Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2025. Read them in this 17th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
By JJ McGuigan, App Builder Product Marketing Manager, Infragistics
The challenges of limited resources, high workloads, development backlogs, a shortage of skilled developers, and effectively using data to make decisions will continue to steer technology in 2025. We will see a shift towards more agile, collaborative, and data-driven approaches to software development that will lessen the demands on developers, improve productivity, reduce costs and help organizations make better decisions. Low-code platforms, AI integration, and embedded analytics are among the tools that will help organizations innovate faster and respond more effectively to market demands in the coming year.
Here are key trends that will shape the technology industry:
Low Code and the Automation Takeover
Recruiting developers with the right skills will continue to be a top challenge, according to the 2024 Reveal Top Software Development Challenges survey and this trend will continue in 2025. The pressure to iterate and get to market faster has pushed companies to adopt alternate approaches to optimizing development cycles. Technology teams are increasingly turning towards low code tools as a powerful solution, enabling organizations to effectively bridge the developer skills gap.
According to the Reveal survey, low code software is a powerful tool for accelerating app development and enhancing productivity. Nearly all the survey respondents (90.4%) said that low code tools boosted developer productivity in their organizations. Low code platforms’ various automation features for generating code, grids and other reusable UI components, and the ability to connect to any REST data source, have reduced project timelines from a year of development to just weeks.
Low code tools are here to stay. Not only are developers realizing the power of these tools, but so are CTOs, CIOs, dev team leaders, and other high-level executives.
Blending Human Intelligence + Artificial Intelligence
If one concern was gaining momentum over the last few years, it was the perception that AI would take over the software world. Teams saw the rise of AI-assisted development tools like GitHub Copilot, which became a huge advantage in writing code and assembling apps. Other platforms, like App Builder AI, use natural language prompts and translate them to data sources or generate images, thus, replacing repetitive and otherwise time-consuming tasks. However, it wasn’t entirely the AI revolution that people expected. Even though artificial intelligence broke new ground, it hasn’t replaced developers. However, it did usher in a new movement – human intelligence and artificial intelligence working together.
This augmented productivity is one of the top trends in 2025 that will distribute the emphasis on technology and human expertise. We will see how this codependency actually provides more opportunities for teams to streamline development processes with greater precision and quality. Tedious groundwork will be offloaded to AI-driven tools, allowing programmers to focus resources and efforts on architecture, app logic, and deep customization. This shift will lead the way for companies to deliver more robust and scalable products while achieving faster time to market.
A Collaborative Shift in the Engineer’s Role: Citizen Development
The role of the software engineer in 2025 will evolve due to advancements in technology and changes in industry demands. While foundational skills will remain important, there will likely be a rise in specialization areas such as machine learning, blockchain, IoT, data science and design.
The emergence of low code and no code platforms is transforming the landscape of software development-not by replacing traditional programmers, but by broadening the tools at their disposal and enabling non-technical users to create applications with minimal coding knowledge.
The 2024 Reveal survey reported that two-thirds (71.8%) of organizations are now using low code/no code tools. Additionally, more than half (56.4%) anticipate greater reliance on these tools in the future. The burgeoning number of citizen developers using low code/no code tools takes the pressure off developers and reduces the time and money spent on application development. Embracing low code software and democratizing app development will fundamentally transform the way businesses operate, enabling faster, more agile product development.
Forrester found that “the democratization of development to workers outside of IT shows no signs of slowing down – and as citizen developer strategies mature, we believe that this relatively untapped use case will sustain a 21% growth rate for the next five years, growing to approximately $30 billion in 2028.” This change in the workforce dynamics is expected to lead to a shift in the software developer’s role.
BI + AI-Powered Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics
Business intelligence (BI) will continue to be a critical asset because it enables organizations to harness the power of data for better decision-making, improved efficiency, and enhanced competitiveness. Embedded analytics is a key component of business intelligence. The Reveal survey indicates that “embedded analytics adoption continues to grow as more and more organizations gain an understanding of its value in simplifying workflows and speeding up the process of discovering valuable insights from data.”
Advancements in BI integration with AI-powered predictive and prescriptive analytics, will further enhance data analysis and decision-making processes. This is reshaping how users engage with analytics and data management through prediction, prescription, automation and optimization. BI integration with AI-powered predictive and prescriptive analytics is driving data-informed decision-making because it goes beyond simply recommending actions. In fact, as a forward-looking approach, this integration will allow companies to anticipate consumer behavior, foresee operational challenges, and make more informed strategic choices.
Companies that embrace these software development trends in 2025 will cultivate a dynamic culture and drive transformative change. With cutting-edge tools like low code software, embedded analytics and the power of AI, organizations can prioritize innovation, enhance the speed and efficiency of the development process, and make more informed decisions. These are among the advancements that will drive business growth and help organizations gain a competitive advantage.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JJ McGuigan, App Builder Product Marketing Manager, Infragistics
JJ McGuigan is the Product Marketing Manager for Developer Tools and App Builder at Infragistics, where he is responsible for strategic market positioning for Infragistics’ low code developer products. He joined Infragistics in 2018 as a member of the sales team and brings the unique perspective of directly interacting with customers to gain a better understanding of their needs to the marketing team. As the leader of marketing initiatives for App Builder, a low code app development solution, JJ played a key role in taking the product from inception and bringing it to market. He is integral in driving brand awareness, promoting a culture of innovation and collaboration, and identifying customer pain points to help shape the future of App Builder. Prior to joining Infragistics, JJ was employed by Merrill Lynch. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University.
