Top Software Technology Trends to Watch For in 2023
It can be difficult to keep up with software industry trends, even when you work in the industry. Technology and software developments change quickly, both at the lower level with languages and frameworks and at the higher level where the technology is applied.
Each year, software development trends can change dramatically from the year before. To help you keep up, here are some of the top trends in software to pay attention to in 2023.
AI and Machine Learning Continues to Grow
After a decade, AI is still on a roll. While general AI that can do everything for us is a long way away, technology is quickly stepping in to handle many of our monotonous tasks.
According to recent surveys, 52% of businesses are planning to adopt solutions that incorporate AI, 66% believe AI is crucial to success, and 38% think that their AI initiatives differentiate them from their competitors.
AI is still evolving, and some of the current focus is on transparency and trust. Businesses want to use more AI, but they also want to be confident in its use, which means making solutions more explainable to end users. Augmented intelligence is also a software technology trend on the rise, where AI extends the ability of users instead of replacing them.
Blockchain Technology Become More Useful
This is not about Bitcoin and other types of cryptocurrencies. But the software technology behind crypto and blockchain changes allowing companies to create more decentralized services and products.
One place where blockchain software technology use is increasing is in the supply chain, where it can provide more transparency to consumers by following products through the journey from raw material all the way to customers' hands. According to Gartner, blockchain will support the movement and tracking of $2 trillion in products and services annually by 2023.
NFTs will also become more useful in gaming, where they can make trading characters objects feel real, where they can be used for proof of ownership or digital identities.
Low-Code/No-Code Development Keeps Expanding
Low-code and no-code development tools are quickly becoming popular with businesses that don't want to spend the time to build an IT team and their own custom software. According to Gartner, low-code development technologies will grow by 20% in 2023. As the software development trend increases, so will the ease of access for startups and people looking to break into the tech industry.
Some areas where low and no-code software development is increasing include:
- In customer service and support, where quick development can help businesses meet customer demands faster
- In AI, where complex processes can be simplified for non-technical users to manage
- In analytics, so it doesn't take a data scientist to build reports and find insights
AR and VR Become Closer to Reality
AR and VR have existed since the 1990s, but they didn't really catch on until recently. While these software technologies aren't quite mainstream yet, many companies, including Meta, Apple, Google, and Microsoft, have invested billions of dollars in ensuring they get there.
According to predictions, the shipment of AR and VR headsets will grow by 50% from 2022 to the end of 2023, and almost half of game developers are already making games for VR. While gaming is a big market for these technologies, they are also being used in many other industries, including:
- Retail, where they can be used for a virtual try-and-buy.
- Healthcare, where they can be used for training and surgery assistance.
- Manufacturing, where they can be used to augment instructions and processes with contextual data.
DevSecOps Spreads Further
Security is always a rising concern with software development trends & technology. That will never change. A new trend in cybersecurity is the DevSecOps approach. This is a shift-left approach that focuses on security during the early stage of software development and baking it in instead of making it an afterthought. In a recent survey, 73% of business leaders are embracing security by design.
What this means is even more work for DevOps engineers incorporating testing, triage, and risk mitigation earlier in the software development lifecycle. But it will affect every step in the SDLC, from design and planning to writing code, building, testing, and release.
Edge Computing Will Grow
Cloud computing is a software technology trend that will continue to grow, but edge computing is gaining headway quickly. While only 10% of new enterprise IT infrastructure was deployed at the edge in 2019, it has been estimated to grow to 50% by 2023.
Edge computing solves some shortfalls of cloud computing by providing a way to bypass the latency that is inherent in cloud computing. It puts the data closer to where the computing happens, making it possible to process time-sensitive data in remote locations that have limited connectivity to centralized servers. Causes of this growth include the increased use of IoT devices in remote locations and 5G.
More Focus on Sustainable Technology
Our software and technology save us time and money, but they also use a lot of energy. A software development trend that’s growing is consumers asking questions about how their devices are manufactured if the supply chains are energy-efficient, and what companies are doing to develop more sustainable technology. And software development standards will change to reduce energy waste. This is one trend that will affect most areas of technology and software development.
Growing IT Job Opportunities
If you are a tech expert seeking a new job in one of these growing fields, Advantis Global can help. We work with businesses in a large range of industries that are looking for skilled contract and permanent talent. Submit your resume or apply for a job to get connected to a recruiter today.
