open doors to lucrative positions after graduation.

Containerization

Containerization is packaging software code with just the operating system libraries and dependencies. It allows developers to create and deploy applications securely and more quickly. With traditional methods, code is developed in a computing environment, which results in bugs and errors when transferred to a new location. For instance, when a developer transfers code from a desktop to a virtual machine (VM), it could result in errors.

Containerization eliminates this problem by binding the codes with the related configuration libraries, files, and dependencies that they require to run. This concept is old, but it remerged in 2013. Today, many organizations are using it to create new applications for the cloud. Containers are also called ‘lightweight’, meaning that they share the machine’s operating system kernel and do not require the overhead of associating an operating system within each application.

When it comes to software development, innovation is unpredictable. Automation, cloud computing, and other new tools are likely to continue for as long as more people are set to adopt them. However, these developments come with their challenges. As society tilts further into tech solutions, we can expect more creative ideas to handle emerging issues. It is not perfect yet, but the vision will be clearer with time.