I’m curious as to what the year 2023 holds. Focus areas will include AI policy, digital immune systems, the cloud, sustainability, and software outsourcing.
Do you recall when quality, timeliness, and affordability were the driving forces behind software development standards? No longer are things so easy as they once were. The intricacy and complexity of software have increased, and with the advancements in technology we now have at our disposal comes the need for new standards by which to evaluate its performance.
Several established customs and expected levels of performance shifted in 2022. More widespread use of 5G, more dependence on low-code/no-code platforms, the development of remote work, a focus on cybersecurity, an increase in reliance on the Internet of Things (IoT), and the expansion of cloud computing were all notable developments. Naturally, these are only a few examples of the numerous major players in the software industry.
A lot of these tendencies will still be going strong in the year 2023. As time goes on, new subcultures and aspects will develop. What does 2019 hold for the future of code? Let’s sneak a peak ahead and see what’s in store.
Five Major Developmental Tendencies in Software in 2023
Number one, the Cyber Immune System
The term “digital immune system” wasn’t coined until 1991, when IBM researcher David M. Chess did so. There is nothing novel about the idea itself. There is justification, though, for its ascent to the top spot as Gartner’s top Strategic Technological Trend for 2023.
An early description of the idea focused on its use in protecting computer systems from viral attacks. In fact, cyberattacks were already on the minds of industry professionals even in the early 1990s, when the internet was just getting its start. In response to the growing sophistication of cyber threats, the concept of the “digital immune system” has evolved as an effective and all-encompassing solution.
It’s difficult to conceptualise the severity of the harm posed by internet-based viruses in the present day if their prevalence increased in 1991. The complexity of cyber attacks has increased in step with the development of information technology. Experts in the field of cybersecurity are working tirelessly to keep thieves at bay and keep up with the ever-evolving sophistication of the attacks they conduct against computer programs and other digital media.
For this reason, the concept of a digital immune system is more timely now than it was when it was first proposed more than three decades ago. The strategy includes a number of techniques to guarantee that systems and technologies are effectively secured. They include automation, user design, comprehensive quality assurance (QA) testing, attentive monitoring, and others.
Developing software is as cutting-edge as it gets, so naturally there are certain dangers associated with it. Yet, with the help of the digital immune system, individuals and organizations may protect their systems from both known and unknown dangers, minimizing risk as much as possible while taking use of cutting-edge tools.
While there is no such thing as a completely safe cyber security plan, this is the most comprehensive method for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure.
A 2021 Gartner research on digital immunity states that this method includes five components that are crucial in increasing your resilience while providing a satisfying user experience.
- Autonomous evaluations
- Engineering chaos
- Auto remediation
- Observability
- In-process Verification
Acceptance of the Cloud
Indeed, cloud computing remains a prominent practice in the field of software engineering. It’s now 2019, and it’s nearly impossible to find an individual or company that doesn’t use the cloud in some capacity. This trend began around the middle of the 2000s.
Ninety-four percent of US company infrastructure decision-makers are employing some form of cloud deployment, according to research from Forrester. Most commonly used are hybrid and multi-cloud setups. The market research agency also claims that the COVID-19 epidemic has contributed to the rapid growth of cloud computing.
With the popularity of remote work and off-site operations, it is only natural that more and more businesses and individuals are turning to cloud services for essential activities like remote access to software, file storage, and teamwork. If the epidemic hadn’t happened, would cloud computing’s popularity have grown so rapidly? It’s difficult to know for sure, but it’s likely that things would have moved at a slower pace. Simultaneously, cloud computing’s prevalence was a given.
There will be much more widespread use of cloud-based resources next year. Software engineers are increasingly incorporating some type of cloud computing into their creations, which provides several benefits to enterprises. To achieve a swift and secure rollout of these services, businesses will need to work with knowledgeable suppliers.
IT and Software Contracting Services
With so much focus on digital transformation, companies everywhere are trying to speed up the process of digitizing their internal systems and practices. Hence, extra manpower and materials will be required.
