The impact of COVID on accelerating the adoption of Low Code and No-Code Technology

The world has changed, is changing, at an unprecedented pace. With lockdowns happening worldwide, businesses across industries have scrambled to find ways to reconnect with users or customers digitally, leaving IT departments overloaded and strapped for time. The COVID-19 outbreak has forced millions to learn and work from home. While all industries have responded uniquely (healthcare adopting telehealth as an example), thousands have turned to no-code and low-code technology as an answer.

What Is The Difference Between No-Code and Low-Code?

While both terms, No-Code and Low-Code, are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different and have different uses. They are similar in that they utilize a graphics-focused, drag-and-drop style of development. Yet, No-Code, like the name implies, requires no programming knowledge, whereas Low-Code has the option to customize the application without the need for extensive knowledge of C, C#, C++, or et cetera.

How are No-Code and Low Code Technologies Evolving With The Pandemic?

In 2019, the low-code development platform market generated 10.3 billion in revenue due to the increased dependency on information technology (IT) professionals and stringent government norms. The industry is forecasted to grow 31.1% from 2020 to 2030.

As work has continued to move into our homes, away from brick and mortar, and human resources dwindle, more and more industries have begun to transition to no-code and low-code development platforms, including (but are not limited to) IT, education, banking, media & entertainment, energy & utilities, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, and government. These technologies have been crucial to empowering developers and clearing backlogs. Traditionally, the development of multi-experience applications took months or years for moderate to large teams. Yet, low-code and no-code technologies (with an increase in being combined and paired with AI) have allowed rapid application development and one-click deployment by smaller teams in shorter timeframes.

One such example of its implementation has been the shift from in-class learning to at-home learning. No-code, which is more suited for quick front-end solutions, has allowed teachers to take virtual attendance, whereas the school board, colleges, and universities have used low-code to produce low-cost applets to help track COVID-19 symptoms by using these applications as ID passes and questionnaires in regards to temperature and travel when students are at school.

Another example is the government’s adoption of the COVID-19 Exposure tracking app, which uses BlueTooth to ping other phones via a Street-Pass feature to help alert people who may have come into contact with infected individuals or visited areas that have subjected to an outbreak.

The Future of Technology

With the increasing need for digital solutions, the demand for no-code and low-code development platforms across the globe has seen a spike and will continue to grow driven by internet penetration, utilization of smartphones, e-commerce, and the ongoing shift to work from home.