The Rise of Disposable Apps and the Dynamic New Realities of Software Development

We’ve heard a great deal about the acceleration of the software development cycle recently and the challenges it poses for developers. Once lengthy cycles have now been compressed to near real-time. One false move and a developer could lose significant ground – even get knocked out of the race.

There has been less of a discussion around how this affects end-user customers. Like developers, customers also have less time to respond due to accelerating development cycles and must be more reactive to an increasing array of choices. Or they risk falling behind those competitors who quickly embrace beneficial new technologies as they emerge.

In the age of software, complacency is the enemy. We have shifted from a largely static process to an increasingly dynamic buying decision cycle. What works today may already be outdated by tomorrow.

The cloud has been a game-changing catalyst, radically changing how we purchase and even perceive software. What used to be a lengthy RFP (Request For Proposal) process and an even longer purchasing cycle has been greatly reduced. With annual subscription models, businesses are evaluating their software applications and overall IT needs at least once a year. Further, the cloud takes away drawn-out custom integration, while making a switch to a new solution relatively easy.

Perhaps a little too easy for vendors that are not keeping pace. The days where a business locks into a CRM solution for a decade are long over. In fact, many businesses are taking a closer look every six months or even less. Agile businesses are getting proactive to act on needs today, with the ability to respond quickly as new requirements emerge in, say, two months time.

We’ve been following this trend closely, talking to more and more businesses that are seeking the ability to dynamically shift gears. In fact we based our recent prediction that disposable apps would hit the mainstream in 2016 on this. With Microsoft’s PowerApps announcement this week, 2016 is indeed shaping up to be the year for disposable apps.

See 2016 Tech Predictions report here

But what exactly are disposable apps and what do they mean for businesses? These are applications designed for an immediate use that is typically not on-going. An application that can support an event or seasonal project, for example. Perhaps driving lead-generation around a strategic sale or seasonal promotion. Or maybe a program designed for a transitional phase, such as a merger.

In the past, businesses rarely considered such applications. Even if IT didn’t push back on implementing a short-term application, the CFO often wouldn’t justify the expense. Now with the ability to create disposable apps, this is changing.

Perhaps the biggest change that disposable apps and the accelerated software cycle have made is in our perception. With the ability to drill down beyond the annual view and understand monthly IT needs, we are finally considering applications that can deliver competitive advantage for strategic short-term projects. The rise of disposable apps will only further accelerate this down to a weekly and perhaps even daily basis in some cases. Welcome to the dynamic new world of continuous app development.