What’s Next: 6 Software Development Trends for 2021

Over the last few years, the advances in software development made it necessary for companies to keep going, and this year was enhanced with the global pandemic that impacted all industries.

We can say that the effects of Covid paralyzed most industries. However, IT development didn’t slow down. More than that, software development trends kept accelerating faster.

Therefore, we’ve been forced to adapt to the new environment using the technology we have, for example, in terms of remote work. Many new technologies emerged and evolved, and with them, new trends that we can expect to grow when we go into 2021.

Here are the 6 biggest IT trends we can expect in 2021.

1. Native and progressive apps

Companies aim to provide the best services possible. Therefore, they focus on developing native applications for specific platforms. The main target now is smartphones. iOS and Android are the two most prominent systems for native app development. Such applications improve the performance and user experience by a significant margin.

The use of Progressive Web Apps is also gaining ground. PWA are applications that are based on the latest APIs to provide an optimized user experience. They have higher capabilities, load much faster avoiding the bounce rate, and work as a separate window on a device. Installing such applications on your devices improves their capabilities, which are limited when using a browser version.

All these benefits that these types of applications provide are going to continue as the top trends next year.

Know about our Mobile Development Services here.

2. The growth of Nearshore Outsourcing

Statistics show that most companies choose to outsource their projects. This trend will continue to grow as we advance into 2021. Outsourcing allows us to reduce the costs of hiring in-house developers. Getting a software development team abroad is much cheaper and less complicated. Outsourcing provides greater efficiency, expertise, flexibility, more time for in-house employees, and savings in available resources.

Do not miss our article about the 7 advantages of Nearshore Software development.

3. Cloud computing

As more and more companies adopt digital transformation and software modernization, they are all moving to the cloud. It’s the most efficient way to save your data these days and the most convenient. To put it in simple terms, the Cloud is someone else’s computer.

Almost every business working in any industry you can think of uses the cloud services provided by one of the giants. Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are leaders in cloud computing.

No doubt, in 2021 we will experience a great increase in migrations to these Cloud platforms. In this way, new cloud technologies will be needed to meet these demands and reinforce security terms, because it is always risky to move to the cloud.

4. Internet of Things (IoT)

Specifically, during the pandemic, where human contact is limited, Internet use of things is skyrocketing.

The Internet of Things refers to the practice of connecting various devices with each other to create a network. Virtually any device. From kitchen amenities, cars, factory machines to supermarket outlets.

A great example of this that had its boom in the pandemic is remote health care, another branch where IoT is used. The pandemic forced us to implement technology on a much larger scale than ever before.

Do not hesitate to visit our Health industry Business Case here.

Home offices are also more productive. Home assistants help schedule and plan work. Communication between employees is becoming more convenient, also, as the software becomes more reliable. Businesses must function properly, as remote working has become extremely popular for security and safety reasons.

5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

While many companies are already using technologies based on artificial intelligence, the trend to develop and improve it continues to accelerate.
According to IDC, AI revenues are expected to reach $156.5 billion. That’s more than 12% growth from 2019.

Artificial intelligence has many uses in business. Cybersecurity is one of the most prominent branches where it is used. AI can identify patterns of activity and malicious software that can potentially be a threat. In addition, it is easier to detect data breaches and questionable IP addresses. For this reason, many companies aspire to be as secure as possible. Implementing AI on the security side helps them achieve this.

Another thing worth considering when talking about AI is the issue of hyper-automation. There is a belief that anything that can be automated should be automated. Therefore, technology leaders are constantly trying to achieve that goal by using artificial intelligence and machine learning to further increase functionality and quality of daily life.

Conversational IT is also becoming increasingly prominent. Automated chatbots can benefit departments such as marketing, customer care, and sales.

At this time, the performance of chatbots still seems far from human interaction. Therefore, technology leaders are aiming to make it as humane as possible to ensure the quality of service. Even the aspect of empathy and emotion is being implemented in chatbots. Therefore, in 2021, we will probably see many improvements in that branch of AI.

6. Human augmentation

It’s becoming apparent that humans want to create better and better versions of themselves. Augmentation is a technology that is so integrated with the human body that it becomes an extension of them.

The connection to computers is something that is also being worked on. We see considerable progress in that field of augmentation.
While some of this technology remains a concept, the potential is enormous, virtually unlimited.

These are some predictions that will dominate software development trends in 2021. But the list keeps ongoing!

Let us be your technology ally!

At Clarika, we exist to help companies to innovate with technology. If you need a technical team, we could be your nearshore partner. We will put together a complete team that fits your development needs and recommend the best technology stack for your business. Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Originally published at https://clarikagroup.com on November 18, 2020.