United Training BlogNews and resources on the latest trends in IT training and professional developmenthttps://www.newhorizons.com/resources/blogWhat is Low-Code, and why should you care?https://www.newhorizons.com/resources/blog/postid/50/what-is-low-code-and-why-should-you-careGeneral,Microsoft,Modern Workplace,trainingTue, 17 Nov 2020 08:00:00 GMT<p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Low-code development platforms are on the rise, allowing businesses to develop custom applications more efficiently to solve their unique challenges. With developers in high demand and short supply, companies search for options that can reduce development costs and increase overall efficiency.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%">So, what exactly IS low-code? </span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Low-code platforms make it easier for business and IT professionals to understand and create application software through graphic interfaces instead of traditional programming. Building apps by dragging and dropping user interface components that replace code, automatically generating features based on the project's standard practices. A Low-code platform is a flexible and easy to understand design space that anyone can get creative in. They also reduced the time it takes to create apps significantly, meaning that they can be delivered quicker and from people who wouldn't typically consider themselves software developers.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:107%">What does this mean for businesses?</span></span></b></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">For 2021, Forrester predicts an accelerated adoption of low-code platforms:</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><i>"During the pandemic, many organizations embraced low-code platforms to build and deploy new apps fast. These experiences will drive most development shops to adopt low-code tools and more. Expect to see new hybrid teams emerge, with business users and professional developers building apps together with low-code tools built on cloud-native platforms."</i></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">With the emergence of fast-paced digital transformation, low-code platforms can fill talent gaps and help developers become even more productive by cutting down development time. As a leader in low-code application development platforms, Microsoft is recognized by analysts, demonstrating a strong strategy, vision, and ability to execute. Discover the benefits of Power Apps, outlined in a recently commissioned study by Forrester Consulting:</span></span></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>188%</b> ROI over three years</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>74%</b> reduction in app development costs</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>4.3%</b> revenue uplift linked to an increasingly faster development effort</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>3.2</b> hours/week average improvement in line-of-business employee productivity</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>22%</b> of global developers reported using low-code platforms, and another 23% planned​ to do so within the year​</span></span></span></li> <li style="margin-bottom:11px; margin-left:8px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif"><b>132,000</b> worker hours saved from streamlined and automated activities (Year 3)</span></span></span></li> </ul> <p style="margin-bottom:11px"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:107%"><span style="font-family:Calibri,sans-serif">Reduce costs, save time, and help your business thrive with Power Apps, the low-code development platform of the future. Check out how you can invest in your staff to conquer low-code projects for 2021.</span></span></span></p> 50