Because of this, the IT and software outsourcing industries have expanded rapidly over the past few years. Companies in the United States are beginning to realize that, in this increasingly digital environment, it is not always possible to find the necessary skills and workers within the company.
Although outsourcing of IT and software is not a recent phenomenon, it is becoming increasingly common. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS) are just a few of the market subsets that will explode in prominence and popularity over the next 12 months (PaaS). The common thread, perhaps? Businesses in all sectors and all parts of the world are increasing their investments in the “as a service” industry.
With businesses increasingly depending on automation technologies like chatbots and voice help, the “automation as a service” (AaaS) market is expected to grow at a faster rate than any of the other “as a service” markets.
According to Statista’s projections, the application outsourcing market will be worth $116 billion by 2022, up 4.66 percent from 2017. Therefore, projections show that by 2027, the market would have grown to a whopping $145.7 billion.
The necessity for technology outsourcing is growing as the prevalence of remote work and high turnover rates in the software development and IT business push the industry to seek new sources of talent. The outsourcing of software development by startups is expected to expand by a whopping 70% between 2022 and 2023, according to Commit.
The motivations for outsourcing are also position-specific, as seen in Commit’s 2022 State of Tech Staffing study. While 48% of HR executives say reduced expenses are the biggest perk, 42% of CTOs say it’s the key to expanding operations rapidly.
Whatever the driving force, it’s becoming increasingly evident that outsourcing is a key strategy in 2023 and beyond.
4. Sustainability
Concerns are being raised about the effects of technology on Earth. Solar power, hybrid cars, and LED bulbs have all become increasingly commonplace in recent years. AI, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and blockchain may not appear to have a large energy footprint at first look, but the data processing required to make them function has a massive environmental impact.
Considerable quantities of power are needed to run the hardware and physical servers needed for data processing. Although if technology isn’t solely to blame for carbon emissions—almost every industry contributes to environmental distress—we still have a responsibility to reduce electronic waste and figure out how to make our software and technologies more energy efficient and less detrimental to the world.
Of course, this is easier said than done, but if we’re going to get serious about addressing our rapidly rising (about 9% annually) worldwide digital energy consumption, we’re going to have to get creative.
The good news is that many companies plan to make sustainability a top priority in 2023. Several IT companies’ pledges to reduce carbon emissions and their overall environmental effect include the following:
- Developing and implementing environmental industrial standards
- Donating to environmental causes and using earnings to implement proposals from environmental groups
- By concentrating on sustainable energy sources
- Increasing our understanding of how various software affects the environment requires additional study.
- Maximizing the usefulness of commonly-used products in order to cut down on electronic waste
- Exploring non-traditional research methods for analyzing energy use, such comparing the energy efficiency of different programming languages
Establishing and enhancing eco-friendly technology will be the main goals. In spite of the fact that many of these methods are still in development, they hold tremendous promise for safeguarding our planet and our future.
Another, less selfless, reason for making technology greener is concern for one’s company’s image. It should come as no surprise that consumers who value brands with a commitment to sustainability are more likely to purchase such goods. Brands will pay more attention to environmental effect as consumer awareness of the problem grows.
Regulation of Intelligent Machines
In 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) will be at the forefront of any discussion on software development developments. IDC forecasts that by 2024, the worldwide market for artificial intelligence would have grown to $500 billion. Despite the fact that the power of AI is continuing to increase and that new discoveries are being made in the area every day, this essay does not need to continue to restate all the advantages of adopting AI because they have already been discussed extensively over the last several years.
Let’s instead investigate the management of AI systems. The key idea here is that artificial intelligence (AI) is such a potent force that it requires legislative restrictions to keep it open, fair, egalitarian, ethical, and under tight control. The concept of “AI governance” proposes the establishment of regulations to control the use of AI and related technologies.
This requires some disentangling. Algorithms in computers, like people, need to play by the rules. Yet, as the consequences of AI use grow, calls have been made for more oversight of the technology.
Face recognition software and stock market forecasting are only two applications of AI. It can rule on concerns of law and security, and even preside over criminal proceedings. It may determine whether or not you are approved for a loan that might save your life. This is not a game with no serious consequences for individuals and the world at large.
