2022 was a rough year for many businesses as they faced strict regulations that forced them to embrace the use of new technologies and review their digital strategies. Due to this, there was a rise of unforeseen trends relating to the growth of the software development industry. Looking ahead, it is vital to have a good understanding of the major trends that are already shaping the software development industry in 2022. This article takes a detailed look at the top 5 trends in the software development industry. Read on to find out more.

Top 5 trends in software development for 2022

Artificial intelligence 

 Artificial intelligence is one of the leading technology that is a competitive differentiator. Although AI has been popular since its introduction, it wasn’t until about 10 years ago when it experienced a surge in adoption by so many businesses. At this point, enterprises looking to stay relevant in their industries cannot afford to overlook the use of AI technologies. AI plays a critical role in processing extensive data sets, extracting data patterns, and carrying out certain functions faster than humans can. It is the technology behind various innovations, including facial recognition, voice recognition, behavior algorithms, self-driving cars, search engine suggestions, maps, chatbots, virtual assistants, and more. In 2022, there will be an increase in the use of AI to power business processes in areas that include:  

  • Intelligent process automation
  • Robotic process automation 
  • Performance-boosting chips for apps 
  • Data growth and optimization 
  • Cybersecurity and data breach solutions 
  • Quantum computing 
  • Internet of Things 

In all, the potentials of AI technologies are enormous and beneficial to the enterprise.

 Internet of things and edge computing

IoT refers to a system of interrelated and internet-connected networks of digital devices that collects and share data. It is a catch-all term for the growing number of electronics that can collect information over the internet. As these devices collect more and more data, IT companies will continue to explore cheaper and faster ways of processing it all, leading to the rise of edge computing. Edge computing allows for the use of a group of micro data centers to process data near the device or at the edge of the network, thus cutting down the time and costs of moving the entire data to a centralized server. 

With edge computing enhancing the speed of processing large data sets, IoT devices will function faster in real-time, even if they’re in places with unstable internet connections. As this occurs, we will see database and network engineers and developers prioritize the creation of the infrastructure for the future of IoT. With IoT applications set to become even more relevant in the software industry at both the consumer and industry level, Statista predicts this will be one of the top trending software with $1.6 trillion earned by 2025. 

Progressive web applications 

Progressive Web Apps are hit right now. PWAs are quite different from native mobile apps because they are web-delivered apps intended to work on any platform that uses a standards-compliant browser. In other words, they combine the functions of native apps and web accessibility without involving app stores. PWAs work with the Service Worker script and are easy to develop and maintain. They can work offline or on poor connectivity, are safe and secure (HTPPS protocols and TLS), can send notifications, and access device hardware such as cameras or GPS. Due to their immense benefits, global companies like Uber, Twitter, Pinterest, Alibaba, Starbucks, and others have leveraged the use of this technology. Furthermore, the adoption of Progressive Web Applications by enterprises will continue to rise since it eliminates the need to download different apps and allows businesses to develop mobile versions of websites. Progressive web applications are the multi-platform development future. 

Outsourcing of software development services

One of the impacts of the Covid-19 virus is that it forced companies to tighten their belts in software development and seek efficient yet cost-effective alternatives. This led to the significant growth in demand for software development outsourcing to reduce costs, ensure top-notch quality and remain competitive. More enterprises run frequent software developer recruitment exercises, searching for talented IT specialists who can develop high-quality custom software projects within a budget. With many companies still recovering from the effects of the turbulence experienced last year, experts predict increased adoption of web development outsourcing. Before the advent of the pandemic, the global market of outsourced services rose from $45.6 billion in 2000 to $92.5 billion, indicating that even without the pandemic, software outsourcing was already a booming market due to the plethora of benefits it offers, including cost efficiency, better quality, speed up development, reduced risks, etc. Thus 2022, will see an increased demand for:

  • Skilled developers
  • Enhanced experience in AI and IoT
  • Cloud outsourcing 
  • Higher spending on outsourcing vendors  
  • Outsourcing relation changes etc

 A primarily digital world

Furthermore, the Covid-19 pandemic forced many businesses to reorganize their work processes and develop new approaches to digitize everything they can, from operations to customer experiences. The sudden realization by enterprises that they need to move toward a primarily digital world led to the creation and rapid implementation of new priorities by businesses to enable them to stay afloat. As the number of applications hits the roof and cloud infrastructure becomes ubiquitous, front-end development will become more important. This will, in turn, spike the demand for developers who will play a critical role in building the post-pandemic world. 

 Conclusion

Like other industries, the software development industry was affected by the COVID pandemic, and the impact will remain for as long as the world battles the virus. However, it is still possible to predict what will be the major trend in 2022. The trends listed above are already impacting the industry. This implies that businesses interested in becoming more competitive, streamlining processes, and automating actions must leverage these trends and the benefits that they offer. Interested in creating a software development strategy that works for your enterprise? BlueOptima can be of help. At BlueOptima, we accelerate your software delivery with transparency and provide the right metrics to make your development team more efficient.