Let’s put this into context: Statista projects that revenue in the IT Services market will reach a market volume of $1.57 trillion in 2027, with an annual growth rate of 7.1%. It’s clear there’s an opportunity for businesses to capitalise on the latest tech trends, while those that fail to prioritise innovation will be left in the dust.

From new programming methodologies to revised approaches to managing software development projects, there are dozens of trends businesses should be mindful of. Here are the top 8 software development trends we predict will rule the markets in 2023.

2023 is expected to be a big year for software development. Let’s dive into some of the hottest software development trends that will define the IT sector.

AI has topped lists of software development trends for years, yet we haven’t even scratched the surface of its capabilities. AI’s evolution is integral to the future of software development, with the industry expected to grow to $190bn by 2025.

Facial recognition, speech recognition software and personalised context all provide consumers with smoother technological experiences and improve their lives by removing barriers and increasing security. For businesses, AI and machine learning allow executives to make better decisions based on the analysis of interactions and data, with automation enhancing processes and productivity.

Simply, AI is revolutionising many industries by reducing failures and improving experiences and will continue to do so in 2023.

It’s no secret that software development is complicated. A huge trend for 2023 is the rise of no-code (or low-code), which provides shortcuts that help developers to work faster. Developers can build apps using pre-made blocks of code and built-in workflows, such as financial tools and e-commerce marketplaces.

While no-code can’t and won’t replace all elements of software engineering, its effectiveness as a tool for app development can’t be ignored. In fact, the global low-code development technologies industry is predicted to be worth $13.8 billion in 2023. And by 2024, low-code or no-code will account for more than 65% of app development operations.

As low or no-code development doesn’t require advanced coding experience or knowledge in any specific language, it’s easy to integrate into teams’ existing tech stacks and reduces the cost of software development.

Back in 2020, the number of IoT connections overtook the number of non-IoT connections — ‘things’ that can connect to each other through WiFi — for the first time. IoT is not a new concept by any means, but its continued expansion makes it a leading software development trend.

The IoT makes consumers’ lives easier, safer and healthier, powering mobile apps that control smart homes, wearable monitors that track our heart health, and even GPS trackers that record our pet’s activity. Plus, reviewing the data IoT devices collect allows businesses to make better and more informed decisions based on their end users’ behaviour and other inputs.

With the expansion of 5G in 2023, we can expect to see the number of IoT devices grow in 2023.

As your career progresses, you can typically expect to take on more management responsibilities. However, if your line of work has never required you to manage a team, learning to oversee a team of any size can be a huge learning curve.

Technical leadership is an emerging trend that seeks to equip technical workers with the skills needed to excel at their work as software developers and as a leader. Leaders in software development are typically responsible for overseeing the process of solution development and managing others on the team. In addition to technical skills, individuals looking to become technical leaders should develop people and project management skills.

As data and financial security remain critical challenges for businesses, blockchain may hold the answer. Though they’re often associated with cryptocurrencies, blockchain technologies can be used in many other financial transactions.

As its name suggests, Blockchain is made up of a ‘chain’ of ‘blocks.’ Each block contains data that can’t be changed or taken control of, increasing the security of transactions and streamlining the processes as it’s not necessary for a third party to validate each transaction.

Though the internal platforms used by developers are instrumental to their work, they often face a lack of investment in terms of user experience and infrastructure. Understandably, this can leave developers feeling frustrated. This oversight is due to a business’s failure to treat their platforms as products — or, in other words, a failure to consider the needs of the end user (the developers) when creating such platforms.

Platform as a product is more than an industry buzzword. When treated as a best practice, it can significantly improve the experience of developers by ensuring platform owners offer ongoing support, adapt to changing needs and apply project management to internal platforms.

You may have noticed a trend in this article: data. Datafication is the process of transforming people’s actions into data, which is then turned into information which is valuable to businesses. This trend defines the value of AI and the IoT.

Datafication entered the technological lexicon in 2013 in early descriptions of ‘big data.’ A decade later, data collection is integral to data science, which drives many technological advancements. From user activity tracked via Google Analytics to health, location, and activity data gathered from wearable technology like Apple Watches, businesses are collecting data on everything and using this to inform their decisions and strategies.

Offshoring is a cost-effective and agile type of talent outsourcing that is already defining the software development industry and will be instrumental in the success of the market in the coming years. But why?
The world is facing a huge talent shortage, and it’s estimated that upwards of 85m jobs will be unfilled in 2030, resulting in $8.5 trillion in lost revenue. Are you shocked by those numbers?

These shortages impact all industries, including IT. Almost three-quarters of US-based IT workers were considering quitting their jobs in 2021, the year of the Great Resignation, seeking out better-paying opportunities with greater benefits.

When you combine this talent shortage with the high recruitment costs all businesses face, it’s no surprise many are turning to alternative hiring methods, including outsourcing. Outsourcing tech support offers greater agility at lower costs, with the market set to grow to $869bn by 2027.

Offshore software development teams are housed overseas, with an outsourcing company overseeing the hiring, onboarding and set-up processes. This is more cost and time-effective than building a permanent in-house team, granting businesses access to a wider pool of talent (compared to the shrinking pool in the US).

The aim of offshoring is to provide innovative businesses with flexible solutions that help scale their software development capabilities quickly without breaking the bank. At WeAssemble, we build the perfect offshore team for you with the best technologies, so you can focus on scaling your business and avoid the impact of the global talent shortage.