March 2022

State of Industry

The Challenges in Low-Code Adoption You are Likely to Face

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The concept of low code was coined way back in the 1990s. During that time, Microsoft Office users were creating simple yet advanced automation using Visual Basic. And by now, most technology leaders have recognized the value of low-code development in this modern era. A 2021 Gartner study has predicted that over 75% of large enterprises will utilize at least four low-code development tools. Undeniably, the adoption of low-code platforms delivers a great business value. But despite this rapid growth, low-code strategies often face significant challenges that discourage many businesses from using low-code development platforms. A low-code development platform is not a silver bullet, and it can be detrimental to the effectiveness of an organization if the challenges are not addressed correctly. Let’s have a look at the most oft-cited challenges and the best ways to address them: This is the most common challenge for developers in low-code platforms. If you are following the path outlined by the platform, everything is smooth and easy. But if you try to bend the platform for your unique business requirements, it is difficult or almost impossible to achieve your goals in a standard development environment. Some platforms might provide limited customization options or access to the underlying code, but it comes with specific customization limits. The best solution to this problem is to choose an extensible platform powered by multiple open technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and Electron/Cordova. The flexible platform allows you to implement customizations with extensible tooling and meet future business requirements. You can also choose to develop a customized software solution and augment the application with required APIs, workflows, and business rules. It is difficult to debug the applications built on low-code platforms as the logging of the platform is not mature enough. Usually, these types of platforms overlook the effort to keep the design simple with drag-and-drop features and minimal configurations. When the coding and user interface are not simplified, it gets challenging to debug the front-end and back-end of the application. The best way to address this problem is to choose a low-code platform that provides testing and visual debugging capabilities. Another solution is to run the program locally using the popular debugger application. The database logging capabilities of debugger applications allow you to debug the front-end and back-end performance efficiently. While many enterprise applications could run in isolation, in today’s connected world, most of the applications must integrate with different systems. Growingly, the low-code platforms are also promising to enable you to build the required parts of APIs and integrate them into the application. However, there is a high complexity of managing APIs when you need to integrate with dozens of systems. Today, even the basic business functions like billing, accounting, and payments are routed through APIs, integrations have become a necessity. The most feasible solution to this problem is to choose a platform that allows you to use drag and drop connectors and logic constructs to create custom flows of integration and perform workflow automation. Another solution is to choose reusable integration templates that can help you speed up the integration process without any hassles. Low-code platforms are positioned as easy-to-use, agile, and efficient but this is mostly riddled with the increased user training requirements. The steep learning curve of low-code platforms may outweigh the benefits because it adds heavily to the business cost. The teams have to spend time learning the platform, keep themselves updated about the new features and versions, and a lot more. The best solution to this problem is to choose a platform with a familiar user interface and features. For example, it will take less time to learn the JavaScript framework as compared to an entirely new ecosystem. When the familiar framework is combined with powerful customization features, it can drastically reduce the learning curve of the platform. When building different features of the application, low-code platforms offer multiple components and templates that can be configured to meet specific business requirements. Even if the low-code platforms are equipped with fancy features, a drag-and-drop interface, and many out-of-the-box functions, they cannot accommodate a sudden rise in users or business expansion requirements. While seasoned developers spend years developing expertise to create scalability in the application, it is not possible to expect the same level of scalability in low-code platforms. It is recommended to ensure that the internal processes and architectural needs of the platform are aligned towards scalability. Also, the use of microservices architectural models is preferred over multiple architectural designs to reduce the time spent on managing the large application systems. Low-code platforms do not compromise the security of the data. Developers need to decide about various access controls, permissions, and configurations to ensure data security. But low-code platforms lack the process of data management as there are only a few platforms that offer precise controls like login scrutiny, time-based access, viewing, altering, and sharing the information. In addition, the business logic errors in the low-code platform can lead to data leakage. With an ever-increasing number of users on the The best way to ensure data security is to put restrictions on the utilization of data or a specific type of information being shared. It is recommended to choose a low-code platform that comes with fine-grained controls and a strong content access mechanism. Final words Although low-code platforms are not likely to replace software development, they will become more important across varied industries due to increased agility in the business environment. Today, digital transformation relies on agile software development and continuous improvement. In this case, low-code platforms provide that agility and empowerment to non-technical stakeholders aka Citizen Developers. It is useful to know the likely challenges with low-code platforms so that you can devise strategy to proactively manage those.

