Computer screen with various code.
Navigating the UK Software Development Landscape: Trends and Opportunities
Stringent requirements that software must meet force its continuous development to keep pace with technological advancements, market demands, and global trends. Without ongoing software development, scientists and researchers would be unable to attain new levels of progress in fields such as medicine and finance. Essentially, the advancement of modern technology would come to a halt. The responsibility for further development lies in the hands of experts worldwide, with innovative and talented specialists in the UK playing a huge role. Let's navigate the UK software development landscape with a closer look at current trends and opportunities.
Remote and distributed development
The recent pandemic has given us a bitter and harsh lesson, detecting the challenges the current world is not ready to face, but it has shown a few benefits the population can take advantage of. One of the greatest powers people discovered when the pandemic started, was the possibility of working remotely from any part of the world. It was even possible to create the required software quickly, just to ensure the seamless functioning of offices.
The case of software development is not an exception, and the people taking part in a given project come from all over the world, regardless the distance, race, or nationality. What matters is knowledge, expertise, and self-discipline. The opening to employees from around the world gave businesses a real chance to use real talents, coming from different parts of the world, and presenting different skills, knowledge, and creativity.
Adoption of Agile and DevOps standards
Software development is no longer functioning without the use of Agile and DevOps standards, with a focus on collaboration, streamlining development processes, and faster product delivery. Agile has its function to assure responsiveness to changing requirements, and together with DevOps, which ensures integration and delivery, it improves the efficiency and flexibility of software.
Cloud computing development
Any software development company UK-based cannot and should never ignore the importance of cloud computing. With the constant increase in the number of data stored by companies, cloud storage is greatly scalable and cost-efficient. The outstanding possibilities of cloud computing require some help to ensure the proper activity of applications, such as containerisation and orchestration. Their great effort in developing and deploying applications should not be underestimated.
In the future, the cloud-native development trend will grow further, with lots of businesses safely sorting their infrastructure in the cloud and simultaneously using cloud-native technologies to build their software.
Exploring possibilities of AI and ML
It would be quite challenging to find an industry that has not been influenced by the growing power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Their undoubtful impact on almost every part of human life has reached the development of software too. The synergy of applications with AI and ML gives high comfort and efficiency for users, who receive automated processes, support with decision-making, and insight into data. It is expected to see an even bigger role of both technologies in software development shortly.
The importance of cybersecurity
One of the biggest concerns with the growing popularity of AI and constantly developing technology is cybersecurity. Companies operate a huge amount of data every day that needs to be secured, which is not an easy task taking into consideration the possibilities that artificial intelligence has. Application developers and providers need to put great emphasis on data privacy after the General Data Protection Regulation was announced.
Development of Low-Code and No-Code
The creation of an application is probably quite easy for a person with expertise and knowledge on how to do it. However, those who lack experience and do have not too much expertise in building applications should be happy about the growing trend of low-code and no-code development.
The user is willing to create their software and can do it now thanks to such development platforms, giving them a chance of creating it on their own, without the need to hire a development team. The effect of work will not be as professional as when prepared by a specialist, but with the promise of changes and developments, the applications and software may become better and better with any update.
Sustainability and energy efficiency
The great efforts taken in order to save the planet from destruction have reached the application and software industry. The software, especially the less modern one, needs to introduce extra energy-efficient plan, to reduce the carbon footprint. Using cloud-computing is an excellent idea but the hardware responsible for safe storage uses lots of energy, which makes the need for software development being sustainable and energy efficient urgent.
