The Future of Software Development

There’s no denying the fact that software development is a growing industry that’s only going to expand in the years to come. With internet access now reaching nearly 30% of the world’s population, including many third world countries, we can easily see the importance of software development. So just what does the future hold for this fast-growing industry? Like most things in the IT field, it’s nearly impossible to accurately predict its future, but here we’ll take a look at some of the most plausible outcomes for the future of software development.

Web-Based Applications and Programs

Instead of having to download and use a program on your computer, wouldn’t it be easier to open up a web browser and simply access it from there? A number of web-based applications already exist, including word-counters, Google Docs, TinySong, proxies and hundreds of other helpful tools. The main advantage to using a web-based application is the fact that it doesn’t require the user to physically download anything to their computer hard drive. However, the downside is that you must have an active internet connection to use them.

Another possible concern with web-based applications is security and privacy. While most individuals trust Google applications for being secure, they may not trust applications from lesser-known companies. With news regarding the collection of private data from app developers, many people are already concerned about what information is being taken from them.

Mobile Applications

Another direction the future of software development will likely go towards is the development of mobile applications. By the end of 2011, there was a total of 30 billion mobile apps downloaded worldwide. This statistic is simply mind-blowing any way you look at it. It there’s a task or process that can be accomplished digitally, there’s probably an app for it. You can download mobile apps that scan bar codes and compare prices, translate languages, update your social networking status, give you the location of restaurants or gas stations, change your voice and countless other tasks.

Software development is a broad and open field to say the least. While the two paths mentioned above are likely scenarios for the future of a large part of the industry, software development will still be around in other formats as well. Individuals and companies will always require the use of new and updated software in order to make their lives and daily tasks easier. It’s up to the software developers to meet these needs and give the public want they want.