DEVOPSdigest

As low-code/no-code adoption rises, so do questions of how it may impact the future of software development. Low-code/no-code opens the door for new ways of collaboration with teams who have little to no development experience. It offers hope to bogged down IT teams, who are constantly working to build new and improved applications and products.

While coding and software development will likely always play an important role in any organization, low-code/no-code tools have the potential to shift IT's approach to software delivery. I asked several DevOps Institute Ambassadors to weigh in on how they think low-code/no-code is shaping the future of software development.

Here are key insights they shared with me:

Shriniwas Sathe
DevOps Chief Architect and CoE Leader at Capgemini

The future of software development is rapidly changing with the advent of low-code/no-code tools. There has always been a dearth of professional developers in the industry, which leads to inefficient development times and unending IT backlogs, further leading to a huge burden on the IT department.

These tools allow normal employees to create their own custom applications in a safe environment, which prevents threats like shadow IT and data security breaches and allows for creativity and new solutions.

Even if low-code/no-code tools are used to simply create minimum viable products (MVPs) or simple mock-ups of an idea, these ideas can be made into reality by the professional developers working alongside the normal employees. This freedom signifies a shift from traditional development processes towards more collaborative and inclusive development methods, where the IT department is no longer solely in charge.

Brendan O'Reilly
DevOps Specialist, Daysha DevOps

Low-code/no-code reduces the cost of delivering data driven applications and eliminates the pain of “spreadsheet spaghetti.”

Peter Maddison
Founder, Xodiac, Inc.

In today's world where change is happening so fast, the ability to identify and respond quickly will decide if your enterprise experiences growth or stagnation. Low-code development platforms are rigid which means that businesses need to constantly update their software with new tools as it changes; otherwise they'll be left behind by the generation of users who demand more than what these low code systems can provide them.

The future of coding is a mix between traditional practices and low-code/no-code platforms. Coding will never disappear entirely, but investing in the new way to manage your enterprise would be best for every business owner.

There's nothing more important than solving critical problems with effective tools by either one or both methods; now is the time to make that decision.The promise of low-code/no-code environments has been around since the days of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). It is really the advent of microservices architectures and API economy that has enabled this to become a viable solution and finally deliver on those promises.

Mark Peters
Technical Lead, Novetta

These functions are not about shaping the future of software development but tied to the processes which shape characteristics around software development. The ability to use a graphical no-code interpretation or common language piece shows in tools where multiple functions along the CI/CD can be integrated for a developer with minimal training. Engineers with experience in other sectors can drag and drop the tests rather than having to learn a new language. This allows aggregating a wider scope of functions and increasing overall value.

One can see the genesis of no-code applications in the DevOps desire to automate everything. The more I can automate a process, the further I can move it from the code. This works great when adjusting but will still have less value when discussing the need for new and original code.

Another good example might be motion capture technology, systems which once required code for every element and each miniscule motion, now can be handled through putting on a suit and simply moving. The intensive code interactions have been turned into no-code, and if the only request is to add another arm to the model, perhaps low-code is sufficient. In all cases, CIOs should judge their unique use case to determine what value, low, or no-code options might bring to their business

Vishnu Vasudevan
Head of Product Engineering and Development, Opsera

Low-code/no-code is helping to address the growing cloud and security issues in IT. If teams continue to build the do-it-yourself model or use any open source software, they are inevitably going to be challenged with security roadblocks.

For example, today if an organization uses a complete open source model, the plugins may be managed by different owners. If that owner moves away, is not managing it or maintaining it, then IT teams may not know what kind of vulnerabilities a product has at any certain point in time.

Sometimes once you hit a roadblock, there's no way to fix the problems, so you will have to do a lot of things: invest, pay penalties, etc. That's where low-code/no-code is shaping the future of software development: it is rededicating teams to application lifecycle management so certain engineering teams don't have to worry about the infrastructure, the security policy upkeep, or the compliance issues of the tools being used.

Learn more about low-code/no-code and similar topics, by registering for an upcoming SKILup Day. Or, start your upskilling journey by learning more about the benefits of DevOps Institute membership.