Like it or not, 2020 is just around the corner and, with it, a lot of new technologies, trends and approaches are coming to the software development world. Given the speed at which some of them are rising right now, it's highly likely that 2020 will be the year some of these trends explode and become standards.
From the increasing dominance of artificial intelligence and the ubiquity of the Internet of Things to the shifting nature of outsourcing services, there's a lot of expectations around what 2020 will bring. So, let's take a look at the 5 trends that most of us believe will dominate next year in our increasingly digital society.
1 - The dominance of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI-based software isn't precisely a new thing but the breakneck speed at which it is being adopted across industries will have it solidifying its position in 2020. According to recent forecasts, the growth of the AI software market on a worldwide level will keep its incredible pace next year. Thus, the global AI software market is expected to grow 154% to an astounding size of $14.7 billion.
Such growth is exactly the same predicted for the end of 2019 and the same one expected for 2021. Those figures come to show that AI isn't just a trend anymore-it's become a dominant force in the technological world of today.
From the ubiquitous chatbots that are now servicing millions of websites from around the world to prescriptive analytic solutions capable of suggesting solutions to business issues based on huge amounts of data, AI (and machine learning, one of its most notorious branches) will be featured across more and more products throughout most industries.
2 - More demand for the Internet of Things (IoT)
The IoT is one of those things that most people always saw as something from a distant future. Yet, devices that can be connected to the Internet (and even among themselves) are now becoming an everyday thing. That's especially true for home devices, such as smart fridges, smart assistants, smart thermostats and more gadgets designed to take our comfort to the next level.
The total installed base of IoT connected devices is about to take a huge leap forward in 2020, towards a fivefold increase from 2015 that will bring the total amount to 75.44 billion devices worldwide in 2025. In other words, this will bring interest in these devices to a maximum which, in turn, will boost demand for IoT software.
As that happens, more and more developers and software outsourcing companies will specialize in all things IoT, with a focus on skills such as cloud computing, automation, and data analytics taking the spotlight.
3 - 5G available for wider regions
One of the most anticipated technological advances in the last decade could finally be available to the general public in 2020. Though present in selected cities and areas as of now, it all points to next year as the year where 5G will finally bring its 20 Gbps high-speed wireless connectivity, lower latency, and greater bandwidth availability. 5G is sure to revolutionize the devices we use on a daily basis, with smartphones at the very top.
Yet, 5G is more than just improved speeds for our mobile browsing. The enhanced characteristics will remove certain limitations present in 4G. Thus, developers will be able to create more robust apps, with new functionalities, especially the ones surrounding video and augmented reality. The technology will also mean a significant improvement in security and the precision of data for movement-based apps.
Finally, 5G will be instrumental for the advancement of the IoT. That's because driverless vehicles, traffic systems, and all kinds of smart devices that will power the so-called smart cities will depend on 5G's processing power and reduced latency for optimal performance.
4 - Outsourcing for the experience economy
The idea that we, as a society, are valuing experiences over material things is becoming more evident with each passing year. Why would 2020 be any different? Well, there's a huge reason why it is worth to take a look at the experience economy during the course of next year. That's because reports estimate that 2020 will be the year in which customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
That's a massive shift since experience will become the ultimate goal for all industries, especially for the software industry. The experience economy will surely open new pathways for innovation and market opportunities, so it's no wonder that the whole software development world will change to address that. The biggest change of them all? You can find it in the outsource development field.
Regardless of the software outsourcing models they use, outsourcing providers are already embracing new skills to service that demand. Thus, there are dedicated teams to user experience and service design and the whole outsourcing industry is taking a more end-user-centric approach to the work they make. This trend will only be more marked in 2020, as more and more companies seek out help to create products for the experience economy.
5 - Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) as the new standard
It all points to 2020 as being the year where we finally start to say goodbye to mobile sites in favor of progressive web apps (PWAs). These are a type of website that feels like a native mobile app although it runs in the browser. It's like a combination of the best of both worlds - and companies are starting to realize it.
So, instead of developing mobile versions of their websites (or spending time and money building mobile apps that have a high chance of never being used), PWAs appear as a perfect solution for both businesses and visitors. On one hand, businesses can develop a PWA much quicker and get the same benefits they could get from an app. On the other hand, visitors can interact with an app-like environment that loads faster and it's as secure as it gets.
With examples of PWAs already in place providing improvements in sessions per user, reading completion, and overall engagement, it's only natural that more companies will jump on board, with next year as the perfect context to do so.
To sum it all up
Given the speed at which technologies and trends are rising today, it's only natural for 2020 to be more than just these 5 trends. However, these will surely be the stars for next year, as they aren't just promising technologies but tools that are already finding their place in the modern world.
Most of them are already among us but they still have room to grow. What links them all together is that they'll define the future of software development for 2020 and beyond. That's because software development teams will have to learn how to deal with these technologies and accompany their rise to industry standards.
