Featured article by Phil Collins
The market of mobile development is growing and is extremely dynamic. Technologies are changing at a rapid pace. Which trends will play a special role in 2022?
IOT (Internet of Things)Â & Mobile Apps
Smart home applications and virtual assistants are increasingly permeating people’s everyday lives. Just a few opportunities in the enterprise environment include asset tracking and predictive analytics. A particularly sought-after IT skill in this context is programming energy-saving IoT devices. However, distinctive know-how in the areas of Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI) is also in demand.
Artificial intelligence in particular significantly promotes the development and provision of individual software solutions. This applies to a wide variety of industries such as retail, healthcare, finance, and logistics. The use of artificial intelligence will be particularly relevant for increasing productivity, optimizing processes, and personalizing customer experiences.
Progressive Apps
Another trend in software development is progressive web applications. They combine the capabilities of a website with those of a mobile app. Similar to native apps, progressive web apps can send push notifications, for example. Their advantage is also that they can be used across platforms. Furthermore, no app store is required for their deployment.
In addition, more and more hybrid apps are being realized with the help of certain frameworks. These combine features of native and web applications. Cross-platform technologies such as Flutter are also being used more and more.
Blockchain Development & Mobile Apps
The hype around the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin, Ethereum, and more have naturally led to a lot of attention around the underlying blockchain technology. The idea of blockchain is a bigger innovation than bitcoin itself. So, there are many mobile apps that integrate different blockchain technologies. Blockchain can be used as an alternative to the traditional mobile backend as a service system.
The special feature of blockchain is its decentralization. The protocol is not located on a single server or computer, it is distributed on countless computers. As a result, no one owns the protocol. Neither individuals nor companies or authorities can exercise power over the protocol. Instead, every protocol participant has exactly the same options and access rights. Such a neutral protocol as blockchain cannot be manipulated.
Due to its large distribution, it is not possible to hack it. The only variant to be able to manipulate it is to have the majority of the network sovereignty. If someone has more than 50% of the distributed database on devices they control, manipulation would be conceivable.
For example, Bitcoin (translated as “digital coin”) is a decentralized payment system that is used worldwide. The name Bitcoin also stands for the monetary unit. There exists a digital wallet in which one’s own Bitcoins are stored. This digital currency can be used to pay by commissioning a bank transfer. The exchange rate of Bitcoin is determined by supply and demand. The Bitcoin software manages the decentralized blockchain database. All transactions are stored according to the blockchain protocol.
That’s why some see blockchain as a potential solution for managing user authentication and, of course, financial transactions between users. For sure, this trend will continue to grow in 2022 and the market will soon see good and bad examples of apps peppered with Blockchain technologies. Blockchain technology brings new opportunities even to the entertainment industry. For example, many modern casinos accept cryptocurrencies. Just sign on CasinoChan (CasinoChan login) to take a deeper look at it!
Low-code Platforms & Mobile Development
Low-code platforms are also an emerging trend in custom software development. The concept of these development platforms is that little to no programming knowledge is required to implement software. One example is Amazon Honeycode, which greatly simplifies the app creation process for easy tasks and event management.
In conclusion, all these trends are important to integrate in app development. To stay one step ahead of the market, it is not enough to rely solely on current technologies in software development. Rather, decision-makers should also keep an eye on the latest trends to realize competitive advantages.
