The Rapid Growth of Low-Code and No-Code Platforms

The low-code and no-code development trends are booming, driven by digital transformation demands, hyper-automation needs, and enhanced business agility. Market growth is evident, with diverse platforms catering to different user needs.

FREMONT, CA: In the developing technological landscape, one trend stands out prominently–the surge in the low-code and no-code development market. Various factors drive this phenomenon, including the soaring demand for digital transformation, the need for swift application development, and the pursuit of enhanced business agility. According to Gartner, the global market for low-code technologies is projected to reach a staggering $26.9 billion in 2023, showing a remarkable growth of 19.6% from the previous year.

Low-code development represents a groundbreaking software development approach that employs graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and visual tools to design applications. This method significantly reduces the coding requirements, accelerating the application development process. Given the dynamic nature of customer expectations, the demand for hybrid work tools, and the intensifying competition in the business landscape, it's no surprise that low-code is experiencing a meteoric rise.

Several factors contribute to the surging popularity of Low-Code development:

Digital Transformation Demand: In an increasingly competitive environment, businesses are racing to digitise their operations. Low-code development provides an efficient way to create the necessary applications to support these digital transformation initiatives.

Hyper Automation Necessity: Hyper automation, which involves orchestrating multiple advanced technologies for end-to-end business process automation, is on the rise. To keep up with this rapid pace of change, businesses require the ability to develop applications quickly. low-code, coupled with robotic process automation tools, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, emerges as a key solution for successful hyper-automation initiatives.

Enhanced Business Agility: Businesses must adapt swiftly to market changes. low-code development streamlines the process of building and deploying new applications, enabling organisations to respond promptly to evolving market dynamics.

IT Democratisation: A significant portion of employees within organisations are business technologists–individuals outside IT departments who create technology or analytics capabilities for their own use. Most lack a traditional development background, so they rely heavily on low-code and no-code tools to develop solutions tailored to their needs.

In the domain of low-code development, not all platforms are created equal. They vary regarding targeted users, including functions and features, and the use cases they address.

The Low-Code market can be divided into three main categories:

Regular Low-code: This type is best for empowering non-technical users in businesses to create simple applications. It simplifies coding to a high degree, making it accessible to people without a development background. It's typically used by business units or departments for tasks that involve graphical programming and scripting.

Enterprise-Level Low-code: This category is suitable for organisations aiming to comprehensively support their digital transformation efforts. It's geared towards professional developers and focuses on automating processes and handling complex workflows within the enterprise.

High-Performance Low-code: Designed to tackle intricate and high-stakes projects, this type targets professional developers. It's intended for developing complex software for external customers and internal use. High-performance low-code offers end-to-end application development capabilities, including full-stack development, extreme agility, robust security, and the ability to handle large-scale projects.

Choosing the appropriate platform holds paramount importance in enabling business units to create uncomplicated applications. For routine tasks, a standard low-code platform may suffice. Whereas undertaking ambitious digital transformation endeavours, opting for a high-performance, low-code platform is the more suitable choice.

The trajectory of low-code development indicates continued growth. The driving forces remain unchanged for the escalating demand for digital transformation, the urgency of rapid application development, and the imperative of enhanced business agility. As the market expands, the emergence of new low-code platforms addresses the challenges associated with low-code development, such as the scarcity of skilled resources and the complexity of certain platforms.

More businesses are likely to adopt low-code development as they recognise its manifold benefits. The low-code and no-code trend is gaining momentum rapidly. Fueled by the growing need for digital solutions and cost-effective alternatives, No-Code solutions are predicted to play an important role in business operations in the next five years.