There’s a growing trend concerning the proliferation of low-code development platforms. According to a 2019 Gartner report, the market for low-code development platforms will double in size apart from Platform as a Service (PaaS) being the primary delivery model in the years to follow.
In hindsight, there’s a need to develop robust applications across multiple channels with businesses facing the need to build brand visibility and reach apart from retaining more customers as a result. So, with a steep learning curve to acquiring skills that have kept bonafide developers in the business, a development environment that non-technical users could learn in little or no time could just be the solution that is the need of the hour.
This brings us to low-code development platforms: where the aim is to develop apps without the need to write code. At least, this is the overarching aim of this radical approach to application development for non-technical developers.
It’s pretty serious stuff too. Gone are the days when these platforms were used to create simple apps without extended functionality. The market has matured where robust applications are being created with a variety of APIs and libraries integrated with a said development environment to offer extended functionality.
Low-Code Development Platforms vs. Traditional Application Development
Typically low-code development platforms are such a paradigm shift in application development and a game-changer in this space. There’s a lot of noise in this space now but this is precisely because the need for low-code platforms can drive digital transformation at the necessary rate.
You might ask? How so?
When you cut through the jargon and the hype, it just boils down to whether you can build apps using specific languages for the web. JavaScript, for one. Java and Python are other options. Still, just writing a flawless JavaScript or Python function or class doesn’t guarantee that you understand the nitty-gritty of developing a software solution for the web. There’s more involved. Then there’s the development process of both front-end and back-end technology that need to work in tandem to deliver a polished, palatable end-product.
Simply put, there are nuances to software development that go beyond putting together a set of classes with their respective methods. This takes a while to understand and internalize. It could take months or even years. That said, even if web frameworks can help one speed up the application development process, it still all comes back to the long hours spent with programming syntax. Still, given the current situation, no one has the time or the inclination.
No wonder the popularity of low-code development platforms is now on the rise. 72% of developers themselves are using these platforms — or the simple reason that it speeds up the development lifecycle significantly. If that’s not enough, these sections of code that work as components have been pre-tested and can eliminate an expensive and time-consuming part of the software development lifecycle: testing.
But we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to platform benefits. So, it’s best to examine a non-exhaustive list of benefits that come with low-code development which could help you understand why it’s clear that this model is working. In particular, let us also address what we offer at Neutrinos.
3 Immediate Benefits of Neutrinos’ Low-Code Development Platform
At some point, you might have come across Neutrinos — a popular low-code development platform — that has sought to democratize application development across the board. With Studio Version 6.0 released in 2019, there are several improvements now available for long-time and recent application developers.
Now, right from the time you sign up for a free trial and begin using the app, you’ll begin to see the immediate benefits of Neutrinos’ low-code development platform.
1: Gentler learning curve with an easy or intuitive user interface
Time is of the essence for businesses. Developing an application requires lots of time. What makes matters worse is if the development lifecycle is extended due to an inability to deliver features as agreed upon. There’s far too much dependence on developers and the inability to prepare for risk management.
However, with Neutrinos’ low-code development platform, one can start developing enterprise-grade apps once they get familiar with the user interface and the Studio features. With such a gentle learning curve, just about anyone with a creative bent of mind can develop applications using the Neutrinos platform.
2: Develop apps faster with the simple and powerful Neutrinos Studio
As mentioned earlier, Neutrinos Studio is simple to use. Just basic computing skills are necessary. Being adept with a mouse and keyboard should just about do it. Drag-drop-develop is our mantra. Even if certain elements require an understanding of developing code. Still, don’t be fooled by this development environment’s apparent simplicity. It’s pretty powerful too and gives you access to a variety of built-in features that are at your disposal. Edcon, one of our clients Edcon was able to build an inventory management app in just 5 hours by using the Neutrinos Studio.
If that’s not enough, you can use the Neutrinos’ Marketplace to look for features that are not available by default. Still, one must remember that it isn’t a no-code development platform. So, while you can execute most tasks with the Neutrinos’ Studio, being familiar with software development best practices can make your journey to mastering this development environment far easier.
3: Offers flexibility as it can be integrated with a variety of environments
Let’s face it: every organization’s needs vary widely when it comes to app development. A one-size-fits-all approach hardly works here. Be it connectors, microservices, backend services or even widgets, all of these components are necessary if one wishes to build a feature-rich enterprise-grade application that would work across a variety of channels.
A common misconception is that low-code platforms serve the purpose of building only simple applications. But this is hardly true given how powerful and flexible some low-code platform solutions have become as the industry continues to mature. Neutrinos’, for example, only offers these components at a small price. However, the benefit that comes at this small price is that with this large list of integrations at our disposal, the developer enjoys flexibility and has easy out-of-box solutions for every development issue that they might have to workaround.
Finally…
It’s wonderful that you’ve taken the time to read this post and which has hopefully provided you with a better understanding of who we are and what we do. We remain thankful to our readers and developers who have supported us in these fast-changing market conditions. So, here are a few closing points that I would like to close with:
- No one’s saying that low-code development platforms will work wonders for every
- For that matter, using a low-code development platform might not even be
- the right solution for your business. But it’s a handy resource to have around if
- and when the need arises.
- Still, using the right low-code development platform in the manner prescribed by its creators can save you substantial amounts of time and money. At a higher level, businesses can finally begin to reach out to more customers or retain existing ones easily. Certain business pain points can be resolved by achieving greater connectivity through the development of an app.
- The list of benefits goes on and on and it depends on the context in which the platform is used to develop applications. So, no matter what people assume or predict about this rapidly growing field: low-code development is here to stay!
In closing, if you’d like to know more about Neutrinos — visit us, talk to us, chat, call, or get in touch with us via social media — we’re available to answer your questions.