Custom software development caters to the exact needs of the business. There are many things that you can’t get in the traditional software or the general-purpose software and it is why everyone is moving towards custom software development. In the year 2022, when everything has changed, many things have also developed in the last year due to the changed working style.
Pandemic has been a catalyst in changing the technology that businesses were using. It was already going at a good pace but the sudden change in the needs altered the pace and increased it for the betterment of the industry. Custom software development, being one of the most popular ways of software development, got even more popular with this. The main reason for this was the custom demands that businesses were facing.
Everyone was at home and wanted something according to their own preference and to cater to the customers effectively, brands had to change the way their software worked. They even had to change their enterprise software to make it suitable to the new working style.
Software and app development methods are changing with the time. Developers are finding new ways to make things better. With this, various standard trends have again started to change because people are now moving towards new things. In this article, we will get to know about all the important trends related to custom software development that you must look at in the year 2022.
It is not easy to keep up with them all but you can consider them to make a checklist and ensure that you have researched them all. You don’t know what amongst them can change the way you have always been making your software. Custom software already was great to businesses and now some trends are evolving the concept itself.
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Why is it So Important to Stay Updated with the Trends?
If you keep yourself updated with all the trends, you have the benefit of staying ahead of the competition. When you know what is going to change the face of some technology in a particular year, you can start implementing the changes before it actually happens. It is now something that people who are unaware of the trends will miss out on.
People who miss out on trends tend to stay way behind in the competition. Thinking that trends are momentary is not the right approach. There are trends that have become permanent and have taken the place of standard things.
In 2022, there are many trends that will come and go, and it is not just about custom software development. Trends are going to change every part of the development. Both web and app development will change and here, we are already talking about the custom software development trends.
Progressive web apps, integration and ML are some of the examples to look at while talking about the trends that will rule custom software development in 2022. With the same strategies, we can’t move ahead and wish for great results. We need to do something extra or unique to get better results.
Top Custom Software Development Trends
Custom software development is a new birth to your traditional business. It is no more a strange step but still a comprehensible task, which needs to be taken with care. Lets understand the result of digitisation and what has come out of the box in the form of tech trends.
1. Progressive Web Apps
If you have a business or know someone who wants to get an app developed but doesn’t have the budget for a native mobile app, they need to hear about progressive web apps. The year 2022 is all about getting experiences without spending a lot. PWAs alone or when implemented with IoT software development services are great alternatives to hybrid and native applications and they can run over any device. They just need a browser to run on.
The best thing is, when we open these apps, they behave exactly like a native mobile app. There are so many benefits of these applications for both the business owner company and also the consumers. Consumers get an alternative that they don’t have to download on their devices. This means that it will not take any space on their device. Another thing is these apps can also be used over a laptop. Even though the screen size and other things along with the performance is not optimum, still it leverages the mobile app like experience.
Applications developed by an experienced progressive web app development company are really light and they give the advantage of being available on the Google Search Results. It means that you can take advantage of SEO. These are basically websites but they are developed in a way, so they behave exactly like mobile applications.
The progressive web apps are developed using the same technology used for developing web applications, but still PWA differs a lot from simple web apps. A developer needs a perfect knowledge of HTML5, CS3 and JavaScript with the splendid UX abilities. It is why you might have to find expert PWA developers? These developers can understand what you require and can give you what you exactly want.
Progressive web apps are great for your consumers as well. They will not have to worry about their device space or the app always using the battery and all other things. Also, they can open it on any other device when their own device is not available to them. There are many other benefits that they can have because of PWAs. It can be great for eCommerce companies that are looking for a low-priced option that works perfectly like a native application.
2. Integration
Stand-alone software is not always sufficient for the organisation. Everyday technology is changing and demands a great change. Coding everything from scratch is a heavy task and also time taking. One easy solution is to collaboration with other service provider. A custom software development company either outsource the additional development task or integrate the API tools for embedding the new functionalities in existing software. Business processes can be streamlined and the multiple tools can be worked in harmony with rich integration.
