The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the global economy and altered the way businesses operate. Companies were faced with the responsibility to create tools to enable them to stay in business with minimal risks. In the same vein, individuals had to adapt to the new way of life. The way out was to create software solutions for enterprises and society at large.
Software engineers played a critical role in facilitating life and work during the pandemic. Webspace, a software development company https://webspaceteam.com/software-development-services/ builds the tools you need for the ongoing digital transformation.
This report examines the pandemic’s effect on software development and the top software development patterns for 2021.
Impact the Pandemic Had on Software Development in 2020
Just like in every industry, the pandemic affected the software development space in the following ways:
- Unemployment for engineers
- Remote work
- Increase in demand for tech solutions
- Increase in work hours
- Impact on productivity
- Digital transformation
Unemployment for developers
The pandemic caused economic hardship. The economic uncertainties shook some big conglomerates and medium-size companies. As expected, laying off staff and stopping employment were the steps taken to cushion the financial crisis. Companies that couldn’t cope folded. IT professionals lost their jobs while the unemployed software engineers before the outbreak of Covid-19 didn’t have the hopes of being invited for interviews.
However, unemployment in the software production sector was noticeably smaller. Before the pandemic, unemployment for software builders in the United States was at 2%. It rose by 2.2% to 4.2%. That was a low unemployment rate. That was because IT became a vital tool for keeping businesses afloat and profitable. Things got better for software engineers when the demand for technology solutions to counter the effect of the pandemic increased.
Remote Work Model
Safety precautions necessitated the wide adoption of the remote work model. Developers worked from home. Communication and collaboration happened on digital grounds such as Zoom and other multi-tenant platforms that facilitate teamwork. From all indications, the remote work model has come to stay.
Increased Demand for Software Solutions
Organizations needed to migrate online and adopt the remote work model. Schools wanted students to learn from their homes. As a result of the latest online job paradigm, there is a greater need for software engineering. This massive move to online created job opportunities. As a result, some companies hired developers during the pandemic. However, due to the economic problems, many enterprises paused employment while some, for obvious reasons, were firing IT professionals.
Higher Work Hours
A study done by JRebel from May through July 2020 to ascertain Covi d-19 impact on developer productivity showed that more than 58% of respondents noted an increase in work time per week. 19% reported an increase of 6 or more hours of work per week. Remote work makes people work longer hours. In the office settings, there are strict opening and closing times. On the other hand, such stringent measures are challenging to maintain when working remotely.
Impact on Productivity
Transition to remote work removed time spent going to and from work. Working at home extends operating hours, which enhances efficiency. Remote employees do more work from home than they do in office settings. The study by JRebel uncovered how developer productivity increased during the pandemic – 58% of respondents worked more hours than before.
Digital Transformation
Companies, both big and small, had to adapt to the pandemic; thus, many organizations adopted digital transformation to stay in business. Enterprises needed software engineers and DevOps to develop and maintain solutions for the transition. Hence, more employment opportunities were presented to IT specialists.
Top Software Development Trends in 2021
Here’re the top trends in 2021:
- Increase in blockchain-based applications
- Contracting software creation
- AI incorporation
- Blockchain incorporation
- Integration of IoT
- Cross-platform and hybrid development
Increase in Blockchain-Based Applications
The recent success of the decentralized economy has given rise to decentralized applications, also known as dApps or DeFi apps. In the crypto world, decentralized financial services are gaining millions of users. There is a vast developer community invested in building blockchain-based applications for crypto enthusiasts.
Contracting software creation
The Contracting software creation trend is beneficial to firms in terms of the in-house cost of building applications and management of on-premise developers. Software outsourcing enables companies to acquire specialized technology solutions built with cutting-edge tools. It gives organizations the advantage of focusing on other priorities instead of keeping pace with technology and spending a lot of money on maintaining infrastructures – outsourcing is cost-effective.
AI incorporation
AI incorporation with technology solutions is one of the innovative software development trends in 2021. Artificial intelligence makes a lot of difference when an enterprise integrates it into its business process. It improves operations, provides good analytics for decision-making, and improves customer experiences. AI integrated solutions enable companies to compete better and provide more meaningful value.
Incorporation of Blockchain
Another significant trend is the integration of blockchain in software development to enhance security. Privacy and security of sensitive information have always been a global concern. Organizations consider blockchain technology an effective solution to data insecurity. Hence the present trend of incorporating blockchain in software development to avert frauds and ensure data safety.
Integration of IoT
Introducing the capabilities of the Internet of Things into software development will reshape how software engineers code. Integrating IoT in software creation will have an enormous impact on the world of technology. The integration of internet-connected sensors would revolutionize how technological solutions work.
Cross-platform and Hybrid Development
Cross-platform and hybrid development has changed how developers build applications – thanks to the infrastructures and technologies that make this possible and efficient. With this approach, applications that run on different platforms are developed with less time, money, and human resources.
These trends are expected to refashion the software engineering landscape. The pandemic has permanently altered the way the world operates. In response, software engineers are seeking the best and most efficient ways to provide state-of-the-art technology solutions. As a result, the patterns are causing ripples in the software development industry in 2021.
