01.13.2015
Appian, provider of the leading application platform for business process management (BPM) and Case Management solutions, today announced the availability of a new commissioned research study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Appian, that identifies the need for new application development platforms and approaches to meet the demands of 21st-Century business. The study, titled “The Move Toward Modern Application Platforms,” is based on survey data from IT managers and business directors on the current trends, challenges, and benefits related to the adoption of modern application development platforms within enterprise organizations with over $1 billion in revenue in the US. The study also includes data from Forrester’s Business Technographics surveys of application development professionals.
The study is predicated on the urgent need for IT teams to accelerate delivery of innovative business applications that must be built in-house. 59 percent of survey respondents stated they must custom-develop critical applications because the specific functionality they need isn’t available in any purchased software package. 50 percent of respondents also cited the value of custom-developed applications in creating a unique customer experience, as well as engagement with customers, partners, and employees. These “custom applications” support IT’s shift to prioritizing growth over cost-cutting. In identifying the top IT organization projects and priorities for the next 12 months, an overwhelming 90 percent of respondents stated that supporting business requirements and corporate growth is a critical or high priority.
Speed of delivery is the primary barrier is to meeting these IT priorities. Traditional techniques and platforms for custom app development and delivery are simply too slow and error-prone to keep up with current and expected business demands. According to the study:
“Established platforms rely too much on coding and practices ill-suited to rapid development. Business leaders want software pros to implement new initiatives in working software within days or weeks and make improvements, updates, and expansions just as quickly. These demands are driving both radically new development techniques and application platforms designed for experimentation, fast initial delivery, and quick updates.”
These new platforms can be effective and rapid in the cloud. When asked why development teams had chosen a cloud environment, the #1 response was that it was the fastest way to get a project done and deployed. The study also discusses the need for “omnichannel” applications in a mobile business world, stating that development platforms for mobile apps are becoming an acute “silo” problem for organizations using mobile-only development platforms distinct from their on-premise development platforms.
The study reveals that the opportunities presented by modern development methodologies such as Agile, Lean and continuous delivery compliment the substantial benefits to be gained from new, more modern application development platforms. The key characteristics of these new platforms include:
Quick deployment of environments as needed for development, testing, and production. This is ideally done through cloud instances.
Visual, model-based, and automated tooling to speed all aspects of application development.
Easy integration with all relevant data sources.
Full life-cycle support.
Easy updating and change management.
Availability of cloud and on-premises deployments.
Compatibility with multiple app types (web and mobile) to eliminate need for multiple builds of the same app in separate platforms.
“Appian’s BPM-based Application Platform helps development teams meet the requirements of 21-Century business,” said Matt Calkins, CEO and President of Appian. “The result is more rapid delivery of innovative functionality that drives growth, empowers employees, and engages customers.”
To download the full Forrester Consulting study, go to http://www.appian.com/resources/ar-the-move-towards-modern-application-platforms.
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