Businesses turn to low-code as demand for developers soars

The global pandemic along with a surge in demand for developers has boosted the interest in and use of enterprise low-code, according to a new report.

The study from low-code development specialist Mendix shows that 77 percent of enterprises in six countries have already adopted low-code, and 72 percent of IT leaders say it's a trend they can't afford to miss.

Nearly six out of 10 (57 percent) IT professionals say the number of staff needed for software development is increasing and 76 percent say the demand for developers has reached a 'fever pitch'.

The cost of software development is rising too according to 61 percent, while two-thirds of software projects are being delivered behind schedule and the backlog is increasing at 62 percent of organizations.

It's probably not surprising then that 64 percent of IT professionals agree that low-code is their go-to work-around development solution. As many as 59 percent of projects using low-code are a collaboration between business and IT groups too.

"This study confirms what we've believed all along," says Derek Roos, co-founder and CEO of Mendix. "Low-code is the future of software development and Mendix is leading the way. It's agile by design. It dramatically expands the pool of development talent. It's built for collaboration and it's built for rapid development. Low-code, and specifically low-code with Mendix, is fast becoming a core technology enterprises need to succeed in a digital-first world."

There are a number of benefits to low-code, two out of five users report more collaboration, faster development, and lower costs. Specifically, low-code projects reduce costs by 53 percent and are 56 percent faster. Customer apps built using low-code also increased customer revenues by an average of 58 percent, according to study respondents.

Low-code is also seen to be encouraging more people to enter the IT field -- particularly those without a college education (48 percent), people of different age groups (48 percent) and races (46 percent).

"Low-code is already being recognized as a means to foster greater diversity in IT. Low-code is opening doors for more people from more backgrounds. It doesn't just benefit the business by expanding the talent pool -- it paves the way for greater fairness and inclusivity in the business world," adds Roos.

You can read more on the Mendix blog or register for the Mendix World event to be held from 7-9 September.

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