Angular 16 is out now! What’s new to explore?

ANGULAR v16

Exciting News for the Angular developers, Angular 16 is out now!

Angular 16 has hit the market, bringing a major makeover to this renowned web framework developed by Google. Frontend developers, especially those familiar with Angular, are in for a treat with the latest release. 

Angular-v16 update

Brace yourself for an array of new and thrilling features, surpassing what we’ve seen in previous versions like Angular 15 or Angular 14 (excluding the transition from Angular to Angular 2). Angular’s influence on the web development industry is truly revolutionary, and the arrival of Angular v16 marks just the beginning. 

As a leading Angular web development company, we’re always at the forefront of technology, eager to explore and implement the exciting changes that Angular 16 has in store. Don’t miss out on discovering all the cutting-edge features and updates packed within Angular 16 with us.

Angular v16- new features and advancements

Released on May 3, 2023, Angular 16 builds upon the success of Angular 15.

Angular v16, the latest version of Google’s TypeScript-based web development framework, introduces a new reactivity model, enhancing web performance and developer experience. 

According to Minko Gechev’s blog post, the reactivity model improves runtime performance, reduces computations during change deflection, and remains compatible with the current approach. This model simplifies responsiveness by clarifying dependencies between the view and data flow, enabling efficient change detection in affected components.

Manage state changes with Angular 16 signals

Signals, influenced by Solid.js, is a fresh approach to managing state changes in Angular apps. Signals are functions that update when provided with new values (set()) and return a value (get()). 

They can also rely on each other, forming a reactive value graph that automatically updates when dependencies change. In Angular v16, signals can be combined with RxJS observables for powerful and expressive data flows.

Improved server-side rendering and Hydration

The angular team prioritizes server-side rendering as the top improvement for Angular. Instead of completely re-rendering the app, Angular now uses non-destructive hydration to attach event listeners to existing DOM nodes, resulting in up to 45% better LCP with full app hydration.

Offer benefits like-

  • No content flickering for users on web pages
  • Improved Web Core Vitals
  • Future-proof architecture with fine-grained code loading
  • Progressive lazy route hydration for enhanced performance
  • Easy integration with existing apps using minimal code
  • ngSkipHydration property for gradual adoption of hydration in components with manual DOM manipulation

Improved server-side rendering

Angular 16 introduces Server Side Rendering (SSR) as a built-in feature for faster and enhanced SSR applications. The browser employs a non-destructive hydration method during application hydration, preserving any existing HTML content or attributes without overwriting or deleting them. 

This approach safeguards server-side modifications and optimizations to the HTML content, while also preventing conflicts or errors caused by mismatched client-server HTML content.

Angular 16 Reactivity model and Zone.js

Angular v16 introduces two exciting features: the reevaluation of the reactivity model and the optional inclusion of Zone.js. 

Zone.js, a package that utilizes browser API monkey patches to detect changes and trigger change detection in Angular apps, simplifies development but adds complexity and overhead. In v16, developers can opt to handle reactivity using RxJS or signals instead, making Zone.js optional.

Elimination of ngcc

Angular transitioned to Ivy as its default view engine in version 9, abandoning the old one. To assist libraries still reliant on the old view engine, Angular Compatibility Compiler (ngcc) was introduced. 

However, in version 16, ngcc and all view engine-related codes were removed, rendering Angular View Engine libraries unusable in v16+. Consequently, the Angular Bundle should be minimized, as these libraries are no longer officially supported.

Other key features of Angular 16

Other core improvements in Angular 16 to look out for.

  • Esbuild-based build system: 72% improvement in cold production builds, entering developer preview.
  • Angular Signals package: Specify reactive values, and communicate dependencies.
  • Angular 16: “Lifting” signals to observables from @angular/core/rxjs-interop.
  • Standalone schematics: Start new projects as standalone via a developer preview.
  • Jest testing framework: Experimental support.
  • Nonce attribute: Specify component styles inlined by Angular.
  • Angular templates: Self-closing tags for component closing tags.
  • Angular 16: Route parameters tied to matching component’s inputs for the router.
  • TypeScript 5.0 support: Notable for ECMAScript decorators extending JavaScript classes.

Community’s significant contributions

Angular16 features contributed by community members:

  • Extended diagnostics for ngSkipHydration by Matthieu Riegler
  • Introduction of provideServiceWorker by Julien Saguet

To stay ahead of the trends and latest improvements, you must connect with companies providing expert hands in developing and incorporating the latest features of Angular 16.

