Trend #1: AI-assisted programming will take the centre stage
As technology progresses, streamlining and automating repetitive tasks has become increasingly important. AI-assisted programming has become a popular solution to increase workflow efficiency. One prominent AI-assisted language model that has revolutionized the way we think is ChatGPT. Alongside other well-known AI-assisted programming tools such as Kite, Codota, TabNine, GitHub, CodeWhisperer, and others, these AI-powered tools easily integrate with popular code editors to simplify the developer’s workload.
Looking forward to 2023, AI-assisted programming will continue to showcase its capabilities. However, it is not yet a ubiquitous concept, and developers are taking their time to explore and optimize its use. Nonetheless, it is exciting to witness the innovative ways in which developers are experimenting with AI-assisted programming.
Trend #2: No and low code development to be prominent
No-code or low-code development has not gone out of fashion but instead has become a fundamental aspect of modern software development practices. This approach offers numerous benefits, including faster development, cost-effectiveness, increased productivity, better collaboration, and more, making it a continued trend in 2023. Additionally, developers are currently working on integrating AI and ML to enhance efficiency.
According to Gartner, by 2024, this industry will account for over 65% of application development activity, and by 2025, more than 70% of applications will be created using low or no code. So, it only makes sense for the developers to bank on it. Notable examples of low-code applications include Appian, OutSystems, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and more.
Trend #3: The rise of new languages
Even though there are developers who still like to stick to traditional languages like Java, C, and Python, the rapidly evolving technology landscape and changing requirements have compelled many developers to embrace newer languages. These languages facilitate innovation and exploration to a greater extent than ever before. Consequently, languages such as Scala, Go, Python, and Rust have gained significant popularity. It is expected that in 2023, developers will extensively explore these languages to cater to the ever-increasing demands of their consumers.
Trend #4: Natural Language Processing (NLP) will now be a permanent technology
Natural language processing (NLP) is a computational technique that enables machines to understand and generate human language. It has become an essential part of artificial intelligence (AI) and is used in a wide range of applications such as virtual assistants, chatbots, sentiment analysis, language translation, and text analytics. Some of the latest trends in NLP include Pretrained Language Models, Low-Resource NLP, Multilingual NLP, and more.
One of the most advanced products of NLP is the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT), which has been trained on vast amounts of text data to generate human-like text. Chat GPT is a powerful tool for developing NLP applications.
Developers are increasingly interested in understanding and utilizing Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in their applications. And this is going to continue for years to come. The future of NLP looks promising, with an ever-increasing demand for natural language understanding and development. By 2026, the NLP market is expected to reach $26.4 billion, indicating significant growth potential. There is no doubt that NLP will continue to play a vital role in shaping the future of technology and transforming the way we interact with machines.
Trend #5: Cloud computing continues to gain popularity
In recent years, cloud computing has become increasingly important and has been widely adopted by startups, businesses, and government organizations around the world, including the United States federal government, the United Kingdom government, the Australian government, and the Singapore government. With its numerous benefits, including enhanced security, collaboration, and accessibility, as well as time and cost savings, cloud computing is expected to reach $1,242.1 billion by 2028. As such, developers are likely to heavily rely on cloud computing services in the coming years. However, to maximize the potential of this trend, developers need to keep abreast of the latest updates and best practices.
Trend #6: Growing complexity in software development fuels popularity of outsourcing trend
As demand for software development continues to rise, software outsourcing is becoming an increasingly popular trend. This is partly due to the increasing complexity of software development, which requires a diverse range of skills and expertise that outsourcing can provide.
Furthermore, the growing prevalence of digital technologies such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving demand for software development, creating further opportunities for outsourcing. The software outsourcing market size was valued at USD 92.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a
CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2028. According to studies, India is the largest outsourcing destination in the world, accounting for 56% of the market share.
