10 DIY Application Development Platforms
Need an application to help you do a specific task more efficiently? Why not create it yourself?
That is the thinking behind a growing phenomenon called “citizen development.” Gartner defines a citizen developer as anyone outside the IT department that creates new business applications for consumption by themselves or others using development and runtime environments sanctioned by the corporate IT department.
Why are citizen development and DIY apps becoming more popular? “The biggest issue is business units getting tired of waiting for IT departments,” explains Gartner research director Mark Driver. “Employees have an intimate knowledge of the subject matter, and they can throw something together very quickly – in six days rather than six months.”
Gartner estimates that in 2010 just 20 percent of large enterprises had established citizen developer policies, but by 2020 this will grow to 70 percent.
Since many citizen development tools are essentially “no code” tools designed for people without specific development skills to make DIY apps, most users can work productively with them. (An Intuit survey found that while 97 percent of citizen developers have traditional word processing and spreadsheet/formula skills, only 36 percent have front end Web interface skills and just 8 percent have traditional coding skills in languages like Java, .NET, C++ or Ruby.)
Here are 10 citizen development platforms worth looking at:
Paul Ferrill has been writing for over 15 years about computers and network technology. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering as well as a MS in Electrical Engineering. He is a regular contributor to the computer trade press. He has a specialization in complex data analysis and storage. He has written hundreds of articles and two books for various outlets over the years. His articles have appeared in Enterprise Apps Today and InfoWorld, Network World, PC Magazine, Forbes, and many other publications.
