What are low-code development platforms and their benefits?
Tags: devops, lowcode, programming, beginners
Published: 2021-10-11 05:14:29

A PTC report states that nearly 60% of companies that have a digital transformation strategy have created new business models.
This indicates that digital transformation is integral to the scalability of businesses and that many of these businesses are in search of the right technology that can help them make this transformation a hassle-free process. This is where low-code development platforms can help.

**What are low-code development platforms?**

Low-code development platforms rely on an easy graphical user interface to build applications rather than laborious traditional computer programming/coding.

Low-code development platforms are used by businesses to automate their operations, go remote, and extend capabilities for economies of scale. Most low-code development platforms are available to run on the cloud as well as on-premise.

**Who can use low-code platforms?**

The beauty of low-code platforms is that they can be used by businesses of all sizes, and across all industries, to solve business challenges. Having a drag-and-drop UI lets you start building your app immediately, and view the changes visually and in real time.

Both decision makers and employees of varying technical expertise can use low-code to build and utilize applications based on their needs.

Users can be citizen developers (those with no significant technical skills, but with an inclination to IT), IT developers (skilled IT/coding personnel), or business function developers (skilled personnel handling business operations with limited IT skills).

The technical expertise needed to build applications with low-code platforms will be based on the business needs and application complexity.

So while an amateur can build an online spreadsheet with the bare minimum low-code tools, a full-fledged developer can build an entire ERP on the same platform.

**A business needs low-code when they want to:**

* Track and share information with multiple stakeholders
* Move from paper to mobile devices
* Store data securely on-the-cloud, without any hardware/software          disruptions
* Take the business online
* Automate or improve existing business operations

Low-code can help in any of these cases, or all of the above. With current global events, businesses that have been able to go remote/online have thrived. Businesses with just a few employees to conglomerates with 10,000+ employees have had to transform digitally to keep up with these uncertain times and low code empowers this transformation.

**6 benefits of low-code development platforms:**

1. Implementation speed: With drag-and-drop functions, visual tools for automation, one-click deployment, and other user-friendly features, deploying a simple app takes only a few days. John Rhymer, ex-vice president and lead analyst with Forrester states, “... they have the potential to make software development as much as 10 times faster than traditional methods.”

2. DIY builds: Empowering all users with varying technical skills to build their own app allows synergy between business challenges and IT solutions.

3. Agility: Low-code development platforms allow for multiple iterations and adaptations, and can be deployed in a test environment before moving to a production deployment scenario. Rapid prototyping of solutions is possible with low-code, but not with traditional software.

4. Device compatibility: Low-code platforms on the cloud have the advantage of being accessible on the move, as they're compatible with multiple devices—laptops, tablets, and phones.

5. Integrations with existing systems: Many businesses are reluctant to phase out their pricey legacy systems completely, with the reasons being familiarity and fear of employee pushback. Low-code platforms work with third-party connectors and microservices to allow for seamless integrations.

6. Cost savings: Businesses incur costs while using traditional means of managing data that hinder employee productivity and is detrimental to efficiency. Low-code platforms provide a lot more features and benefits for a fraction of the price, resulting in cost savings.

**What are some low-code platforms?**

There are many players you can choose from, based on your business needs. Here are a few prominent ones:

 OutSystems: Built for medium and large enterprises, and hence aimed at users with better technical prowess, OutSystems has features like maps, an experience builder, case management frameworks, and more. Pricing for the basic plan starts at $4,000 per month.

 Zoho Creator: Built for SMBs as well as large enterprises, and allows for customization of apps based on business needs. Has features like visual workflows builder, AI, customer portals, and prebuilt apps, and can readily integrate with more than 500 solutions that include other Zoho products and third-party tools. The professional plan starts at $25 per user per month for 5 apps

Mendix: Has a no-code WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) IDE, as well as a low-code IDE with bidirectional sync between the two. Mendix provides a data hub that facilitates data preparation and specialized integrations.The basic pricing starts at $59 per month.

Microsoft PowerApps: Microsoft's low-code platform catering to medium and large enterprises. Data is stored on Microsoft Dataverse on-premises, or online, with sources such as SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, SQL Server, and more. Priced at $10 per user per month for 1 app.

Appian, Caspio, Quickbase, Kissflow, and Salesforce Lightning are few other examples.

**Conclusion**

Low-code platforms help automate processes, remove redundant manual tasks, and save time and costs for businesses. Decision-makers and executives who are looking to evolve business operations or implement digital transformation as a strategy should seriously consider opting for low-code—it merges varied technical expertise with rapid implementation.