TECHNOLOGY

Software that Writes Itself? Low/No Code Applications have Arrived

Published

9 months ago

March 10, 2023

Software that Writes Itself? Low/No Code Applications have Arrived

One technological advancement that is taking companies by storm is something that most businesses or organizations likely did not see coming, nor did many consider the positive implications of: The rise of low code and no code interfaces.

Low code and no code application development refers to the use of visual tools to create software applications without the need for traditional programming languages to write code long-hand. In some cases, users of low code/no code applications only need to write base-level code to get a piece of software or website to operate, with the rest being predominantly visual design.

In the past, the only way for businesses to obtain new applications was to hire professional coders internally or externally. As time moved on, another option surfaced with regard to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in that those in need of an application could purchase it or pay a subscription to essentially lease it as an already fully developed software.

There are two downsides to both of these options. Hiring a software developer internally can be quite expensive, and likewise outside developers do not understand the vision of what you are trying to accomplish with your application.

Instead, the low code and no code interfaces allow your business to implement internal resources and employees who share your vision, understand the goals of the software, and traditionally do not need as extensive training in these development processes to create an application that transforms your industry!

Low Code vs. No Code — Is There a Better Option?

Coding. Low code. No code. For some business leaders, all of these sound like they could be close enough to one another to be interchangeable. They might even assume that if it is quick to train an employee on low code and no code applications, teaching them to code should be just as simple.

However, while very similar, coding, low code, and no code applications are not interchangeable in the way one may assume. Coding long-hand is quite literally like learning a foreign language. The developers I have spoken to throughout my career explain that writing code is only half the battle: You must know how to read it, which is not like reading a novel!

For someone who does not code, reading, editing, and troubleshooting issues with a custom-coded application would be like reading, editing, or proofreading a book written in a language you are not fluent in whatsoever. Essentially, it is next to impossible. This means that trying to enlist someone internally to simply “learn how to code” will be just as costly as hiring a software developer, especially for smaller organizations that do not have the budget.

Now, on to low code/no code applications. Yes, both of these use graphical tools in a drag-and-drop-type user interface to allow easier application development for non-professional coders, but low code requires an elementary understanding of coding and a small amount of coding experience.

1678412144 833 Software that Writes Itself LowNo Code Applications have Arrived

No code does not require a single line of code. This means that much of the creation in a no code interface involves what is referred to as a WYSIWYG (pronounced “wizzy-wig” — an acronym for “What You See Is What You Get”), graphic design-based experience. For both low code and no code, some training is required, but a much smaller amount by far.

Deciding between these two depends on the needs and complexities of the application’s goal and the business’s ability to train someone using low code versus no code tools.

Low Code/No Code Unlocks Anticipatory Opportunities!

So your business or organization has a website or application that needs to be built, you have decided to go the route of low code/no code development, you have a blueprint for what it needs to do, and perhaps you have even allocated some funds to train the proper employee on how to use the selected interface.

Now you are left with the why of the equation. Why are low code and no code interfaces and the speed at which you can develop an internal application so important for a business or organization?

The benefits of low code and no code application development are Anticipatory in nature, all of which position you to take advantage of future certainties in your industry in much more expedited fashion! Here are some Anticipatory principles that low code and no code interfaces provide:

Software that Writes Itself LowNo Code Applications have Arrived

Leverage Hard Trends – Hard Trend future certainties are prevalent in all industries, and as digital transformation and connectivity accelerates, the Hard Trend in all worlds is that customer needs will transform and accelerate as well. For example, will consumers continue to progress with high-touch applications or will they go back to the days prior to smartphones? I am certain you all know the answer.

Even if your business or organization is not one that works outwardly in the digital world, it is imperative you realize the Hard Trend future certainty of digital disruption affecting us all! As an Anticipatory Leader, look to the world around you. Are there any parts of your industry that could be streamlined in the form of a high-function website or an application? If so, the ease of low code and no code interfaces makes it possible for you to leverage that disruption and set the standard!

1678412144 581 Software that Writes Itself LowNo Code Applications have Arrived

Skip It Principle – Low code and no code means you and your organization no longer have to worry about outsourcing for a pretty penny. Being Anticipatory means to leverage future certainties effectively, and if doing so requires a specific application that would ordinarily cost a fortune you have not budgeted for, simply skip the problem by using low code and no code options!

