Cloud application platforms have been gaining considerable momentum in recent years as organizations work to change the way they roll out new apps and services. Business process management (BPM) software is evolving around this trend, creating a situation in which organizations can transform their operations around digital technologies.
Enterprise IT requirements have changed considerably in recent years as:
- Widespread smartphone and tablet use allowed employees to access functions like email and messaging on mobile devices
- Cloud computing made advanced apps and services available on any device with an Internet connection
- Big data empowered companies to gather data from these cloud and mobile sources to inform decision-making and streamline operations
- The Internet of Things is creating more potential data sources and opportunities to automate decision-making
All of these technologies have gradually evolved to create a new IT ecosystem in which organizations can establish end-to-end digital operations. Transformation is necessary in creating a digital enterprise, and developing applications that support new workflows can drive operational change. Application development platforms are at the center of this movement as they streamline dev processes and allow companies to get unique apps into production quickly.
"Digital transformation creates a significant application development challenge."
Easing development burdens
Digital transformation creates an application development challenge that many IT departments are not equipped to handle. Recent research from IDC found that application development platforms are gaining steam as they allow organizations to get more value from their cloud investments.Larry Carvalho, research manager for Platform-as-a-Service for IDC, explained that cloud platform growth will continue even as the vendor landscape shifts and changes.
"Results of IDC's cloud computing research over the past three years show that demand for applications is growing and tools for developers are a differentiator for cloud service providers to meet customer expectations," said Carvalho. "Customers have to continuously evaluate the effect of new cloud technology on platform services while choosing vendors to meet the evolving business needs. Although we will see changes in the way Platform-as-a-Service is delivered and adopted, overall growth will stay the same."
Driving digital transformation in the cloud
Platforms are increasingly at the center of enterprise cloud strategies because they give developers the capabilities they need to support the demands of a digital workforce. Cloud app platforms enable developers to use low-code tools to accelerate app creation. Furthermore, housing these capabilities within BPM software allows IT teams to align processes, data and app capabilities with specific operational demands, driving value creation for the enterprise and empowering companies to maximize the potential of their cloud plans.
