Low-code versus traditional development: A primer for independent software vendors

Independent software vendors take pride in having talented developers, but that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from the low-code revolution.

Independent software vendors (ISVs) face constantly increasing pressure to deliver innovative software solutions to their customers in as little time as possible while maintaining the level of quality they expect.

Unfortunately, this also means that even though their solutions may be functionally complete, the speed at which they need to be rolled out usually means making some sacrifices. Often, issues with the underlying code present themselves soon after delivery, necessitating rework. Thus, technical debt remains a serious and growing problem for ISVs faced with ever-growing demand.

Low-code development platforms (LCDPs) offer an increasingly viable alternative to traditional software development thanks to their ease of use and faster delivery times. That said, software vendors often still view low-code with a degree of skepticism, assuming it to be only suitable for small projects and citizen developers.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Low-code is already transforming the world of software development and delivery, with the low-code market size increasing by 22.6% in 2021 alone. Indeed, low-code is fast becoming the new standard in software development to the point it is outpacing traditional software development in many sectors. Already, 84% of enterprises are using low-code to reduce the strain on their IT departments and involve the wider business in the development of mission-critical digital assets.

ISVs need to keep up if they are to remain relevant in the years to come, and the adoption of low-code will undoubtedly prove essential in that endeavor. However, that is not to suggest that traditional software development will become obsolete – after all, low-code is not quite the same as no code. Rather, it presents a compromise between the two, whereby applications can be developed quickly and, in the rare cases where an LCDP cannot accommodate certain advanced use cases, skilled developers can still rely on coding.

In this blog, we will explore the differences, as well as the commonalities, of both low-code and traditional software development and how they concern ISVs wanting to increase their speed to market while continuing to uphold rigid quality control standards.

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The 8 best low-code development platforms for software vendors

Here are some of the best low-code development platforms for software developers wanting to fuel rapid application modernization and economies of scale.

Independent software vendors (ISVs) face constantly growing technical debt as they struggle to meet the demands of clients seeking to accelerate their own digital transformations. Among the reasons for these challenges is the fact that many ISVs are heavily reliant on underlying technology that is outdated and lacks the agility for developing software applications quickly.

Low-code development platforms (LCDPs) were originally created primarily to meet the needs of citizen developers in enterprises that lacked the in-house expertise needed to build bespoke applications from scratch. However, LCDPs have now evolved to the point where they not only assist with software development, but also transform the entire software delivery process.

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Why do universities prefer to teach low-coding rather than coding?

Low-code technology is a modern-age invention that lets anyone develop complex and functioning apps. This includes people who have had no traditional coding knowledge. Low-code has not only benefited several hundred organizations across the globe, but its easy-to-learn format has allowed many people to upskill themselves and land better jobs.

75% of IT leaders have claimed that low-code is a trend they cannot afford to miss. The new-age invention that is low-code has swiftly taken over the digital world. Hence, it is no wonder that many universities are now offering low-code as a part of the curriculum. Some universities have even been known to prefer low-code education over coding classes. Various reasons that attribute to this are listed below. Read more

Is Low-Code Stable Over Time?

Low-code is a visual approach to enterprise application development that enables people with little to no programming experience to produce powerful, high-functioning applications.

Low-code technology enables users to take advantage of visual editors, drag-and-drop tools, on-screen guidance, and much more to create powerful custom-made applications. It democratizes the way the app-development industry functions by giving power to those with little technical knowledge. This contributes to overall stability not only in the software sector where the skilled-personnel shortage is frequent.

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Why Is Low-Code Development At The Heart Of The Strategic Use?

Low-code is defined as a visual approach to application development that equips citizen developers with little to no traditional coding experience with visual editors, drag-and-drop tools, on-screen visual guidance, and automation.

As digital technology continues to evolve exponentially; the utilization and implementation of low-code solutions to facilitate digital innovation is increasing rapidly. Low-code development is also increasingly at the center of strategic usage development cycles for modern organizations.