Problem skipping allows you to realign your focus on problem solving instead. Now you and your team can move your focus from app or website development cost that inhibits you from properly leveraging a Hard Trend future certainty and instead, focus on getting the job done for your valued customers. As a result, you either maintain or achieve a competitive advantage in the industry.

1678412145 424 Software that Writes Itself LowNo Code Applications have Arrived

Think Exponentially – Now, pull it all together! Knowing what problems your customers face after skipping over your own, how can you solve them? Perhaps if you have never considered a digital application, now is the time thanks to the cost-effective low code and no code development options. We all know what applications and websites have done, but what can they do to help your customers going forward?

Thinking exponentially about websites, customer-facing applications, and how they apply to your organization unlocks nonlinear, exponential growth. For instance, websites have often been static, as coding and the cost involved meant that once it was built, it needed to be left alone. Now with the rise of low code and no code, websites can help increase sales by focusing more on the content rather than the function.

Use Low Code/No Code to Your Advantage

As you can see, there are boundless opportunities for all businesses and organizations thanks to the rise in low code and no code application development! With its versatility and ease of use, I implore you to designate an hour for your staff to brainstorm how a new website or application could help grow a new customer base and develop your current one.

Do not waste these opportunities by letting tunnel vision take hold! Instead, think of all the possibilities leveraging this technological breakthrough and the many others to come can provide to you. With the ability for low code and no code interfaces to help many become an entry-level web developer, if you can dream it, you can most definitely do it!

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TECHNOLOGY

Canonical releases low-touch private cloud MicroCloud

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2023

Max

Canonical has announced the general availability of MicroCloud, a low-touch, open source cloud solution. MicroCloud is part of Canonical’s growing cloud infrastructure portfolio.

It is purpose-built for scalable clusters and edge deployments for all types of enterprises. It is designed with simplicity, security and automation in mind, minimising the time and effort to both deploy and maintain it. Conveniently, enterprise support for MicroCloud is offered as part of Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro subscription, with several support tiers available, and priced per node.

MicroClouds are optimised for repeatable and reliable remote deployments. A single command initiates the orchestration and clustering of various components with minimal involvement by the user, resulting in a fully functional cloud within minutes. This simplified deployment process significantly reduces the barrier to entry, putting a production-grade cloud at everyone’s fingertips.

Juan Manuel Ventura, head of architectures & technologies at Spindox, said: “Cloud computing is not only about technology, it’s the beating heart of any modern industrial transformation, driving agility and innovation. Our mission is to provide our customers with the most effective ways to innovate and bring value; having a complexity-free cloud infrastructure is one important piece of that puzzle. With MicroCloud, the focus shifts away from struggling with cloud operations to solving real business challenges” says

In addition to seamless deployment, MicroCloud prioritises security and ease of maintenance. All MicroCloud components are built with strict confinement for increased security, with over-the-air transactional updates that preserve data and roll back on errors automatically. Upgrades to newer versions are handled automatically and without downtime, with the mechanisms to hold or schedule them as needed.

With this approach, MicroCloud caters to both on-premise clouds but also edge deployments at remote locations, allowing organisations to use the same infrastructure primitives and services wherever they are needed. It is suitable for business-in-branch office locations or industrial use inside a factory, as well as distributed locations where the focus is on replicability and unattended operations.

Cedric Gegout, VP of product at Canonical, said: “As data becomes more distributed, the infrastructure has to follow. Cloud computing is now distributed, spanning across data centres, far and near edge computing appliances. MicroCloud is our answer to that.

“By packaging known infrastructure primitives in a portable and unattended way, we are delivering a simpler, more prescriptive cloud experience that makes zero-ops a reality for many Industries.“

MicroCloud’s lightweight architecture makes it usable on both commodity and high-end hardware, with several ways to further reduce its footprint depending on your workload needs. In addition to the standard Ubuntu Server or Desktop, MicroClouds can be run on Ubuntu Core – a lightweight OS optimised for the edge. With Ubuntu Core, MicroClouds are a perfect solution for far-edge locations with limited computing capabilities. Users can choose to run their workloads using Kubernetes or via system containers. System containers based on LXD behave similarly to traditional VMs but consume fewer resources while providing bare-metal performance.

