As anticipated, 2016 produced innovative trends in the areas of big data and cloud computing, with continued development in mobile spheres and “wearable” technology becoming a game-changer across a multitude of industries.

While we will see these trends continue into the new year, we expect 2017 to hold even more innovation in store. Continue reading to learn the 5 software development trends to watch for in the year to come.

Smaller teams, increased collaboration

While DevOps (development operations) is not a new trend in software development, collaboration between developers, engineers, and IT specialists continues to expand, with more tools becoming available to facilitate group work.

Open source tools like Docker and Apache have existed for some time to assist DevOps teams. Over the next year, watch for a rise in purpose-built applications to bridge the workflow of entire teams in real time.

Priority on privacy

Data breaches provided plenty of news over the past year, from Yahoo!’s 500 million compromised accounts to major cyber attacks on LinkedIn, Tumblr, NSA and, perhaps most notably, presidential candidates.

The spotlight is on digital security now more than ever, and software developers have set privacy as a top priority. Rather than assigning a security specialist to teams, some firms are now training all developers in security and privacy so as to safeguard development at all levels. Additional tools like IBM AppScan are likely to surface to aid this trend.

Subscription over Ownership

With improved online capabilities around the world making way for cloud computing, we continue to see the rise of subscription-based sales over the traditional purchase of software.

Adobe and Sage are two big names that now provide their software via download, offering a variety of subscription packages to users. Developers will be called on to advance this framework and to improve applications for online customer support.

Predictive Analytics

Creating and using big data has been a remarkable achievement of recent years, but it has been up to the user to interpret the data and employ it in decision-making.

Despite conversations as to the value of predictive analytics, we can now look for software to assist with this process. Oracle and IBM are making headway on this front, and a variety of industry-specific tools are likely to be released throughout 2017.

Real-time elements

Mobile technology has been around for some time now, but our increased dependence on mobile devices is creating ripple effects that should not go unmentioned. Cell phone and tablet usage has now overtaken that of the computer—a trend that is envisioned only to continue.

In an age where consumers expect instant results, the pressure is on websites and applications to feature more real-time elements. Look for developers to focus in this area over the following year.

If the achievements of 2016 were any indication, the year to follow should provide an abundance of innovation in software development.

Innovation funding for software development

Is your company developing software in-house, hiring a consulting company to design custom software, or are you a software developer?  Many of these activities are eligible for R&D funding in Canada through programs like SR&ED.  The following Checklist for Software Developers can help get you started.

Our experienced experts at Enhanced Capital Recover will be able to identify all of your eligible projects and assist you in recovering SR&ED tax credits to which you are entitled.

Even if you currently complete your own R&D tax credits application, our experts will be able to validate and optimize your scientific descriptions as well as your eligible expenses. We will assist you in maximizing your return on investment while minimizing the risk of audit by Revenue Canada.

With our contingency based fees, we completely eliminate the risk of making a claim. We do the work up front and only get paid when your refund is secured.  Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation.