The world is ever changing, and this is especially true when it comes to software development. IT professionals are expected to take on new challenges as they appear, since being up to date equals to staying productive and profitable in the IT industry. The following new trends in software development are expected to make a mark for the upcoming years.
High performance computing moving to the cloud
There is a reason why cloud computing is going forward and more and more companies choose to move their high performance computing to the cloud. The versatility the private and the public cloud offers for business applications takes this model of software development to the next level. Now, software tools or applications can be developed in the private cloud, in order to show effects and be effectively used in the public cloud.
The most important aspect of cloud computing is that it allows companies to cut costs on hardware and development. With cloud computing, more accurate and efficient prediction models are expected to be developed.
Location based apps
Being mobile has been trendy for years now, but with the integration of GPS functionalities, location becomes even more important. The ability to develop applications with focus on location will be considered of the utmost importance in the near future. Knowing where consumers are in order to provide them with readily available information in regards to their location will help businesses flourish in the following years. Facebook places and Foursquare represent just the tip of the iceberg and a sample of what is to come in terms of location based applications.
Going agile
The old model of developing software tools from bottom to top is no longer as efficient as in the past. Agile methodologies are now preferred, because they allow cutting down any project in chunks called iterations. The old unidirectional communication approach is no longer in place. Teams can now work on the same project and exchange information and recommendations on a regular basis, in order to create a better, more efficient product, with a reduced time cycle.
Mobile: the new battleground
With more and more people acquiring mobile devices for communicating, shopping, sharing and reading reviews, and for many other functionalities, it should come as no surprise that the battleground for software development will move to the mobile market. The focus will be placed on developing software applications for consumers using their mobile devices on a regular basis.
Web 3.0
Web 2.0 has created a revolution in the way the World Wide Web was being used by consumers. Now, the world is ready for Web 3.0 or the Semantic Web as it is also called. It is no longer enough to have access to a large quantity of data. This data has to be linked, made comprehensible, and the new technologies that are going to be developed in the years to come must concentrate on their Web 3.0 component.
IT professionals must respond to the new challenges for software development for the following years, in order stay on top of the game.