4 Disruptive Software Development Trends That Will Dominate 2018
So far, so good.
The year 2017 has been a great one. What do you think?
It came with a lot of expectations. AI, Machine learning, Blockchain, chatbots, and all those nice stuff were at the center of their game in 2017. And that’s not going to stop soon.
In this article, we are going to talk a bit about the future of this technologies in 2018 and how you can take advantage of it as a developer.
1. Demand for Blockchain developers will explode
Most people didn’t hear or know about Blockchain in 2015 and also in 2016. But in 2017, the dog was let loose.
Especially with the exponential rise in the value of Bitcoin. Blockchain has been in the news all through the year. More than enough ICOs have been created. Projects are consistently been built on the Blockchain network.
Yes. Currently, more than 700 ethereum Ðapp has been developed on the ethereum network. That number is only for apps that were uploaded to the ethercast platform.
Blockchain is catching the interest of both developers and investors. Businesses want to leverage the decentralized nature of the Blockchain to run a more transparent and profitable business.
Did you know that most of the legacy technology companies introduced their Blockchain platforms in 2017?
For example, IBM which is considered the leader did.
And yea, they are already partnering with banks and government regulatory agencies to put Blockchain to use.
To satisfy the overhanging need of creating more businesses around Blockchain, more developers will be needed. According to a 2016 study, they were only 5,000 full-time Blockchain developers in the world in 2016,
Of course, that number must have increased by now, but not to compared to over 18 million Java developers out there. 2018 will most likely be a year of an increased demand for developers who have dedicated themselves for Blockchain.
2. IoT gets pushed to the edge
Almost everything is turning into a data collecting device — — roads, cars, living rooms, etc. Even though wearables such as Fitbit and Apple Watch get most of the attention at the moment.
These devices collect large amount of data and big IT companies are exploring cheaper and faster means to process them all. That’s exactly where edge computing will play a great role in 2018.
By the way, what’s edge computing? According to Network World, Edge computing uses a mesh of micro-data centers to process data near the device, or at the “edge” of the network.
This will be a big boost for IoT devices. Even if a device has poor connectivity, Edge will allow IoT devices to perform faster real-time analytics.
What does this mean for a developer?
Well, as businesses begin to make edge computing their priority, database and network engineers will be needed to create IoT infrastructure to power them.
3. Artificial intelligence becomes a necessity and the love for machine learning will increase
We are getting close to a point where every business will need to adopt AI in other to stay relevant. However, we’re not there yet.
On the flipside, visionaries like Elon Musk and World leaders such as Vladimir Putin have a strong believe that AI will alter the world landscape. This is something to think about even though not all of us agree to that. To be honest, some of the things we’re creating already with AI are scary.
For 2018, more AI-powered apps will definitely be created with the increase in demand by businesses.
Machine learning is one fast rising technology that everyone has to get attached to. Google Algorithm for search is going crazy with it nowadays.
If you’ve been following trends you’ll notice that the transformation of data into actionable insights is one of the hottest topics CMOs talk about lately.
More so, machine learning is taken it extra-mile. As most businesses, developers, and data scientist are adopting it, more tools will be built in 2018 with machine learning integrated.
Therefore more machine learning focused developers jobs will be high in demand in 2018. Keep an eye on it.
4. Virtual reality (might) go mainstream
Virtual reality has come to stay. Yea. In 2017 the first high-end commercially-available virtual reality device was launched. The Facebook’s Oculus Rift and HTC Vive led the way in a full-power VR system unlike the smartphone-powered systems such as Galaxy Gear VR.
Even though the adoption has been slow according to Analysts only about a million units have been sold between the two. However, the two companies, Facebook and HTC are making moves to expand their market in 2018.
If you’re thinking about developing for VR 2018 is the time to start. In fact, now is the time to start. There will be a rush in 2018. However, you can get in anytime, but if you want to get in early, you should start now.
Are you getting prepared for 2018?
It’s gonna be phenomenal.
It goes without saying that there is always an opportunity for the developer who has the right skillset. By the way, most of the software development trend in 2018 requires much more than a basic programming skill.
You can always add an additional competence to your toolbox. It’s never too late. Brace yourself up with books and courses to help you stay relevant in the industry.
First appeared on The Growthbar
