Application development platforms (ADP) streamline the process of application development by allowing developers the ability to use pre-built codes and templates along with other application building tools. These services allow companies to release and develop applications that can be used on a variety of operating systems, saving time and resources. The providers offer developers the chance to build applications that they otherwise would not have either had the resources or experience to create. On the other end, these tools and services allow ADP providers the opportunity to expand their user base by attracting developers and companies to create applications on their network in the hopes that by providing these services, the developers and companies are then tied into the provider’s ecosystem. These platforms thrive only when developers utilize them to create innovations in both enterprise and consumer applications, so ADPs must make their offerings attractive to developers in both the short and long term.
This analysis looks at drivers and inhibitors in the current application development platform market and the impact they are having on developers, enterprises, and platform providers.