IntelliBytes

The Tight Connection Between Embedded Systems and IoT

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Estimates suggest that between 2022 and 2030, the number of active Internet of Things (IoT) devices will double from 11.57 billion to 25.44 billion. This indicates an unsurprising, growing interest in IoT considering that: The Internet of Things (IoT) consists of a network of “smart” physical devices (or “things”) embedded with sensors, actuators, and software. These devices interconnect with each other and exchange data over the Internet. Today, we see IoT devices virtually everywhere – in automobiles and industrial machinery, power grids and traffic systems, thermostats, and refrigerators, and even fitness trackers, door locks, and baby monitors! The IoT facilitates seamless communications between things, processes, and even people. And embedded systems play a crucial role in making this happen. This article explores the close connection between embedded systems and IoT, and why IoT cannot exist without embedded systems. What is an Embedded System? An embedded system exists within a more extensive mechanical or electrical system. The term “embedded” means that the system is hidden inside another system, so it’s not visible to the naked eye. Embedded systems combine customized software with customized hardware to do a specific job. The hardware usually includes a microcontroller or microprocessor, both of which contain an integrated circuit (IC). The software can be firmware, bootloaders, user interfaces, operating systems, etc., that perform a particular function.  Regardless of the form, the software is embedded into the system, which is why it cannot be updated once the system is assembled and has left the factory. Where Do Embedded Systems Appear? Each embedded system has a dedicated purpose or role and performs pre-defined tasks with specific requirements. That’s why it usually has limited computing power and memory and fewer connected peripherals. These limitations notwithstanding, embedded systems offer unique capabilities such as real-time computing and high availability, making them highly suitable for many dedicated applications, such as: An embedded system can be as simple as a GPS-enabled tag attached to a bicycle or a complex system that’s part of an airplane or missile. These systems are also key enablers of IoT networks, systems, and devices. In fact, embedded systems and the IoT work together to generate real value for real-world use cases in homes, factories, and offices and for a wide range of industries, including healthcare, finance, automotive, and agriculture. The Evolution of Embedded Systems To better comprehend the close-knit narrative of IoT and embedded systems, it helps to know just how embedded systems have evolved. Embedded systems were traditionally built for a specific purpose, with little or no connectivity between them over wider networks or the Internet. Legacy systems were connected to each other via the low-speed, low-bandwidth RS-232 communication protocol that’s been around since the 1960s. The original objective of these simple systems was to facilitate the real-time processing of real-world information from sensors. Today’s embedded systems are still built for a dedicated function. However, most of them are now more complex than the simple systems of the past. Further, embedded devices with sensors collect and exchange relevant data with each other that’s then sent via the Internet to an online cloud service, a smartphone, or some other Internet-connected device. The Connection Between Embedded Systems and the IoT Embedded systems communicate with each other and with the cloud via faster connectivity protocols and communication channels like 5G, Wi-Fi, and LoRa (long-range wireless). These protocols have larger bandwidth and use wireless means to speed up data exchange. Without embedded systems that collect and process data and the Internet that transmits data – the IoT would not exist. This is what makes embedded systems such a critical element of the IoT revolution. In fact, the IoT consists of a network of embedded systems, communication channels, and software that work together to form a hyperconnected network where the “physical world meets and cooperates with the digital world” (Oracle). This is best explained with an example: A smart home may consist of two “things”: a smart AC and a smartphone. These devices are both embedded systems. These systems are connected to each other and to the Internet and can communicate via Wi-Fi. Thus, the AC, smartphone, and Wi-Fi form an ecosystem of the Internet of Things for the home. It’s important to note that all IoT devices have embedded systems. However, not all embedded systems – which predate the IoT by several decades – are IoT. That’s why embedded systems are a subset of IoT, while the reverse is not true. The Importance of Software in Embedded Systems and the IoT In addition to hardware and the Internet, another element connects embedded systems to the IoT. And that is software. By adding software plus a layer of communications technology that facilitates communication via the Internet, a non-connected embedded system can become part of an IoT system. Here’s an example: A heart pacemaker is an embedded system that monitors and regulates a patient’s heartbeat. On its own, the pacemaker is an embedded system. However, if the device is set up to transmit pulse reads to an Internet-connected smartphone and then to a cloud server, it can be accessed by a remote medical professional. Together, the pacemaker, phone, and cloud server form an IoT system. Further, when the system is bolstered by Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP), and analytics, doctors can access a lot of data about their patients to gather quick insights, accelerate diagnoses, and provide better care. Conclusion From supply chains, logistics, transportation, to smart cities, smart homes, and smart factories – in the coming years, IoT will help improve and enhance the human experience in many ways. Embedded devices will play an increasingly important role in transforming this aspirational vision into a fabulous reality. Curious to know more about the real-world applications of embedded systems and IoT in your industry? Connect with us to discuss your IoT vision, and we’ll help you realize it.

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