Trend #7: Plethora of Realities
The trend of extended reality (XR) software development is highly dynamic and encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). This rapidly evolving field is widely adopted, and its integration with AI, the movement towards cloud-based solutions, the provision of social and collaborative experiences, and the ability to render in real-time, make it a highly desirable user experience. Due to these factors, XR software development has gained significant popularity and is expected to see numerous advancements in the coming years, considering its accelerated pace of growth.
Trend #8: The craze for blockchain and Crypto hype might subside
Yes, you read it right. Crypto and blockchain technologies burst into the scene with tremendous hype and captured the world’s attention. However, in recent times, this frenzy has dwindled due to factors such as market instability, security concerns, and regulatory uncertainty. These technologies are still at a budding stage and must remain resilient to combat competition from both existing and upcoming technologies. Aspiring developers should weigh their options before choosing this as their niche, as the primary drawback is that the real innovation in blockchain-based applications originates from the underlying technology of the blockchain itself, rather than the software code that communicates with it, making it comparatively less fascinating.
Trend #9: Sustainable technology will be the way forward.
While technology has provided us with many conveniences and benefits, it also has its drawbacks. For instance, according to a report from Edinburgh Sensors, modern technology has been responsible for environmental pollution and the depletion of natural resources. Nevertheless, many companies have become more aware of their impact on the environment and are now prioritizing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) initiatives.
As we move forward, both companies and software developers should consider focusing on sustainable technology trends, such as open-source software, green software development, agile software development, cloud computing, and ethical and socially responsible software. They need to measure their actions and impact on the environment and society to create a more sustainable future.
Trend #10: Making Cybersecurity a way of life
In the current era, a cyber-attack is one of the most dreaded threats, surpassing even the fear of plane hijacks or bombings. The most widespread form of cyber-attack is ransomware, with Cybersecurity Ventures estimating that its cost could rise to $20 billion globally in 2021. Additionally, cybercrime is predicted to surpass $10.5 trillion globally by 2025. Given these alarming trends, cybersecurity must be a top priority for the foreseeable future as these attacks are becoming more common and sophisticated. It is not an option to take this lightly; cybersecurity should be a way of life. Developers should focus on cybersecurity trends, including containerization and virtualization technologies, DevOps practices, artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain security, and more.
Trend #6: Growing complexity in software development fuels popularity of outsourcing trend
As demand for software development continues to rise, software outsourcing is becoming an increasingly popular trend. This is partly due to the increasing complexity of software development, which requires a diverse range of skills and expertise that outsourcing can provide.
Frequently asked questions:
1. What is software development?
In simple words, software means giving a set of instructions and telling the computer what to do. And software development is the process of creating computer programs, applications, and systems.
2. What are the types of software development?
Software development depends on the market, target audience, project requirements, and desired outcome. Here are the types of software development, system software, programming software, application software, embedded software, cloud and game development.
3. Lifecycle of software development
planning, analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, and maintenance.
4. Why should businesses embrace software development trends?
Moving forward is the only way ahead. Businesses should embrace these trends to gain a competitive edge, increase agility, save cost and time, and increase customer experience.
5. Hot trends affecting the software development industry…
AI, DevOps, Agile Development, Cybersecurity, no/low code development.
Final thoughts
To stay ahead in the game, developers and businesses should embrace some of the current hot trends. In 2023, there will be explosive growth in new inventions and development in the software development industry. Trends such as AI and ML will continue to rise, and cybersecurity will become increasingly important. Although there will be an influx of new programming languages, Python will remain popular., Some studies suggest that blockchain may become less popular, but only time can tell if this technology can sustain the tough competition. These are our interpretations, but we welcome your thoughts on these trends.
References:
https://www.rst.software/blog/top-6-software-development-trends-to-watch-in-2023
https://www.ailoitte.com/blog/software-development-trends/
https://jelvix.com/blog/software-development-trends
https://www.itprotoday.com/software-development/5-software-development-trends-watch-2023