And that’s what sets it apart from similar technology. It’s for this reason that so many groups and individuals are advocating for oversight of AI systems.
There are currently active projects in this field. For instance, in an effort to broaden participation in AI, the White House formed the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Resource Task Force. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Commerce established the National Advisory Committee on the Accountability of Artificial Intelligence to look at such concerns.
In spite of this, many open questions remain, and we want to keep asking them all the way until 2023. What guarantees do we have, for instance, that any particular tools are being monitored adequately? Just how will we rate AI’s choices? Can you explain how we’ll work to lessen the magnitude of any errors that do occur?
The IT industry’s behemoths are taking notice and eager to lend a hand. Microsoft is creating tools like Fairlearn to monitor the efficacy of its AI models, while Google is working on its own Responsible AI initiative. IBM is developing software to make the process of governing AI more automated.
Vice President and Director of Governance Research at Brookings, Darrell M. West, proposes the following six stages toward ethical AI deployment:
- Implementing rules of behavior
- Building systems that encourage morality and combat prejudice
- Setting Standards and Metrics for Evaluation
- Solving AI issues by developing standardized technological approaches
- Trying out new initiatives and incubators
- Artificial intelligence that combines technical and nontechnical knowledge
Of course, AI governance is crucial now; perhaps, more work and progress will be made in this area in 2023.
While looking ahead to 2023, what do we see as the most prevalent trends in software development?
The technological landscape will undoubtedly change when we wave farewell to 2022. While most of the progress made in the last year and prior will stay in our minds, we will need to study their potential uses and consequences in greater depth.
These are some of the overarching concerns that will shape the software development industry in the year 2023.
Resilience
The world was thrown into chaos as a result of a pandemic. We saw firsthand how the Great Depression affected economies all throughout the world. Today we are preparing for the possibility of a recession.
So, it should come as no surprise that resilience is a major concern in the technology industry. Software outsourcing is one solution that companies are looking to as a means to deal with talent shortages and financial restrictions.
Leaders in the software development industry will also need to focus on disaster preparation. Companies will have to think ahead and prepare for a wide variety of eventualities. It will be essential in building stronger and more resilient businesses.
Scalability
It’s true that businesses face a lot of challenges, from the aftereffects of the epidemic to the possibility of a new economic downturn. While this may be a setback for certain industries, the IT sector is not planning to slow down. Businesses continue to place a premium on expansion, making scalability a top priority.
They know that keeping their promises to address people’s most immediate wants and issues is crucial to their survival in the face of unpredictability. As a result, the software industry is going to undergo a period of rapid expansion.
Security
In addition, the safety of many of these things is crucial. Among the many facets of AI governance, cybersecurity stands out as crucial. It’s also important for any other kind of invention or tool, especially since that hackers have more sophisticated means of disrupting and destroying electronic infrastructure.
Companies will use a variety of methods to ensure their systems are secure. They will use professionals like white-hat hackers, but they will also increasingly turn to cloud-based solutions. Organizations must constantly prioritize security in their IT infrastructure and may need to recruit from outside to get the necessary expertise.
Involvement of Users
Finally, there is user involvement, which is integrated into every tech industry strategy, technique, tool, and idea. Despite its technical nature, technology is fundamentally human, representing the creation of tools by humans to serve their needs.
The goal of each piece of software is to solve a user’s problem and make their life simpler. Also, participation is crucial for making the most of the field’s resources. In 2023 and beyond, the user experience will remain at the center of software companies’ decisions about everything from digital security to environmental impact.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the year 2023 holds several exciting trends for software development, including the implementation of a cyber immune system, widespread acceptance of cloud computing, and the continued growth of IT and software outsourcing. As the complexity of software continues to increase, new standards must be developed to evaluate performance. The concept of a digital immune system has evolved into an all-encompassing solution to protect computer systems from cyberattacks. Meanwhile, the popularity of cloud-based resources and remote work has led to a surge in demand for outsourcing services. These trends will bring significant opportunities and challenges for software development companies in UK, and those who can adapt to them will thrive in the dynamic world of software engineering.