What have you known about software development evolution?

From Waterfall to Agile, the evolution of IT industry has been going through significant changes.  

Technology has been advancing at an unprecedented speed. Especially, it leads to significant changes in advanced software development. So how have things been evolving in this industry? And which are the latest trends in software development to update? 

A completely different approach of Software development evolution by Agile

The most significant and most advanced software development evolution is from the Waterfall to the Agile methodology. Waterfall, the traditional method, is a sequential and linear approach. It divides a project into distinct development phases with different objectives. The process of one step starts only when the previous phase development has been done. 

In waterfall programming projects, development team members work linearly towards a particular end goal. Firstly, the team arranges the requirements together to proceed with the development and then works on the design. When the procedure is finalized, the coding and unit testing will be conducted.   

This software development solution has been accepted and working great for more than 20 years ago. However, in the unprecedented pace of technological advancement, the waterfall model is no longer practical due to its lack of adoption. Problems happen when any flaws might appear during the developments, for example, in the design stage, and remain until the last phase of testing. Some of the problems are even discovered by the end-users. Fixing flaws, in this case, is quite challenging and time-consuming. That’s why the demand for the evolution of software design in the waterfall is increasing dramatically. 

In contrast, the Agile software development method takes an iterative approach. An Agile team also breaks the project into several development phases. The difference is that Agile promotes an incremental delivery and constant team collaboration at every development stage, in which requirements and solutions can evolve continually. It means testing becomes a continuous task in every phase. And the whole team will work all together throughout the project rather than each function team finishes its part then forwards to others. 

Flexibility is the most significant advantage of the Agile method, in comparison to the classical Waterfall. Agile is now the most popular method in the evolution of IT industry firms because of its diverse variations.    

Latest trends in software development evolution

Agile methodology is the biggest but not the only evolution of software development today. Let’s take a look at some new technology in software development. 

Internet of Things 

Internet of Things, or IoT in short, refers to a wireless network of internet-connected physical objects, which are interrelated without human intervention. The IoT system includes sensors and mini-computer custom software development, which collects and transfers data in real-time. Connectivity such as wireless Wi-fi, Bluetooth, or wired Ethernet cables, plays an important part in the system. 

Technology companies believe that these systems allow devices to make faster and more profitable decisions in certain circumstances. A prominent example of the implementation of IoT is the smart home. A security application can communicate with other sensors to identify suspicious activity in the house. If there are any opened doors, the system can close them automatically. Or a refrigerator can send you a reminder of the need-to-fill list right before the time you get off work and go home.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

It’s crystal clear that artificial intelligence is the most rising software development evolution. Big technology companies like Google are leading the industry by making it viable.  

Many modern smartphone cameras are working on AI technology. Another example is driverless cars. By learning the driving experience day-by-day, the software gains better awareness of different solutions to make the most appropriate choice in particular situations. This technology is called machine learning, a fundamental branch of artificial intelligence. 

Blockchain

Software developers are increasingly aware of blockchain technology in their application development today. In simple words, this software development evolution is a decentralized structure of data, which holds transactional records. It ensures that applications and their data are controlled not by any single authorized user. 

Finance is among the first industries that take advantage of blockchain technology. Users can directly connect with others globally without intermediaries. It means there is no need for middlemen’s role in financial transactions anymore. 

Progressive Web Application 

Progressive web applications are the latest technology in software development.  This technology runs both as websites and mobile applications. Mobile applications take more effort to develop and maintain and not take advantage of the website channel. A progressive web application will be the solution for this case, as it combines the strengths of both. 

This evolution of software engineering is definitely growing at a fast pace. Google, and many other software development companies, are getting started with the trend. Therefore, each software developer needs to adapt to the changes by improving their skills for progressive web application development as qualified as mobile application development. 

Final words

The last three decades have seen a lot of technological changes in software development taking place. The Agile method is implemented in almost all current development projects. Besides, tech businesses need to be always up-to-date with new trends in the industry to build up the most effective and beneficial products.