Software technology trends have changed dramatically for products focused on remote communication and e-commerce. However, these segments are not the only areas where IT companies will increase their activities. Below are 12 technology trends expected in the software industry in 2021.
1. Video games and related products
According to the Video Game Software Global Market Report 2021-30, this industry expects to increase first published in Dublin. The document states that the video game software market’s overall capitalization is declining due to the Corona epidemic and the subsequent economic crisis. While in 2020, its value at $167.2 billion, in 2021, the valuation has fallen to $166.4 billion.
Regardless, the gaming sector is forecast to grow in the coming year, which appears to be a trend for the software industry globally. According to the report, 2021 will bring a rapid recovery for developers. The software for video games and related products expects to grow to $223.2 billion by 2023, which will become a new trend in software development.
2. E-commerce: the most advanced technology for software development in 2021.
Retail purchases over the internet are becoming increasingly popular. The sector’s turnover was estimated at USD 1.3 trillion in 2014 and is expected to reach USD 4.9 trillion by 2021, according to Statista, which means the market has roughly quadrupled in seven years.
This growth also affects e-commerce software developers. The development of online services applications expects to be a key trend in software development in 2021 significantly as Statista predicts that e-commerce sales will reach 17.5% of global retail sales in 2021.
3. Bionics for the human body
In his article for Forbes magazine, Aleksey Makarov explains that the coming year will bring several new developments that will focus on improving the human body. He cited Google Glass technology as an example. Engineering technology trends are constantly evolving. Today, Human 2.0 technology restore lost abilities (hearing, vision, etc.). In the future, we will use technologies used to restore human bodies and enhance their capabilities which could include the following use cases:
- Bionic exoskeletons (actively being developed by military installations);
- The development of natural abilities (hearing, vision, physical strength);
- Low-cost implants enable the operation of gadgets and devices.
If we consider such a segment in the context of “software trends and the future,” the above cases seem the most promising. Technology-enabled people development is becoming increasingly popular among developers. Several companies have already deployed bionic exoskeletons, and the US military is actively testing them.
4. Native applications
Aleksey Makarov maintains that native applications will be a significant trend in software development in the coming year. In 2021, it became clear that there must be a minimal connection between buyers and sellers. As a result, it predicts that more and more companies will create native customer communication and internal coordination applications. This trend expects to extend to banking, multimedia, and e-commerce.
All three sectors need stable, secure, and convenient applications to do business with customers. Even when the situation caused by the COVID-19 epidemic calms down, the need for quick and easy communication with customers will remain.
In the experience of large companies like Google, mobile apps and mobile communication channels are a priority; it is partly because the number of Android devices worldwide will reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2020. Even without considering the number of iOS devices, that number is an insufficient incentive for mobile app developers. Native apps will remain a trend in the software industry.
5.Voice commerce
Voice commerce is one of the latest IT trends in the software industry. It is a brand new technology that allows actions to perform via voice commands. Leading digital giants such as Google and Amazon have already approached this technology. Amazon Echo and Google Home are actively launching their products.
Users can do what they need to do with voice control without touching their devices. All it takes is telling the system what to do without being distracted by the manual process. The technology is gaining popularity because of the improved time management that comes from controlling the fly’s design.
This area holds the promise of new trends in software technology. Voice commerce expects to generate $40 billion for consumers in the US alone by the end of 2021. This figure could be even higher in 2021 as Google and Amazon continue to develop the technology in their niches.
6. Cloud technologies
Cloud technologies will continue to be a trend in the coming year. According to the portal, the global pandemic has sparked interest in using clouds for data processing and storage. Experts believe that a majority of critical processes now run in clouds. Therefore, in 2021, the business world will be even more interested in this technology.
In the coming years, the use of clouds will increase. Companies will develop their software. They will probably optimize all processes for better efficiency. More and more IT companies will focus on this segment to satisfy the market.
The benefits of using this type of software are apparent:
- Lower cost of new projects
- Higher productivity of the development process
- Reduced expenditure on project maintenance
- Clouds will therefore continue to be a trend in software technology in the coming years.
7. Open source code
Many developers release their open-source software to the public. Therefore, many people have free access to new computer programs that are an alternative to commercial software. It is especially true for people who work from home because they do not have company accounts. Due to the ongoing pandemic, this segment will also be trendy in 2021.
Open-source software is, in many cases, more secure than commercial analogues. Experts believe that the segment will continue to grow to keep pace with other software development trends, which could impact the overall state of the IT industry, as open-source makes up a significant portion of the market.
8. Developing a chatbot
It is the most popular new trend in software development. Chatbots speed up communication between parties. Simultaneously, the automatic processing of incoming customer queries can save costs for operators and other staff. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Telegram, Viber, and Skype are actively using chatbots today.
According to the survey, 58% of chatbots operate in the B2B segment, while the remaining 42% operate in the B2C segment.
Unsurprisingly, software development companies are the most active in deploying chatbots on their platforms. They have 65.1% of the total market share. Specialist services and healthcare companies follow them.
9. Virtual reality
It is the most promising path for the entertainment industry. VR allows you to be fully present in a virtual space that attracts consumers of VR products. The most expensive VR project is the video game Half-Life: Alyx. Although the total number of VR devices is relatively small (around 5 million), sales of this game reached 800 000 copies by the end of the first week. Thus, Half-Life: Alyx came in at number eight in the Top Grossing Titles.
The development of low-cost VR solutions in this segment looks very promising. One can expect VR to become the most popular software development technology in the video games market.
10. Gaming in the cloud
Games for PCs and consoles are becoming more and more demanding every year. It is why cloud gaming is entering the global market. There is no longer a requirement to buy expensive components to upgrade your PC to play the latest games. All you need is good bandwidth combined with a data transfer system.
Newzoo analysts claim that up to 125 million people will be using cloud gaming within a few years. Google, Sony, and other giants are focusing on this sector.
Cloud gaming
Based on these expert forecasts, it seems reasonable that cloud gaming will open up new markets in 2021. As a consequence, the demand for new software development will grow. As a result, cloud gaming will appear on the list of current trends in the software industry.
11. Cross-platform and cross-channel support
When developing an application or a website, it must be accessible through different communication channels. As the amount of smartphones and tablets remains to grow, the demand for cross-platform support will also increase, including web-based and mobile versions of the same product and cross-platform compatibility. This trend has been observed in recent years and will continue in 2021.
Summary
In addition to uniformity, there is now a demand for omnichannel support. In essence, it is a synchronization of all activities across platforms. The more actions a company carries out, the more valuable it is to control all processes through single change history. If you wish to hire a software developer you can reach top software development companies in India.