Coupled with Canonical’s Ubuntu Pro + Support subscription, MicroCloud users can benefit from an enterprise-grade open source cloud solution that is fully supported and with better economics. An Ubuntu Pro subscription offers security maintenance for the broadest collection of open-source software available from a single vendor today. It covers over 30k packages with a consistent security maintenance commitment, and additional features such as kernel livepatch, systems management at scale, certified compliance and hardening profiles enabling easy adoption for enterprises. With per-node pricing and no hidden fees, customers can rest assured that their environment is secure and supported without the expensive price tag typically associated with cloud solutions.

Want to learn more about cybersecurity and the cloud from industry leaders? Check out Cyber Security & Cloud Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars powered by TechForge here.

Tags: automation, Canonical, MicroCloud, private cloud

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TECHNOLOGY

AWS and SoftwareOne collaborate on RISE with SAP

Published

6 days ago

November 22, 2023

Max

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and SoftwareOne Holding AG, a global provider of end-to-end software and cloud technology solutions, have partnered to help customers transition to RISE with SAP on an AWS cloud environment.

Called the Ready for RISE on AWS bundle, it combines SoftwareOne’s deep SAP advisory and implementation knowledge with AWS technologies to expedite a client’s SAP transformation journey.

The collaboration comes at a time when there is growing pressure on organisations to decide how to modernise their SAP environments driven in part by the end of mainstream support for SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) in 2027. Despite the imminent deadline, many organisations are still confused as to which path to take, including when to adopt RISE with SAP, SAP’s bundled offering of cloud solutions, infrastructure, and services that helps migrate SAP ERP to the cloud.

Ireneusz Hołowacz, Director of Application Development Center at GAVDI Polska, said: “A stable, efficient, and cost-effective environment for consultants and programmers is one of the most important priorities of our daily work. Thanks to the migration of our SAP systems to the AWS cloud with the help of SoftwareOne, GAVDI Polska has achieved all the goals set for this process.

In a survey recently conducted by SoftwareOne with Americas’ SAP Users’ Group (ASUG) – the full details of which will be revealed in January 2024 – showed that while 42% of respondents were familiar with RISE with SAP, 40% had heard of it but weren’t familiar with the details and 18% had never heard of it. Over half (52%) said they were still unsure how RISE with SAP would impact their existing relationship with cloud service providers.

“SAP customers have implemented some of the most comprehensive and complex enterprise systems in the industry and moving them to cloud services like AWS requires many important decisions to be made to optimise these investments,” says Joshua Greenbaum, Principal at EAC. “SoftwareOne’s extensive experience in the SAP ecosystem, combined with its unique capabilities around system rationalisation, cost containment, contracts and licenses, and cloud service management, among others, will provide customers deploying on AWS with the ability to make the most of RISE on SAP and other SAP offerings. Ready for RISE on AWS is an important offering for SAP customers at this critical moment in their business transformations.”

The Ready for RISE on AWS bundle will help clients understand their SAP transformation options and offer a comprehensive solution to organisations who consider RISE with SAP. It includes advisory data preparation, conversion services, data and AI, cloud innovation platform, supporting the entire journey to RISE on AWS. Clients will benefit from accelerated Return on Investment (ROI), optimal data management, and cost-saving strategies while laying the foundation for ongoing innovation and long-term business success.

Matt Schwartz, worldwide director, SAP Alliance & Partner Network at AWS, said: “As a valued AWS Premier Consulting Partner, AWS is working closely with SoftwareOne to offer SAP customers comprehensive assistance through each step of their journey to RISE with SAP on AWS. SoftwareOne’s ability to bundle Advisory, Data & AI, Cloud Platform, and Operations considerations can be of high interest to customers who are seeking to understand RISE with SAP as well as the cloud native and operation considerations that surround and support the RISE with SAP construct.”

PF Grillet, SAP Business Lead at SoftwareOne, said: “There are many choices available to SAP clients who know they need to modernise but aren’t sure of the best option, particularly given the business-critical nature of the applications.

“All of our services are centered around our customers and what is right for them. This includes supporting and optimising RISE with SAP in scenarios when it’s the right decision based on their requirements. Our extensive knowledge of and relationship with AWS means we can help them better prepare and achieve a seamless transition to S/4HANA using RISE with SAP on AWS with reduced costs and risks. This collaboration goes beyond preparing businesses for change; it’s making transformation and becoming innovation-ready a reality using AWS technologies.”

