Low-code development is booming: Develop and deploy from anywhere in the world

What if every business user in your company was also a developer,?capable of building and maintaining their own applications—without the help of a large IT department?

What if your marketing, operations, and HR departments could build tools perfectly suited to their unique requirements?whenever?needed?

That is the promise?low-code development brings to the table. Low-code development has been with us for decades, though it's only recently become popular. It's a viable solution to the problem of high costs, time-to-market requirements, and hiring market conditions.

Gartner states that by 2025, 70% of new applications developed by organizations will use low-code or no-code technologies.?This?would be a significant increase from less than 25% in 2020.

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What is low-code?

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In short, low-code development is a software development method?where users rely on?visual tools to build applications. Low-code development software provides an intuitive interface, allowing users to drag and drop pre-built blocks and configure them according to their requirements.

It reduces the time it takes to create software solutions compared to traditional software development methods.

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Key factors driving low-code adoption

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There is already a wide gap between the number of available developers in the market and the number of businesses needing their services. And Gartner predicts that the need for developers will continue to grow in?the coming years. Low-code will relieve businesses by providing a practical solution for their IT and software solutions needs.

As of 2019, no code/low code platforms had generated?$10.3 billion in revenue. GlobeNewswire indicates that this value will rise to $187 billion by 2030. This explosive growth demonstrates the radical shift towards IT solutions development.

Low-code offers many benefits:

• It is less expensive than traditional software development.
• It's efficient, since?an application can be created quickly with fewer resources than traditionally needed.
• It requires less coding than traditional development methods. Low-code platforms provide a visual interface so users can?easily drag and drop components to build an application.

Overall, low-code development software is user-friendly and requires less coding knowledge. For this reason, less time is needed to develop an application, and the training time for users is shortened.

Further, low-code development software often comes with a library of pre-built components. These components are essential for developing an application quickly.??Reusing components reduces the resources needed to create an application from scratch.

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Why is low-code development so popular?

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One of the main reasons for the success of low-code is pre-built applications. Pre-built applications speed up the development process, so much so that?Forrester and Redhat estimate low-code reduces development time by 90%.

Low-code development is a viable investment option. You can invest in the technology knowing that you won’t need a full-sized development team for it to be a success.

A low-code development platform means that you do not need a dedicated IT architect. This is a great benefit, as it frees up resources that can create value elsewhere in the organization.

Low-code platforms are also generally easier to use and require less training. By reducing the need for staff with specific expertise, you can prevent bottlenecks in your organization.

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Low-code drastically reduces?shadow?IT risks

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Critically, low-code development makes it possible to achieve your IT goals and cut shadow IT risks. Shadow IT describes the unauthorized use of information technology within an organization (Have you ever come across colleagues that have built excel macros at their desks, but?they're not?fully supported by the IT function?).

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Shadow?IT introduces several risks to your business:

Security risks: The organization risks data breaches and cyberattacks by allowing employees to use unauthorized applications. These applications may not have the same security controls as sanctioned applications and may not follow data privacy and security regulations.

Compliance?risks: There's an increased risk of non-compliance with internal policies and external regulations (think GDPR, for example).

Operational risks: You may see reduced productivity and increased support costs. Unsanctioned applications may not be compatible with the organization's IT infrastructure and may require extra support from the IT department.

Reputational risks: Your organization is at risk of damaging its reputation. Unauthorized applications may be used for illegal or unethical purposes, and the organization may be held responsible for the actions of its employees.

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Low-code helps you protect your organization by creating a more centralized environment for IT development and operations. This makes work easier to track and makes it easier to manage development projects.

As low-code development employs automated and standardized development processes, you ensure "on the go" compliance with your company's IT policies—without expensive audits!

Finally, low-code development improves communication and collaboration between IT and business users. It's more likely than not that IT will take part in business development projects from an early stage.

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Ideal projects for low-Code development

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The ideal project for low-code development varies depending on your organization's specific needs. Still, some general types of projects may be well suited?to low-code development.