Strategy can facilitate decision-making as well as create an overall vision for long-term organizational objectives in a wide variety of business functions such as marketing, product development, human resource management, and much more. According to Forbes, 83% of organizations stated that low-code (AI) development is a strategic opportunity for their businesses.

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Can a Low-Code Platform Be Truly Free?

The language commonly used to describe commercially available software can often seem highly technical and complicated. It can be somewhat tricky for average users to decipher and understand. Therefore, many users may not truly understand the meaning of a low-code, open-source platform and what exactly it entails. Although many platforms may advertise themselves as completely open-source, some of these programs are open-core platforms.

Open-source application platforms are defined as software that is entirely free to use and allows users to utilize the complete functionality and features of the program. However, an open-core application platform is defined as one which provides a specific set of features and functionality for free, with users having to pay to upgrade to a paid version of the platform to avail of the program’s full functionality.

Therefore, Planet Crust’s open-source, low-code software is completely free and allows users to take advantage of a wide variety of features without requiring them to upgrade to a paid, commercialized version of the platform.

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Is Low-Code The Future?

Low-code is defined as a visual approach to application development that allows citizen developers with little to no traditional coding experience to create robust and high functioning enterprise applications using visual editors and on-screen guidance.

Studies show that the global low-code application development industry is expected to reach a total revenue of approximately $187 billion by the year 2030. As digital transformation becomes an increasingly crucial demand for modern businesses, the use of low-code application development in our current business landscape is becoming more and more prevalent.

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How to Use Low-code Development to Advance Business Process Management

How low-code development platforms advance business process management and eliminate the costs associated with custom coding.

Adaptability and continuous improvement are two of the defining characteristics of any modern business. More than ever, success is determined by the ability to scale and adapt a business’s workflow potential in line with constantly changing demands. Business process management, or BPM, is a proven discipline intended to tackle these challenges.

BPM is the technical evolution of concepts that long predate it, such as task management, the division of labor, and production. Over the past decade, organizations have started using BPM to analyze processes, measure performance, and discover opportunities for improvement – all with the goal of improving efficiency.

Today, intelligence and automation are integral to BPM, hence the rise of the term intelligent business process management, or iBPM. Intelligence and automation come in various forms, such as the digitization of business rules and intelligent process mining. Repeatable tasks are automated, with little or no human intervention required.

The main value proposition of iBPM is the intelligent collaboration and orchestration of people, connected devices, and applications in pursuit of business goals. However, to make informed decisions and better serve customers, businesses need the right tools for accessing mission-critical information in the right context.

In many organizations, that information is scattered across a disparate array of off-the-shelf and custom-built applications. Applying iBPM to such a fragmented environment ranges from difficult to outright impossible. As a result, workers are less efficient, and customer experience suffers.

Low-code development platforms (LCDPs) offer a better solution by bridging the gap between the inherent limitations of off-the-shelf software and the high costs of developing custom apps from scratch. LCDPs enable the rapid delivery of custom business applications and empower those on the operations side to become citizen developers.

In this article, we will explore how low-code is a valuable asset to BPM.

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Why Is Low-Code Perfect For Building Your HR Solution

Human resource management is one of the most crucial aspects of operating and managing any successful organization. HR managers are expected to collect, track and analyze data related to recruitment of new talent,  managing employee training, documenting payment records, tracking employee performance at regular time intervals, and much more.

However, manually keeping track of this information can be extremely tedious, time-consuming, impractical, and can even lead to potentially fatal errors that can affect your entire organization.

Low-code platforms can help your business build an HR solution to store data as well as automate and streamline various business processes. The HR software industry is expected to reach a market value of approximately $33.58 billion by 2028, with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 10.08%.

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Can I Build What I Need With Low-Code

Low-code software offers a set of tools that allow a visual approach to application development. This allows citizen developers with little to no traditional coding experience to create complex and high-functioning enterprise applications using on-screen visual clues and visual builders.

Low-code application development platforms are equipped with a wide variety of valuable tools that can help you build an enterprise application that you may require in minutes.

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