Software Development Trends in 2020

With the new year well underway, we have been looking at the trends that we predict will be prevalent in the coming months. With so much happening in the world of technology, we are expecting some exciting software development trends in 2020.

The Rise of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used for a number of jobs that require enhanced analytical skill, or that need to process large amounts of information with a high degree of accuracy. Some of these roles include helping doctors with diagnoses, supporting businesses with customer relationship management via chatbots, as well as providing technology for autonomous vehicles. In 2020, we are already embarking on a number of AI-projects, such as predicting the measurement of surgical implants based on x-rays. Software development companies are continuing to use automated testing, but this year we will see a lot of other aspects of software development, like code generation, being undertaken by AI. AI is predicted to be one of the bigger software development trends of 2020, with more tasks being assigned to computers for higher accuracy, reliability, and speed.

Blockchain

Blockchain technology may have been the reason why bitcoin became so popular, but it is no longer restricted to this single use. We previously discussed how blockchain is going to help secure Internet of Things (IoT) networks because of the data security it offers. In addition, it can also be used to create smart contracts and provide transparency to business transactions. In fact, it might be one of the fastest growing software development trends in 2020.

The Internet of Things

IoT refers to ‘smart’ objects that are connected through a network, allowing them to communicate with each other. These include smart fridges, virtual assistants, and in the near future, autonomous vehicles. According to this report, we should see over 30 billion IoT devices in use in 2020. If you intend to stay ahead of the game, this might be a software development trend you invest in for your business.

Progressive Web Apps

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are web pages that are designed to look like a mobile app – giving users the best of both worlds. Since they are built as a web page, they have a larger pool of plugins, ecosystem, and community to rely on. They are also easier to build and deploy than a native mobile application. In addition, they use less data, don’t need regular updates, can be optimised for search, and give your customers a better experience, through linkable resources, responsive design, app-like interactions, and offline services.

Cloud Services

Cloud services have been around for a while now, but it has slowly become more prevalent. In fact, two of the software development trends mentioned previously, IoT and Blockchain, actually rely on cloud computing. It is also an essential requirement for Edge computing too. In addition, there are other types of cloud computing services like Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and Software as a Service. At DCSL Software we use Microsoft Azure,  but there are plenty of others emerging, making it one of the popular trends of 2020.

Conclusion

As you can see, software development trends in 2020 lean heavily towards quicker development and faster deployment. We are seeing more connectivity, which means there is a greater emphasis on developing security at the same time.