Current trends of Microsoft cloud services show a pretty strong trend of realizing low-code application delivery solutions. As most of these solutions are pretty much in the beta phase it is difficult exactly to predict how they will look like in a year or two, but it can be easily imagined that a complex low-code application delivery ecosystem will be realized.
- PowerApps for Mobile application building framework.
- Flow as a rule engine: https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/
- Office 365 for web publishing and corporate collaboration
- Office Forms as a Form engine: https://forms.office.com/
- Azure Machine learning for AI and data mining:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/machine-learning/
- ...?
Of course the question is what are a the requirements to be realized for a real enterprise ready low code platform. I think there has to be at least two requirements:
1. Integration: there has to be a very good integration possibility between both the above mentioned solutions and between other parts of the Azure cloud infrastructure as well. As an example, the same rule of Flow should be possible to use both with a mobile application and with web publishing as well, Similarly general infrastructure elements of Azure, like connecting corporate data with the cloud should be also available (AppFabric, VPN..)
2. Extensions: If a solutions reaches the architecture limit, there has to be a way to extend the solution with hard-core coding elements, like with Visual Studio and Xamarin for mobile apps,
and create professional solutions.
Application delivery for such an ecosystem can be realized in two steps:
a. Low code application delivery: The phase provides the possibility for power users to build up environment on their own or provide the opportunity for partner companies for consulting and training. First step of a whole application delivery, like Proof of concept or prototyping can be realized here as well
b. Hard core development: real development can be realized if the framework does not provide enough possibility for certain requirements, so further use-cases have to be realized by hard core software development and project management.
Building up consulting and development services based on the technology might contain the following phases:
i., Beta technology: until the technology is in beta phase, it is not very realistic to make business on the market. However there is the possibility to capitalize the first movers advantage, positioning on the market with strong marketing. As an example, writing blogs, articles, presentations, case studies, or even making indirect partner marketing with the provider (Microsoft).
ii., Early Phase: at the early phase of the technology it is expected that everything is changing very fast, some integration and extension methods are not carefully designed, as a consequence the whole platform is not very stable. As a consequence rather consulting and training business or rather small development projects are expected.
iii., Performing Phase: As the platform getting more stable, less innovative and changing slower, full scale extensions and development projects are expected as well. Like classical development projects with off-shoring, project management...
Certainly the major question is if the ecosystem is capable to achieve an enterprise ready and strong performing state or it remains just a couple of innovative island solutions.
