In today’s rapidly changing business environment, executives need to keep updated on the latest trends in software development to maintain a competitive edge. Although the tech industry is vast, focusing on a few specific areas can significantly impact your company’s efficiency, security, and innovation. Leaders should focus on five critical software development trends to drive their businesses forward in 2024.
- Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning
- Low-Code Environment Integration
- DevOps/Agile Integrations
- Cloud Computing Advancements
- Cybersecurity Enhancements
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
AI and ML are transforming businesses’ operations, offering previously unattainable insights and efficiencies. AI tools allow you and your business to focus on your business objectives by handling mundane, repetitive tasks. A simple Internet search for “AI productivity tools” will return lists of products available. Look at your current processes and find areas where you can begin to offline tasks to AI.
Action Steps:
- Examine your company’s processes and find the areas where you can easily replace work with AI automation.
- Commit to learning more about the available AI tools and how you can leverage them within your organization.
Low-Code Environment Integration
Low-code development platforms are increasingly popular, offering new ways to streamline operations and improve efficiency. Sign up for one of the many low-code platforms available today and use it to solve a simple custom software development need. The lessons you learn in this will help lay the foundation for more robust and mission-critical initiatives.
Some examples of Low-Code/No-code platforms include:
Action Steps:
- Identify how low-code environments can be integrated into your business for enhanced productivity, faster development, or improved customer engagement.
- Find a project you can implement in a low-code environment and commit to completing it. The experience will give you a better understanding of how these tools can help you reduce your time to market and explore new ideas with less risk.
DevOps and Agile Integration
Integrating development and operations, or DevOps, along with Agile methodologies, is crucial for rapid, efficient, and adaptable software development. Having a strong DevOps environment is crucial to compete in today’s fast-changing software landscape. Start with one aspect of your software development pipeline that is repeated on a consistent basis. Break down the manual steps, then use a DevOps tool to automate those actions. Review the results, make changes as needed, and then repeat. Over time, you will find that automated DevOps increases your productivity, reduces your errors, and saves you both time and money.
These DevOps providers all offer a level of service for no charge:
Action Steps:
- Implement Agile methodologies for more flexible and efficient project management if you have not done so already.
- Equip your team with the tools and training for effective DevOps practices. Many tools are free, so there is no excuse for not getting started.
Cloud Computing Advancements
Cloud technology is evolving, offering more scalability, security, and efficiency. Embracing the cloud is essential for agile, resilient business operations. Choose one of the top three (Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform (GCP)) that aligns best with your company and get started.
Action Steps:
- Evaluate and choose cloud services that align with your business needs. AWS Lambda or Azure Functions, for example, allow you to offload computations into a cloud host that you only pay for when they are used. That means your monthly hosting expense for web services is cut to a fraction of their current cost.
- Move DevOps into the Cloud. Platforms such as Azure DevOps offer a robust level of service at no charge. Moving existing DevOps operations off-premise and into the cloud provides redundancy, reliability, and scalability unavailable in an on-premise environment. All at no additional cost.
Cybersecurity Enhancements
As technology advances, so does the sophistication of cyber threats. A robust cybersecurity strategy is no longer optional but a necessity.
Action Steps:
- Implement frequent security checks to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Educate your team on the latest cyber threats and prevention strategies.
The Way Forward
Keeping up with technological advances is hard. It drains your energy and steals your time. You know it’s important, and as a leader, you want to stay on top of things, but sometimes there is just too much going on. You shouldn’t have to lead the charge to beat your competition and simultaneously be an expert in the latest technology trends. Yet, every business deserves to have healthy software that supports its business objectives.
We provide stress-free software development that scales with your needs. Our highly experienced team is like having a best friend who’s a software expert you can call on anytime. We love to help.