• Applications with minimal custom code. Low-code development software is ideal for these applications, as?it minimizes the amount of code that needs to be written. This way, it's easier to create applications that are less likely to contain errors.?
• Applications that need to be effortlessly modified or updated. Low-code users can make changes to the code without recompiling the entire application. Making small application changes is easier without going through the whole development process all over again.
• Applications requiring cross-platform deployment. Low-code development software is an excellent solution for applications requiring multi-platform deployment. It enables developers to create applications without writing code for each platform, and ensures applications will be consistent across all platforms.
• Applications?that serve a wide range of users. With low-code development software, there is no need for coding expertise or experience. Almost anyone can use it to create an application. This is ideal for businesses that need to make applications accessible to many users. There is no need to hire expensive developers or train existing staff members in coding.

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Start your low-code development journey

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The first step to successful low-code development is to choose the right platform for your needs.

There are three types of low-code platforms:

Rapid application development (RAD)

A rapid application development (RAD) platform is a good choice if you need a quick and easy platform, and require little customization.

There are a few different types of RAD tools, but they all share a few standard features.

?RAD tools allow users to create applications without writing any code, and come with a library of pre-built components. Users drag and drop the components into place to make an application. ?

Additionally, RAD tools provide a visual interface. Users can put the application together and see how it will look when finished. ?

Finally, RAD tools often have built-in tools for testing and deploying the application. These tools make the process of creating an application much faster and easier.?

The main disadvantage of RAD is that it can be challenging to track a project's progress, and to see how the project's different parts fit together. This means, it isn't easy to schedule projects and ensure all the necessary components are completed on time.

Additionally, RAD can be quite expensive. It often requires the use of specialized software and hardware. The development team typically invests a lot of time and effort in setting up the platform.

Pre-built Applications

A pre-built platform?allows you to?customize a pre-built application to meet your needs.

This lets you avoid building everything from scratch and gives you a head start on developing your application.

There are a few potential negatives to using a pre-built platform.

Customization can be time?consuming and expensive. It's essential to weigh the costs and benefits before deciding whether to use a pre-built platform.

You may be limited in customization options, and the platform may not be well-suited to your specific needs. If you have a particular use case that the platform doesn't account for, you may be out of luck.

Further, you may be reliant on the platform provider for support and updates. If the platform has any major issues, you'll need to wait for the provider to release a fix or update. It can be a significant pain if you rely on the platform for critical business functions.

Custom application development (CADP)?

A CADP is the best choice if you need a custom-made platform for your needs.

With a custom application development platform (CADP),??you create a platform that is unique to your company and not based on any existing platform. The platform will evolve as your company's needs change over time.

However, there are some inconveniences and negatives to using custom application development.

The cost of developing and maintaining a custom platform can be expensive. If the platform is not well designed, it will be difficult and time-consuming to create applications with it.

If the platform is not well supported, documented, and tested, it will be challenging to find help when you run into problems.

There is help

A low-code application development platform, such as Zoho Creator, helps you?design, develop, and run a solution based on your business needs.?

Zoho Creator offers?pre-built integrations with your business' current apps and services.??Leveraging your existing solutions, you can accelerate the development phase?and create business apps tailored to your needs.

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Low-Code solutions bring agility to your business

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A low-code solution can automate tasks that would otherwise be manual. From data entry to form submissions and complex business processes, low-code development provides a way to build prototypes or test new ideas without writing code.?This frees your staff to focus on higher-value tasks.

?It is best to leverage your existing IT investments by choosing the best low-code platform to integrate with your existing apps and services. By doing so, you increase?your ROI on these products. You also reduce development time and limit necessary change management efforts. Zoho Creator helps you easily deploy critical integrations, so you can enjoy them from day one.

Another reason to invest in a low-code solution is to improve your company's agility. A low-code solution can help you adapt to changing market conditions. This adaptability can give you a competitive advantage in the market.

?Finally, a low-code solution can improve your company's ability to innovate, by helping you develop new applications and features. The speed advantage helps you stay ahead of the curve and maintain a competitive edge.

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Conclusion

?A low-code development solution does not require extensive programming skills.

This is a massive advantage. It means everyone in the company can build a solution that improves communication and understanding of the business.

?The?critical components discussed above, along with security and stability, must be at the core of any low-code development platform. Zoho Creator naturally integrates these elements so that you can quickly and easily start automating your business processes.??

?A low-code solution allows you to deliver better services and products to your customers. Zoho Creator's versatile architecture focuses on security, scalability, and performance, making it one of the best low-code development platforms available. Try it now!

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