Mobile devices and computers will continue to play a huge role in our lives for many years to come. We rely so much on applications and software to help us in our daily tasks at work and most likely in our homes. Apps have allowed us to work more efficiently and live our lives easily and safely.
Custom apps can help teams become more productive, enhance sales, reduce costs, and automate processes. Bespoke software centralizes and secures critical data. All these lead to an overall improvement in business operations.
Stats also showed how software development became the driver of businesses’ and consumers’ lives. Statista reported 6 trillion USD global spending on enterprise software for 2021 while global consumer spending on mobile apps in Q2 of 2021 was at 34 billion USD. Meanwhile, around 27.6 billion Google Play app downloads were reported in Q3 of 2021.
Now that we have an idea of how well this market performed this year, let’s focus on the hottest trends, the exciting predictions as to what holds in the future for software and app development. Here’s our curated list for 2022.
Focus on Improved Technologies
Software developers in 2022 will continue to use the latest technologies to create better, more efficient software. Just a few of the technologies to watch out for are Mixed Reality (MR), cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AR), and blockchain technology.
MR is a combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (VR). This technology has become widely popular recently and the latest data showed that this market is expected to grow up to $9.982 billion in 2024. MR helps with the design of products and engineering tasks using 3D modeling and VR technology. It is also predicted that more businesses will use MR next year.
Cloud solutions have been widely used by different types of businesses for many years. Cloud computing is efficient, scalable, and secure, businesses prefer this platform as the transition is easier and seamless. Many companies will shift to cloud computing in 2022 to scale their business operations.
AI enhances the speed of many software development tasks such as testing. AI is the heart of automated testing tools which improve the speed of test case suites. These tools can also enter data, compare results, and create reports. In 2022, many businesses will rely on the power of AI to make custom software. Many developers will continue to use next year to produce the best software for various industries.
Blockchain is not just about cryptocurrencies. It’s the technology that introduces decentralization and transparency to many businesses. Experts predict massive growth in the industry in the coming years. More businesses will use blockchain technology in 2022 for supply chain management, security, analytics, and many more.
Enhanced Container Development
Software developers use container solutions to create, share, and run applications that they are developing. The term “container” refers to a standard tool that takes all the codes and their dependencies. Container solutions help apps run seamlessly from one computing platform to another which is why it’s popular among new developers.
Just some of the top providers of container development are Docker, Swarm, and Kubernetes. These companies are expected to receive a higher demand for their technologies and services in 2022 as more developers will adopt container development to create reliable software and apps.
Growth of the Internet of Things
Internet of Things or IoT has bridged many industries to create a safer, more efficient, and smart environment in homes and businesses. There are countless equipment, appliances, and machines that have adopted IoT and this list continues to grow.
At home, IoT will continue to integrate many appliances, entertainment units, and home security and safety equipment. Homeowners and families will rely on IoT to create a more comfortable and safer living environment. In offices and manufacturing plants, IoT will connect different equipment for seamless operations. Industries that are expected to use IoT in 2022 are retail and transportation.
JavaScript Will Become More Popular
The software development market is expanding daily. Businesses and consumers require web development services more and more. This behavior has triggered the use and the popularity of JavaScript and this is expected to continue in 2022.
JavaScript is one of the most popular programming languages as it’s easy to use. Beginners in web development find it easy to learn JavaScript than other tools. JavaScript is not just efficient from the developer side but also from the client side which is why it’s worth considering in 2022.
Software Development Predictions Worth Checking Out
The coronavirus pandemic has forever changed the way software developers created applications. Many businesses and organizations adopted new business models and trends which placed pressure on developers to deliver better and more dynamic experiences to users.
Many developers rose to the challenge and have met the rising expectations of their clients in 2021.
One-third of business enterprises will use event-driven architectures (EDA) for 2022.
Interest in EDA will increase in 2022 and around 35% of enterprises will use this as their major architecture.
50% of enterprise software development teams will prefer consolidated DevOps tool kits.
Holistic toolchains will become widely used despite the availability of best-in-breed applications. DevOps tool kits allow easy automated governance and compliance and are thus preferred by more builders.
Almost all development tools will integrate AI bots in the last quarter of 2022.
2021 is the era for AI with top developer tools integrating this technology into their work. Tools like IBM AI for Code, GitHub Copilot, and AI stack use Ail; similar tools will greatly impact the software development industry for years to come.
Final Words
Software developers will have their hands full in 2022 as businesses, groups, and enterprises will demand better, more efficient software. Anticipating these trends will help developers create the best products for their customers, not just next year but the incoming as well.
