There are no more powerful drivers of business growth than modern software development trends. To survive in this unpredictable industry of constant innovation, you need to keep up with its pace and be aware of all the trends that are going to boom the market. Otherwise, you risk playing the sidekick.
According to fresh stats from Statista, global IT spending is projected to reach $ 4,018 billion by 2021, which once again proves the importance of this business niche. Huge investments burden entrepreneurs with expectations. Every investor strives to achieve a high return on investment. And this is where the software industry has a lot to offer; all you need to know is how to benefit from all the opportunities provided. The last year has brought a lot of modern technologies, but 2021 and 2022 have a lot to offer as well. So keep an eye on the most promising software development trends that will rock the market soon.
#1 - Software Development Outsourcing
In recent years, outsourcing in the software industry has become quite popular. The IT outsourcing market is projected to develop way further with a CAGR of 4.42% between 2020 and 2023.
And 2021-2022 will be the years of IT outsourcing projects. The key factor behind the increasing demands of IT outsourcing is the growing need to optimize business processes. IT outsourcing companies, such as Sumatosoft, are hired to provide exceptional software development services for companies.
#2 - AI-First Software
According to global research and advisory firm Gartner, the number of companies offering at least four AI projects will increase to 35 by 2022. The latest trend is less about integrating AI into existing software; it has more to do with AI-centric software development, where AI becomes the starting point of software development. With technologies like deep learning, speech recognition, or machine vision, businesses can benefit in many ways:
- Make data-based decisions - For example, in medicine, AI analyzes medical records, genetic data, and laboratory results to anticipate diseases or identify more promising treatments;
- Increased level of service - From virtual assistants, such as in healthcare for scheduling doctor visits to software that recognizes faces and senses emotions to improve sales and marketing efforts, AI is helping to create truly customer-oriented and personalized services;
- Data-driven/ personalized design - Software design companies can now offer solutions based on customer needs and preferences. For example, Kandasoft - software design company can build a custom solution narrowly targeted toward your business needs;
- Quality control and risk avoidance - In manufacturing, IoT solutions send data to AI programs that improve production efficiency, predict bugs and equipment failures.
#3 - PWA
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) will be in focus in 2021. The idea behind PWA solutions is to bridge the gap between native mobile apps and the Internet. In that sense, you might be wondering what is a PWA and what makes the solutions special. These are native mobile apps that work as a website. PWAs are more interactive and responsive. They revolutionize the customer experience by offering the functionality of an app without even been downloaded and installed. Some of the most attractive and top-performing PWAs on the market today are Amazon, Twitter, and Forbes.
#4 - Chatbots
Artificial intelligence (AI) connectivity will continue to grow in mid-2021 and 2022, so web developers should pay particular attention to this trend. The idea behind chatbots on the website is to improve the user experience and help people navigate a site and feel cared for. Chatbots serve as a direct communication channel and help users when they visit the site. They receive and analyze user data collected by the company in order to know how to interact with a target customer.
#5 - Speech Recognition
Virtual assistants are becoming more and more popular today. According to recent research, there will be around eight billion voice assistants on the market by 2023, so their integration into a website is a must. Google, Amazon, Microsoft are already using this technology to take innovation to the next level. The creation of loudspeakers and virtual assistants has greatly contributed to voice recognition for Internet searches. And many expect this trend to go even further.
#6 - Programming Trends
Like software development trends, programming trends are also of great value. A number of new programming languages or frameworks have just been launched; many will be added to the stack soon, whereas some of them may disappear in the future.
Along with dynamic software technologies, development tools are also unstable in their market presence. While Javascript and PHP are still the most used programming languages, there are many other tools that are gaining steady popularity. One of such languages is Python, which is the most commonly used for AI and ML development.
Be Ready for the Change!
The software development industry is expected to revolutionize next years thanks to the latest technology solutions and approaches. It is important for every business to incorporate these thriving technologies in order to grow, develop, and bypass their rivals.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).