The offering includes SNP tooling to reduce a customer’s data footprint and accelerate migration. SoftwareOne will migrate selected data to an AWS data lake, accelerate innovation readiness and ensure SAP data is suitable for broader data analytics and AI use cases. Clients gain access to innovative tools like AWS’ Sagemaker for Machine Learning, continuous data management and optimisation within the AWS environment. The AWS innovation platform also includes Amazon Bedrock that helps organisations accelerate adapting Large Language Models and deploying GenAI use cases that leverage the extended data set.

“While the future innovation opportunities are exciting, clients need to balance these with a pragmatic approach to costs,” explained Marilyn Moodley, Country Leader for South Africa and WECA at SoftwareOne, “We integrate ‘Cost-Out’ recommendations into the core of our services, providing a more cost-effective solution for customers, like reducing the data footprint size and optimising storage and archiving.

“Our expertise in the complexities of SAP licensing further drives cost savings while our FinOps capabilities enable customers to optimise their AWS cloud spend and effectively manage their AWS cloud environment, ensuring full transparency in their budgets. The overall result is a significantly reduced time for RISE migration, which translates into a quicker time to value.”

Tags: AWS, partnership, SAP, SoftwareOne, transition

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TECHNOLOGY

Appian unveils winners of its International Partner Awards

Published

7 days ago

November 22, 2023

Max

Software firm Appian has announced the winners of its 2023 International Partner Awards at the Appian Europe conference in London.

The awards recognise partners who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, innovation and excellence in leveraging the Appian Platform to deliver transformational business value to clients through end-to-end process automation.

Christopher O’Connell, VP of Partners & Alliances, said: “These exceptional partners have successfully delivered excellent business outcomes with our European customers by implementing process automation with the Appian Platform.

“This year’s winners have showcased unwavering commitment, innovation, and transformative power by partnering with Appian. We’re proud to recognize their achievements at the 2023 Appian International Partner Awards. Their dedication and passion for excellence exemplify the values we hold dear at Appian, and we look forward to further collaboration in the journey of innovation and transformation.”

The winners are as follows:

Delivery Award – EY

EY Italy is the proud recipient of the Delivery Award, which acknowledges their unwavering commitment to excellence and project delivery for an Italian energy customer. EY Italy’s innovative project management, attention to detail, and seamless integration of the customer’s unique needs into the solution led to transformative outcomes. Their deep understanding of Appian’s capabilities and passion for delivering exceptional value has accelerated project timelines and enhanced the overall quality of deliverables.

Innovation Award – KPMG UK

KPMG’s end-to-end Customer Due Diligence (CDD) service reduces the average case handling time and improves the first-time resolution of cases, allowing global banking institutions to focus back on the core parts of their business. KPMG leverages the Appian Platform to implement continuous improvements and customer data insights throughout the lifetime of the engagement. KPMG ensures a customised and rapid implementation of the CDD service, tailored to each client’s specific business needs. KPMG has built over 5,000 reusable Appian objects and with their onshore/offshore Appian delivery capability has reduced end-to-end platform build time by 40%.

Growth Award – Minsait, an Indra Company

Minsait receives the Growth Award for their remarkable expansion of the Appian practice. In the past year, they increased the number of globally certified practitioners by over 25%. Minsait’s commitment to education is evident through its internal training practice, which has successfully educated more than 200 students, and its collaboration with local universities to certify 100 additional consultants in 2024. To support their growth, Minsait has established a Centre of Excellence, extending their expertise across Europe, LATAM, and the Philippines.

Transformation Award – PwC Spain

PwC is the recipient of the Transformation Award for their remarkable project at one of the top 10 insurance companies in Europe. PwC’s comprehensive transformation involved decommissioning the customer’s legacy platform and migrating all applications (which serve over 25,000 users) to the Appian Platform. This transformation enables the customer to handle complex workflows, develop new applications, and adapt to future business needs with agility.

Partner of the Year for EMEA Channel Sales – VASS

VASS is recognised as the Partner of the Year for EMEA Channel Sales in acknowledgement of their outstanding contributions to Appian’s growth and success in the region. As a leading provider of transformative digital solutions and consulting in 22 countries on four continents, VASS has achieved the highest annual contract value (ACV) in the region through close partnership and collaboration as an Appian reseller.

Tags: Appian, awards

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