The world is modernizing and digitizing at a pace that requires businesses to go from ideation to product launch in the blink of an eye. Despite numerous design sprints and defined development processes, the ability to conceive an app quickly had always been a dream until the emergence of no-code/low-code solutions. Low-code software has been an enormous blessing for non-programmers and anyone outside the IT department. These tools instantly allow users to develop mobile and web apps with drag-and-drop features and without coding mandates. 

According to IDC, more than 500 million apps will be developed by 2023. While businesses battle with the shortage of talented developers, low-code and no-code tools allow non-software professionals to independently create the bulk of these applications without going through a lengthy design process. The success of these visual tools lies in their business-focused pre-built components that teach everything from the basics of the software to building an application at an enterprise scale. 

Is 2022 the year of no-code/low-code solutions? 

No-code and low-code tools do not require users to write a single line of code in any programming language, including C++ or Python. As a result, the low-code development platform market is expanding. With the introduction of Artificial Intelligence into these offerings, the scope to use LCAP has widened beyond simple app-building activity. Businesses have started to use the low-code development platform to solve complex functions, detect content based on pre-fed parameters, insert information in templates, and integrate legacy systems. 

The year 2022 was one of the path-breaking years for the industry. The “2022 Predictions: Software Development” report published by Forrester predicted that almost all development tools would include an AI bot by the end of the year. While low-code tools were expected to lose momentum, the lack of developer resources sustained the need for LCAP companies. Consequently, this has led to the development of three important low-code necessities. 

• This year companies also focused on converting from monolithic apps to microservices using AI routines that allows developers to use automated AI for repetitive code sequence.  
• Interestingly, low-code platforms were also deployed for API management as these tools simplify integrations and logic. Although the underlying nature of API is evidently complex, low-code platforms are demystifying the need for large systems with drag-and-drop interface. 
• There is a growing trend for AI bots that is gaining momentum for code completion. These tools help automate coding process and allow citizen developers to identify best coding practices.   

Recent business deals in the industry 

Taking advantage of this growing need, Jitterbit, a US-based API transformation company, acquired PrimeApps, a Turkey-based low-code application development service, in January 2022 to build an end-to-end platform that allows non-technical individuals to develop and deploy enterprise-grade business apps. The same month, emids announced the acquisition of a leading low-code provider Cloud Development Resources (CDR) that would support healthcare and life science companies. By acquiring Grow Inc in March 2022, Epicor ERP now offers low-code BI tool to their offerings. This deal will allow the ERP vendor to offer flexibile analytics capabilities. In April 2022, Globant acquire GeneXus that developed a low-code platform that is used across industries that helps businesses with their digital transformation journey. One of the formidable players in the LACP industry, OutSystems acquired Ionic in November 2022 to offer a range of development approaches from open source to low-code that will become instrumental in developing enterprise-grade applications. 

Top five players in the industry 

The obvious benefit of low-code/no-code development for businesses is the ability to deliver business solutions without professional developers. While no company can ever do without developers, these tools enable companies to leverage the in-house talent to participate in their digital transformation efforts. There are many different players in the industry, but some have evolved to find solid ground in recent types. Here is a list of the top five low-code players in the LCAP industry.

1. The no-code/low-code solution from Progress Kinvey is used to build flexible and scalable omnichannel apps. The Progress Kinvey platform offers Kinvey Studio, Serverless Platform Architecture, Kinvey Chat, Kinvey Data Pipeline, and Native Multi-channel. 
2. Outsystems is an omnichannel low-code platform that recently announced the new AI Mentor System that covers critical aspects of SDL. The company also released a New Cloud-Native Development Solution that allows IT teams to build cloud-native applications with better collaboration.
3. Mendix is a highly productive platform that is focused on building a comprehensive ecosystem. Recently Mendix and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced that the Mendix platform would be available in the AWS marketplace across industries, including insurance, banking, and manufacturing. 
4. Appian is a low-code platform that uses AI to improve business processes. They launched auto-generated site-structure diagrams and record portals that give users a better perspective and insight into data. 
5. The low-code platform Microsoft, PowerApps uses industry-leading cognitive AI technology. The SaaS solution leverages Common Data Service (CDS) to ensure more manageable maintenance. 

Future of Low-code/no-code solutions

The rapid advancement of low-code and no-code tools creates a more collaborative environment, thus removing development boundaries and improving productivity. As the dependency on IT teams diminishes, they can focus on digital transformation efforts that will allow the business to grow and succeed. According to Gartner, 65% of application development projects will rely on low-code development by 2024, and by 2026, 80% of the low-code development tools will be used by professionals outside IT departments. This insight is well-supported by the growing investment in low-code technologies. 

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