As all organizations recognize they are (at least in part) software companies, questions arise. Which software development technologies have staying power? Which are just a flash in the pan? And which technologies, useful in the past, should now be retired in favor of better options? 

Forrester studied 18 technologies used in software development that have been important contributors to software development efforts, are available commercially at enterprise scale, and have (or will have) enterprise traction: 

Agile Planning/Metrics Tools Internal Developer Portals
API Management Software Low-Code Development Platforms
API Testing Tools Memory-Unsafe Languages
Artifact Management Pure-Native Mobile Development
Continuous Automation Testing (CAT) Platforms Serverless Computing
DevOps Platforms Spatial Computing For Mixed/Augmented Reality
Edge Development Platforms TuringBots For Coding, Delivery, And Testing
Feature Management And Experimentation Solutions TuringBots For Software Analysis, Design, And Insights
GraphQL Unmanaged Development Environments

We categorized each technology into one of four quadrants, based on business value and maturity: 

  • Experiment: Low maturity and low (current) business value. 
  • Invest: Low maturity and high business value. 
  • Maintain: High maturity and high business value. 
  • Divest: High maturity and low business value. 

You won’t be surprised that TuringBots (AI enhanced development) for coding, delivery, and testing wound up in the invest category. We think you should divest (slowly) memory-unsafe languages. You may be surprised where GraphQL ended up. 

To see where all 18 software development technologies landed, and to better understand which technologies help software development teams satisfy the needs of their stakeholders, Forrester clients can read The Forrester Tech Tide™: Software Development, Q4 2024. 

 

Written with Caroline Bonde.