At a time when companies are increasingly moving to low-code development, Creatio has released a new version of its low-code development platform, the Creatio 8.0 Atlas, which adds an updated and unified no-code development console, an AI -assisted UI/UX framework configurator, and the ability to more easily reuse engineered components at any step of the application development process.
Businesses were under pressure during the pandemic to bring certain types of apps, such as cloud-based programs, to market faster, and continue to use low/no-code development platforms. , otherwise known as LCAPs, to ensure collaboration of IT and business teams and reduce the time required to develop applications, according to market research firm Gartner.
LCAPs allow non -expert programmers including business analysts to develop applications. By 2025, 70% of new applications developed by businesses will use low-code or no-code technologies, up from less than 25% in 2020, according to Gartner.
AI helps UI design
The new Creatio platform release includes an AI-assisted framework for UI/UX design, called Freedom UI. It contains a library of predefined views, widgets, and templates to speed up the design process, is applicable to a variety of screens and devices, and complies with the requirements of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), according to the company. .
“The Freedom UI’s AI module, after self-learning, will bring recommendations to developers in terms of elements and styles while designing an application depending on for which the app is made,” says Andie Dovgan , chief growth officer at Creatio.
AI-assisted design software will help enterprises train more developers in a shorter period of time, says Dion Hinchcliffe, principal analyst at Constellation Research. “Developers who are low and unskilled will need help at almost every step of the way. AI-based suggestions can speed up their use and learning about the tool, making development more streamlined and faster. of the solution, with little education required, ”Hinchcliffe said.
Creatio’s approach seems to be based on the premise of creating as many developers as possible, Hinchcliffe added. “This approach allows low or inexperienced developers to design apps that can be used on many different types of devices without a professional front-end developer who knows how to create responsible styles. app. This makes it more likely to develop useful business applications, ”Hinchliffe said.
The analyst said, however, that there is stiff competition in the market for low-code software because many vendors provide AI-based tools to help citizen developers. An example is the use of the GPT-3 AI language prediction model within Microsoft’s low-code PowerApps tool to actually code the natural language details of a worker.
Simplifies no-code generation
Creatio’s Atlas 8.0 release also includes an updated, unified no-code console, where developers with low code can set up data models and access rights , design workflows, enable code -free integrations with SOAP and REST services, and launch applications.
The unified console also allows experienced, professional developers to access more sophisticated configuration tools. This facilitates collaborative development with professional and less experienced developers, which has further democratized the phenomenon of citizen development within businesses, according to the company.
“We use the same tools but pack them in a way that lowers the barriers to starting using LCAPs,” Dovgan said.
Constellation’s Hinchcliffe said that while some vendors make interfaces, only coders can really understand, Creatio’s approach to simplifying the development process using something similar to a one-stop console could benefit businesses with development cycles because developers will no longer need to look for features.
Reuse of engineered elements
The new version of Creatio’s LCAP takes what the company calls a “composable” development approach, allowing developers to reuse engineered elements directly from the console as part of the development process. application development.
“The composable no-code development process allows users to assemble applications and reuse components using the‘ Lego blocks ’approach,” Dovgan said, adding that developers are can also use applications, connectors and templates from its marketplace with “just one click to integrate it. in the design process.”
The concept of being able to reuse created or engineered elements in software development circles has long been sought, Hinchcliffe said, adding that the idea would allow every functionality or capability of a person to be built in without code for business that can be easily shared and reused by others.
“Most code is not easy to repurpose or reuse, but if you can make sure code-free solutions are built to be composable, you can now assemble features that can be reused throughout the enterprise. Popular no-code view features can spread viral, saving time and effort everywhere by spreading local innovations. Not many no-code/low-code platforms do it today, although a few do, but it’s very different than that, ”Hinchcliffe said.
Some of the other enhancements in the new version of Atlas include ALM (application lifecycle management) capabilities that allow developers without code to view available opportunities, perform typical operations to deploy and orchestrate applications at each stage of the development lifecycle.
The ALM portal allows for the possibility of organizing the work of different teams (architects without code, developers without code, professional developers, etc.), while managing the collaborative process, Dovgan said.
Lots of rivals in the low-code market
According to Gartner’s latest Magic Quadrant report for enterprise low-code application platforms, many are challenging Creatio trying to respond to businesses ’need for democratization of app development, hyperautomation and composability.
In terms of business performance, product and go-to-market strategy, Gartner’s latest report shows that Microsoft, Mendix, OutSystems, Salesforce and ServiceNow are leading the LCAP market and Appian, Oracle, and Pega are closely challenging them. The research company counts Creatio, Newgen, Kintone, and Quickbase as niche players.
Enterprise LCAPs are part of the overall low-code development technologies market, which is expected to reach $ 29 billion in revenue by 2025 (with a CAGR, or compound annual growth rate, of more than 20%), the research firm said. It added that specifically, the LCAP segment is expected to grow from $ 4.45 billion to $ 14.38 billion between 2020 and 2025, with a CAGR of 26.4%.
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