A pretty common example for such integration is the login API integration to the existing software. Today almost every app or software offers a login feature using social media profiles. This is possible with the help of API provided by such companies.
In other terms, it eases out the task of project development and reduces the redundancy.
3. Cross-Platform Development
Also known as multichannel or omnichannel development, cross-platform development is the voice of development in 2022. The needs of customers are increasing day by day and so is the variation. Now the internet has made the world a global village and the variety of devices, types of clients, technologies, and languages have increased over time.
Today, businesses need a software development company that considers future transformations, follows a secure SDLC, and is willing to provide technological solutions that can enable tools for more than just one channel, device, or even operating system.
Cross-platform development solutions are prevalent in various industries all over the world. And it is not just limited to e-commerce development. The number of mobile internet users is continuously growing each day and there is no sign of stopping or even slowing down.
With this increase, platform independence is something that somehow becomes mandatory for the success of any kind of business. It will help them reach more and more customers and no stone can be left unturned if the customers are able to access websites or applications from their favoured devices.
4. Cloud
Customers are swiftly moving away from maintaining and storing data on-premises. As the deadly pandemic hit the world, most offices were closed and there was a tough time retrieving all the data. On the other hand, companies that used the cloud for data operation and modification were in benefit.
Within a year, companies have shifted to cloud like never before. It has not only given them a sense of portability but is also extremely secure and has amazingly beneficial capabilities. Hybrid solutions are also there where there is a combination of on-premises and cloud data.
Although, it is a very complex process to carry on for a software development company but if analysed and done carefully, it provides fruitful results in no time. Additionally, cloud application development and hybrid computing readily cater to the business requirements of the customers and ensures that resources are fully utilized for greater performance and advanced technologies.
5. AR
Augmented Reality is slowly getting into the apps now and people are finding the importance and use of it. Now, let us tell you a bit more about AR. AR technology is used to augment the real objects into the virtual world, it can be used to either try some glasses while shopping from an eCommerce store and see how they would look on your face? Or, you can make anything look like it is there when it will all be just on the phone screen.
AR is one of the technologies that can change the future of eCommerce and real estate and many other industries with extraordinary AI software solutions. Some people are still not understanding these things but if you do, you can really get great benefits if you can see the potential of this technology.
What you can do is, just set up a team and make them research about, if AR can be used for your business or not? If the results are favourable, then just find the relevant people who can make it possible for you. AR has been immensely important in healthcare software development. You can use it with your already existing application or get a new application made from scratch. There are a few chances when your legacy system might not support it but that is the time when you know that you have to update the system.
6. Primary Digital World
Post-Covid outbreak, the digital transformation has taken a vivid place. Before COVID-19, it was almost impossible for any web development company to work seamlessly and approach almost every industry for web solutions. Now in fact, multi-purpose web solutions are in demand and growth is surprisingly high.
Businesses are slowly moving to the digital world in all manners. There are technologies like cloud, DevOps, and contactless services that have changed the way how apps were developed? The data of these businesses is stored over the cloud storage platforms, they are even hosted on these platforms. If we consider a number then almost 63.3% of businesses have prioritized digital transformation.
7. Machine Learning
Machine learning has been the talk of the town for so many years. When blended with custom software development, it has emerged as a tool that has become revolutionary in itself. Since the process of custom software development involved the adaptation of prefabricated commercial solutions, machine learning has made the process way easier.
In machine learning, the transfer of data within applications was refrained by companies due to their security purposes and internal policies. In 2022, the spotlight is on how web development services can provide customized solutions that are efficient and have legitimate use of data as well as resources.
The development and training of modules in machine learning is a tough and time-taking task. Developers have a tough time training modules that provide maximum efficiency in a project module. In order to increase productivity and variety, it is important to have expertise in research.
Machine learning is going to be in the market for a long time and it is very important to have complete control over this technology so that it can be used with custom software development successfully. Machine learning will continue to thrive in the market and having proper control over it will give custom software development added benefits.
