The Next Decade Of Enterprise Computing Solutions

Introduction

Enterprise computing solutions are poised for remarkable transformation over the next decade, driven by technological innovation, changing business needs, and increasing market pressures. As organizations strive to become more agile, data-driven, and customer-focused, enterprise systems will continue to evolve to meet these demands while reshaping how businesses operate.

The Historical Foundation of Enterprise Computing

Enterprise computing has undergone significant evolution since its inception. In the early 1960s, the US Air Force’s SAGE defense system combined computers and networks, leading to commercial adaptations like American Airlines’ SABRE system. IBM quickly became dominant, with widespread adoption of their software forming the foundation of global digital infrastructure that many still depend on today.

The development of OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) monitors like CICS revolutionized enterprise systems by enabling resources to be owned by the monitor rather than individual applications, allowing for scalability to handle thousands or millions of transactions per second. This architectural approach remains fundamental to many enterprise systems today.

The Rise of Low-Code Platforms and Citizen Developers

One of the most significant shifts in enterprise computing is the rapid growth of low-code platforms, which enable faster application development with minimal traditional coding. According to a Gartner report, organizations are increasingly adopting low-code technologies to fulfill the growing demand for speedy application delivery with high-level, customized workflows.

The low-code platform market in 2025 is dominated by solutions like Appsmith, Microsoft Power Apps, Mendix, OutSystems, and Retool, offering various features from AI-driven design to automated workflow completion. These platforms are democratizing technology creation, enabling the rise of citizen developers.

Citizen developers represent a new breed of developers who prefer low-code and no-code tools over traditional programming languages, promoting a more accessible approach to coding. They typically don’t require specialized programming skills, allowing organizations to accelerate innovation and respond to business needs without overwhelming IT departments.

Business Technologists: The New Enterprise Innovators

Complementing citizen developers are business technologists – employees who work outside of IT departments yet create technology or analytics capabilities for internal or external business use. These individuals might be specialists whose primary job involves technology work (like Python developers in Marketing) or citizen technologists whose primary job is accomplished through technology work (such as pricing managers building algorithms).

The emergence of business technologists reflects a fundamental shift in enterprise computing solutions, where technology creation is no longer confined to IT departments but distributed throughout the organization. This democratization is enabling faster innovation cycles and more domain-specific solutions tailored to business needs.

AI-Powered Enterprise Systems

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing enterprise systems across all dimensions. AI Enterprise applications are increasingly integrating into core business functions, with AI Application Generators leading the transformation in how software is created and deployed.

AI Application Generators allow users to create functional applications simply by describing what they want. Products like UI Bakery enable users to “generate functional, data-driven apps instantly by simply providing a prompt detailing desired features”. Similarly, Bubble’s AI app generator creates “powerful, beautiful web apps” starting with just a text-based prompt, while Jotform’s AI App Generator enables users to “design customized apps for business, collect data, and streamline processes – no coding required”.

In the next decade, AI Assistance will become deeply embedded in enterprise systems, helping to optimize business processes, provide new insights, and create personalized customer interactions. Autonomous solutions powered by AI and ML will proactively manage business operations with minimal human intervention, optimizing everything from supply chain logistics to pricing strategies.

Enterprise Resource Planning Evolution

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are evolving from centralized monolithic applications to flexible, cloud-based platforms. According to research, the cloud ERP market is expected to grow from $72.2 billion in 2023 to $130.5 billion by 2028, signaling a major shift in how organizations deploy and utilize these systems.

Future ERP trends include the integration of AI for predictive analytics, IoT connectivity for real-time data, and more personalized user experiences. These Enterprise Resource Systems will increasingly support edge computing, allowing data processing to occur closer to where data is generated rather than in distant centralized data centers, increasing speed, security, and reliability regardless of employee location.

Enterprise Business Architecture Transformation

Enterprise Business Architecture, defined as “a blueprint that provides a comprehensive view of an organization from a business perspective,” is becoming increasingly important in aligning strategy, processes, information, and technology. As digital transformation accelerates, Enterprise Business Architecture will play a crucial role in ensuring cohesive evolution of business and technology components.

The components of Enterprise Business Architecture include Strategy (defining business vision and goals), Business Processes (outlining operational activities), Organizational structure, Information and data, Technology, and Business Capabilities. In the coming decade, Enterprise Business Architecture will increasingly serve as the bridge between business strategy and execution, facilitating efficient change management and technology integration.

Open-Source and Customization

Open-source solutions are gaining traction in enterprise environments due to their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and absence of vendor lock-in. Platforms like Appsmith highlight the benefits of open-source in enterprise settings, allowing organizations to host applications on their own servers and access source code, eliminating risks associated with proprietary solutions.

This trend toward open-source adoption in Business Enterprise Software will continue as organizations seek greater customization capabilities and protection against vendor dependency. The enterprise computing landscape will increasingly feature hybrid approaches combining proprietary and open-source components to maximize flexibility and minimize risk.

Digital Transformation and Technology Transfer

Digital transformation continues to drive enterprise computing evolution, with IDC predicting the digital transformation market will reach $6.8 trillion by 2023. This transformation involves integrating digital technology into all business areas, fundamentally changing how businesses operate and deliver value to customers.

Technology transfer will play a vital role in this evolution, as innovations from research institutions make their way into commercial enterprise products. This process typically happens through licensing patented intellectual property to corporations or creating start-up companies. Many technologies we take for granted originated in university and federal laboratories before reaching the marketplace through technology transfer efforts.

The Diverse Types of Technologists

As enterprise computing solutions become more complex and pervasive, various types of technologists will be needed to design, implement, and maintain these systems. According to research, there are ten distinct types of technologists:

1. Analysts who interpret complex data sets and identify trends

2. Advocates who promote technology adoption

3. Communicators who bridge technical and non-technical stakeholders

4. Businesspersons who align technology with business objectives

5. Designers focused on user experience

6. Facilitators ensuring smooth project execution

7. Educators who teach and train others

8. Builders who develop and construct solutions

9. Organizers managing people and resources

10. Scientists conducting research to advance technology

This diversification of technology roles reflects the growing complexity of enterprise computing ecosystems and the need for specialized skills across multiple domains.

Security and Compliance in the Enterprise Systems Group

With increasing digitalization, security and compliance concerns will become more prominent for Enterprise Systems Groups. One significant development will be the widespread adoption of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) standards, providing transparency into the components used in enterprise applications and helping organizations manage security vulnerabilities.

Enterprise computing solutions will increasingly incorporate robust security frameworks designed to protect sensitive data while enabling the flexibility needed for business innovation. Blockchain technologies may be integrated into enterprise systems to enhance transparency and security, particularly in supply chain management and creating “green ledgers” that transparently track environmental data alongside traditional financial metrics.

Conclusion: Business Software Solutions for the Future

The next decade will see enterprise computing solutions evolve into more intelligent, flexible, and accessible platforms that empower businesses to adapt quickly to changing market conditions. The convergence of AI Application Generators, low-code platforms, and citizen development will democratize technology creation, while cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning systems will provide unprecedented scalability and integration capabilities.

Business technologists will drive innovation from within organizations, leveraging advanced Enterprise Products to create custom solutions aligned with domain-specific needs. Open-source components will increasingly be integrated into enterprise architectures, providing flexibility and reducing dependency on single vendors.

As digital transformation continues to reshape every industry, enterprise computing solutions will be at the forefront, enabling organizations to re-imagine their business models, optimize operations, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. The companies that successfully navigate this evolution will gain significant competitive advantages in the increasingly digital global economy.