How low can you go? Part 3
A short introduction to low code platforms
Low code platforms and solutions are attracting lots of attention, and span integration, database applications and app development platforms. They promise to bring technology closer to the business, removing the need for costly development projects and empowering end-users. But can low code really deliver on these ambitions?
In previous articles I have looked at low code integration and data tools. In this third part of this series I investigate the ability of low code platforms to provide an application development environment.
World Domination
Software is taking over the world. From everyday devices (cars, washing machines) to enterprise IT (SD-WAN, Infrastructure as code), managing everything via code allows for greater flexibility, increased feature sets, ongoing maintenance, and upgrades.
This leads to demand for software engineers across an increasing number of industries. Coders are no longer just writing computer applications but are now writing embedded logic for everything we use.
But writing code well, or writing good code, requires training and skill. The software industry has seen incredible growth with the continued evolution of computer languages and development environment tools, which seek both to help exploit the ever-increasing power of computers and to lower the barrier to entry for software engineering.
With the increasing availability of low code and no code platforms, has that barrier been removed completely?
My coding expertise
Before we dive further into that, let me clarify one thing. I am not good at coding. I somehow scraped through a Pascal course in my engineering degree; I got to be OK at COBOL way back during my first year at Andersen Consulting, but then I never managed to grasp C and my career took me in other directions. I may be a perfect guinea pig for no code platforms!
There are lots. A bewildering number, with all sorts of claims regarding democratisation of coding, of app development, both for mobile apps ready for delivery via the Apple AppStore or Google Play, and for web apps.
The no code platforms offer basic building blocks from which to construct a simple web app or mobile app. At this stage they can’t support development of a complex, performant, feature-rich application, but of course they will evolve. Don’t discount them completely, especially if you need to spin up a proof-of-concept quickly before building it out in a more supportable, scalable way.
Coder efficiency
It’s the low code platforms which should be of most interest to enterprises. These are not necessarily built to allow more people to code, but rather to support existing coders to do more. Low code tools make developers more efficient by doing the basics for them, allowing them to focus on the more advanced features and complex code to deliver application requirements. This may have the by-product of also ensuring that developers are more engaged in their work. If you have a small development team custom-coding from scratch, a low-code platform may pay back in reduced lead-times and improved staff retention.
Growth Area
Gartner have stated the low-code market will be worth almost $14bn this year, up 23% in just 2 years.
Corporate favourites Appian and Outsystems are two examples targeting existing coders rather than citizen developers. Genexus is another such example, with a great story to tell regarding Covid track and trace app development, but which started life as a developer CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tool and has evolved (or been re-branded?) to be become a low code platform.
Salesforce should also not be overlooked – and if you are already a user of their CRM SaaS platform then extending it through additional development may make sense. I was impressed by the ideas behind Force.com when first launched. Although they dropped that branding the ecosystem remains a powerful way of developing extensions to the base CRM product.
Microsoft have enabled PowerApps in Teams and this may become the default choice for citizen developers in enterprises running O365 - if the license model allows it. The company has an established pattern of building a user base that comes to rely on their product and become familiar with it, whilst in the background the product itself develops and matures.
My killer app
And what about my efforts? I registered for Backendless but didn’t want to use an “Insta Clone” or “GEO Chat” blueprint for my new app, so got no further. Instead, I dived into javascript automations back on my favourite data platform. Truth be told, we’ve found cost-effective SaaS products that fit most of our needs at Refractis HQ and I’m sure I couldn’t better them, so I just don’t know what to start on. Once I have an idea for the ‘killer app’ I’ll let you know what platform I choose to develop it! On name alone it might have to be Betty Blocks…
Next time…
Over this short series I have looked at how low code platforms can address integration challenges, provide a compelling alternative to spreadsheets and traditional databases, and even challenge orthodoxy in application development. In the final part of the series I will return to my overarching question – low code platforms promise much, but do they really deliver?