8. Blockchain
So, you might already know what Blockchain is and you might be thinking that this is not a trend that came in 2022, it was already there. You are not at all wrong. The blockchain trend has already changed a lot and that is what has made people realize that there is more to it. The trend that people are experiencing now is the exploration of Blockchain and experimenting with different other technologies. People have used Blockchain development services with ML and that is actually one of the greatest integrations ever.
Blockchain is one of the technologies that have changed the way people transact on the internet. Cryptocurrencies are possible because of them only. The rise in the trend lately has given fuel to new software that can be having transactions through them and that is when the developers will need to use blockchain.
Many applications like Netflix are already using Blockchain for transparency and backend. They are getting many benefits and that has given more companies reasons to use it in their software. So, this is the time when you can get into this and find out if this is the technology that you want to be integrated into your new custom software.
9. Remote Working Apps
Another great trend that has been there for the past year is the trend of remote working apps. Now, there are enterprises that are getting customized remote working applications. It is something that can help enterprises increase the productivity of their employees. There are many companies that have got them integrated with their custom software and increased the efficiency of that software. Now, it is important to see how they can help your organization. It is one of the things that will stay for a long time or maybe forever.
Companies also understand that remote working has improved the efficiency and reduced the costs that they had to incur on appliances and the locations and the amenities that they had to provide to their employees. Now, they still have to give them the allowances, but in a way, they have saved a lot through these applications. These can be meeting apps or sync apps. Whatever it may be, it has to be really thoughtful and well-planned after proper research.
10. E-Commerce App Solutions
Ecommerce is the biggest gainer. Now, the trend in this year is that the experiences that people used to get on the eCommerce websites have changed. It will change a lot of things for the coming website. They already have to be prepared for the competition. With AR, AI, and many great technologies coming in, there are many great things that can be done in the eCommerce industry.
The customers can get better features and the store owners can get better insights because of the AI. They can improve their sales and let people know about more things that they might not have been buying till now.
11. Low-Code Development
Do you know about WordPress and Wix, they are low or no-code website building tools? Just like that, there is a new trend where now custom software can also be developed with the help of low or no code at all. It is something that makes the process easy and really fast. But you still need to hire software developers for channeling the process. Now, what can be futuristic if not this. Now, if you want to get an app that suits your needs and can be developed in no time, you have an option for that.
Low-code development can be a big trend in the coming future and that is why it is better that you tap on it before it gets into the light. There are many companies that are already doing their research to improve the efficiency of the software through this technique.
12. Containers and Microservices
There are many companies that have already adapted the containers and microservices trend powered by Kubernetes. Kubernetes is one of the best tools that can be used to manage the containers and microservices used by an organization.
It is expected that this market will grow from $744 Million (2020) to $1.5 Billion (2026). It is great growth and if something is growing at such a pace and you are not learning about it or are planning to see how it fits into your custom software, you are letting a big opportunity go out of hand. To save yourself from regrets in the future, just try and have a look at it.
Upcoming Trends in Custom Software Development
Industry is outpacing the previous numbers and custom software development is not an alien step even for small business. Amidst all, lets know, what else could turn up:
1. Open-Source Development
There has been a great rise in the number of people who have started using open-source software. In the past year and in the present year as well, the graph is going in the upward direction and there are people who believe that it will grow exponentially in the coming years. It tells us how open-source software can become popular again and get the space that they deserve in the custom development market.
2. VR
Just like AR, VR is one of the technologies that will change the way people shop and experience things on the web. There is an option to hire big data developers that are continuously gathering data in order to sequential the process.
There are some products that people still are afraid of buying without trying them. It is the reason why people need to understand the importance of this technology and try to use it, if they see any relevance in their custom software development.
3. Mixed Reality (MR)
People are really confused when they hear the term Mixed reality. It is one of the most promising future techs and a mixture of reality and virtual reality. It is basically something that will focus on visualization with the help of virtual reality. One exciting concept that you need to know about.
Conclusion
Trends are important, if you can go with them, and adapt to them, you get the best results. If you don’t adopt them and keep going on your traditional path, you are just losing opportunities. We have mentioned above all the trends that would be important in relation to custom software development this year. Now it’s your turn to find out more about these ones, if you think they are relevant for your business.