The software industry is witnessing a never-seen-before demand to deliver mission-critical products at a breakneck speed as well as ensure such products are high on quality, cost-effective and can seamlessly integrate across multiple systems. Software organizations are challenged to meet the ever-evolving customer needs and see Low-Code/No-Code application development as a massive opportunity to simplify and streamline the software development process without the need for extensive manual coding.
However, Low-Code/No-Code development has its share of implementation challenges - it lacks customization and has integration issues, especially with legacy systems. Further, security and reliability are other concerns with Low-Code as there is a degree of risk involved in working with Low-Code as you don’t have complete control or knowledge of the entire coding process. Despite these challenges, the potential upside makes it a go-to-option for organizations. Let us take a deep dive into how the Low-Code/No-Code movement is revolutionizing the software industry.
Differences between Low-Code versus No-Code
Low-Code is all about developing software, applications, or databases with the help of a graphical user interface (GUI) and can be fully customized with a minuscule amount of programming. Low-Code needs a visual integrated development environment (IDE) as the user simply has to leverage visual components to assemble their custom application. It offers the option to view or edit the source code and is cost-effective.
No-Code development can be deployed by anyone without any programming knowledge. Unlike Low-Code, No-Code does not offer the option of viewing or editing the source code. The No-Code space brings into play ‘citizen developers’ who build functional but generally limited apps without having to write a line of code. By leveraging a GUI, users can utilize No-Code development platforms by dragging and dropping features straight into their application framework.
Fast-Paced Software Development
Organizations leveraging Low-Code/No-Code platforms can enable software development within a few days or weeks, unlike traditional application development that can take weeks or even months. This allows for rapid speed-to-market as well as ensure software updates are carried out regularly as anyone can make changes irrespective of their level of coding knowledge. The absence of code writing also frees up software developers to focus on other more critical development tasks or even to focus on improvements to products or new products altogether – driving potential revenue.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Custom applications largely developed through traditional methods are built for one platform or another, e.g. Android or iOS. Such platforms have limitations owing to the costs involved in developing two different platforms. Certain Low-Code/No-Code development is cross-platform and can be deployed across multiple devices, but these are limited.
Cost-Reduction
Low-Code/No-Code serves as an enabler for building more applications/platforms in less time, which helps organizations reduce development costs. They also eliminate the need for hiring more software developers, thus helping keep a tight rein on staffing costs and improve productivity.
Lower Maintenance Burden
Software maintenance is a big responsibility for organizations. Low-Code reduces the software maintenance burden by reducing the plumbing work from day-to-day development. Since Low-Code ensures components are standardized, pretested and ready-made, organizations have to deal with fewer bugs and integration issues than in the past. It also ensures software developers spend less time on maintenance.
No Need for Training In-House Talent
Organizations can leverage Low-Code/No-Code to reduce time and effort in training their workforce. Such platforms do not need organizations to have developers trained in different programming languages. Often basic HTML knowledge is more than enough, which paves the way for organizations to deploy in-house IT professionals to execute their software development solutions.
Conclusion
Low-Code/No-Code is set for the long haul and not many would dispute that. According to a Forrester report, the Low-Code market is poised to touch an annual growth rate of 40%, with spending forecasted to hit a whopping $21.2 billion by 2022. By harnessing the power of Low-Code/No-Code, organizations can accelerate large-scale software development cost-effectively.
