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Unlocking the Future of Development: Key Insights from Forrester’s Report on Low-Code Platforms for Professional Developers
Unlocking the Future of Development: Key Insights from Forrester’s Report on Low-Code Platforms for Professional Developers

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As businesses increasingly shift towards digital transformation, the demand for custom software has skyrocketed. The traditional, high-code approach to software development is no longer efficient enough to keep up with the rapid pace of change. Enter low-code platforms for professional developers—tools designed to accelerate development, enable innovation at scale, and expand the pool of developers. According to Forrester’s latest report, these platforms are not only revolutionizing the way we build software but also reshaping the future of application development.

What is Low-Code Development for Professional Developers?

Low-code development platforms employ visual, declarative techniques instead of traditional programming languages, enabling developers to create software faster and more efficiently. This approach is especially beneficial in teams that combine business users with professional developers, as it allows for a collaborative, agile development process. Forrester defines these platforms as solutions that meet a wide range of application and process automation needs, from simple workflows to complex business applications.

In addition to speeding up development, low-code platforms are evolving with the times, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (genAI) capabilities. This is leading the charge towards the emerging AppGen market, where AI is used to generate entire applications from natural language prompts, further streamlining the development process.

Business Value of Low-Code Platforms

When applied strategically, low-code platforms offer businesses significant advantages:

Accelerated Development: Low-code platforms dramatically reduce development time by replacing traditional coding methods with visual tools, automated quality checks, and integrated SDLC features. AI-powered automation of tasks further enhances this speed, enabling faster time-to-market.

Enabling Innovation at Scale: Low-code platforms foster digital experimentation and innovation. The ability to quickly prototype and iterate on new ideas, combined with the flexibility of low-code apps, is invaluable in today’s fast-paced business environment. This is especially important in the era of generative AI, where rapid experimentation is critical to discovering new intelligent use cases.

Expanding the Developer Pool: One of the standout features of low-code platforms is their ability to empower non-professional coders—such as IT analysts and business subject matter experts—to participate in the development process. This democratization of development increases the overall productivity of teams and makes application development more accessible.

Market Maturity: Low-Code Goes Mainstream

Low-code platforms have firmly established themselves as a mainstream solution for application development. According to Forrester, 93% of developers report spending at least some of their time using low-code tools. These platforms are now used for a wide variety of critical business applications, including core modernization, customer-facing apps, and complex process automation.

However, the market is becoming more competitive, with major players like Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow integrating low-code functionality into their broader platforms. As large vendors with expansive ecosystems continue to dominate, smaller, specialized low-code vendors must focus on true technical differentiation and specialized use cases to stay competitive.

Market Dynamics: Trends, Challenges, and Disruptions

The low-code market is experiencing several key dynamics:

AppGen Era: Low-code platforms are embracing AI to accelerate the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC). This integration of AI into the development process is driving the emergence of the AppGen era, where applications are generated from natural language prompts, reducing the need for manual coding and enabling faster, more efficient development.

Pricing Challenges: While low-code platforms offer significant benefits, their pricing can be a barrier for enterprises looking to adopt them at scale. Large businesses must negotiate complex licensing deals to fully realize the potential of these platforms, and many may wait until the financial models prove more viable.

Vendor Consolidation: As the low-code market grows, larger vendors are acquiring smaller, pure-play platforms, creating a wave of consolidation. Companies that have not already scaled up must find niche technical differentiations to survive in this competitive landscape.

Core and Extended Use Cases for Low-Code Platforms

Forrester identifies several core and extended use cases for low-code platforms. The core use cases include:

Empowering departmental IT and citizen developers
Developing customer-facing applications
Automating digital processes
Building core business applications
Beyond these, low-code platforms also support extended use cases like mobile app store deployment, AI agents, business intelligence and reporting, and industrial IoT apps. These extended use cases require specialized features, and businesses looking to address these needs should evaluate vendors based on their focus and expertise in these areas.

Functionality by Use Case

Low-code platforms offer a range of functionalities that are essential for both core and extended use cases. These features support the full stack of development components needed for various business applications. Key functionalities include:

Visual development tools
Automated testing and quality assurance
Integration with other enterprise systems
AI and genAI capabilities for faster development
When selecting a low-code platform, businesses should prioritize the functionalities that align with their specific development needs, whether for core business applications or more specialized use cases.

Conclusion: The Future of Low-Code Development

The low-code platform market is poised for significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for faster, more adaptable software solutions. Forrester’s report highlights the value that these platforms bring to organizations, from speeding up development to enabling innovation at scale. As AI and generative AI continue to transform the landscape, low-code platforms will lead the charge towards the future of application development.

As businesses explore the potential of low-code platforms, they must carefully evaluate vendors based on their focus, use cases, and pricing models to make the most informed decisions. With the right platform in place, organizations can unlock the full potential of low-code development and stay ahead in the digital era.


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Nidhi Dubey
Marketer @ quixy.com

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