OnGraph will be happy to help you with all your modern-age Angular development requirements.

FAQs

Q. Can you help in migrating existing apps to Angular 16?

Yes! We have skilled and professional Angular developers with expertise in Angular 16. You can connect with our Angular developers for seamless migration in less time without impacting performance.

Q. Does migrating to Angular 16 can impact the performance of my applications?

No! Angular 16 has improved server-side rendering resulting in up to 45% better LCP with full app hydration. We ensure 99.99% uptime while migrating it to the new Angular version.

Q. Can you build a new application using Angular 16?

Yes. we offer excellent Angular app development solutions for businesses looking to scale faster with improved performance. Connect with us today with your business requirements. We are just a call away.

Is Node.Js 20 a Secured Version of Early Releases?

node.js 20

Exciting news for tech enthusiasts! The latest release of Node.js, version 20, brings with it a brand new experimental Permission Model designed to enhance security. 

Node.js 20

Along with this major addition, Node.js 20 also introduces features such as synchronous import.meta.resolve, a stable test_runner module, updates to the V8 JavaScript engine, single executable apps, and more. 

For the next six months, Node.js 20 will be the “Current” release, giving organizations and individuals the opportunity to test and prototype its cutting-edge features. By October 23, Node.js 20 will be fully prepared for production deployments and will also enter long-term support (LTS). 

This is an excellent opportunity to discover the latest advancements in Node.js 20, so make sure you don’t miss it!

It is an exciting release that boasts new features, including the experimental Permission Model and updates to V8. This version is perfect for testing and evaluating how Node.js fits into your development environment. 

The contributors who have played a vital role in making Node.js a highly valuable tool utilized across both large and small production environments are acknowledged and deeply appreciated by the Node.js team and the OpenJS Foundation. With 94.6K Stars and 24.7K Forks on GitHub, Node.js owes its usefulness, quality, and security to the contributions of many.

According to Robin Ginn, Executive Director of the OpenJS Foundation, Node.js has made significant strides in security, testing, and portability over the past year, and Node.js 20 demonstrates this progress. 

If you’re already using Node.js, the latest version offers an excellent opportunity to explore new features before the LTS release. The Foundation extends a heartfelt thank you to open-source contributors from all over the world, as Node.js 20 is a prime example of how open source can make a difference.

The latest updates to catch in Node.js 20

Node.js 20 Permission Model

Node.js Permission Model restricts program access to specified resources like file system, child process, and worker thread via an experimental API triggered by –experimental-permission switch.

Custom ESM loader hooks nearing stable.

ES module lifecycle hooks by loaders (–experimental-loader=./foo.mjs) now run on a separate thread to prevent cross-contamination with app code.

Synchronous import.meta.resolve()

Method returns sync as per browser behavior. User loader resolve hooks can still be async/sync. import.meta.resolve always returns sync for app code.

Stable Test Runner

Node.js v20 features a stable test_runner module with components for creating and executing the following tests.

  • describe, it/test and hooks to structure test files
  • mocking
  • watch mode
  • node –test to run multiple test files simultaneously

V8 JavaScript engine updated to V8 11.

In this version, the Chromium 113 upgrade has been implemented on the V8 engine along with advanced features that have been added to the JavaScript API.

Node.js 20 key features

  • Offers enhanced performance with faster speed and quicker startup times
  • Improved security features with better TLS 1.3 compatibility and stronger cryptography
  • Better TypeScript support for easier use of the language in Node.js applications
  • New debugging experience for easier troubleshooting
  • Enhanced error handling for easier fault management

to stay ahead of your game, connect with us for seamless Node.js development.

The Fundamentals of Market Research

market research feature image

Have you ever encountered a failure where your newly launched product does not create enough noise in the market? It seems you forgot to do your homework, which is called market research. Every business has a perception that their product is somehow different and will have a great impact in the market, but does it? Not every time, the market is full of ambiguities and even the customer’s perception about a product keeps on changing and that makes market research even more complex.

So, how do these companies get their facts right and make use of them for better-informed decisions that will help them succeed and generate revenue? 

Everything starts with digging deep into the market and understanding the constantly changing market trends and demands. Once companies realize the true potential of their products and understand the current trends, it’s time they understand the behavior of their customers and how they will react to them. 

All of this research has now become a mandatory task before companies launch their products into the market to understand its uncertainty. Not only established businesses but small businesses are also in need of conducting efficient market research to eliminate business risks. 

So, where does the complexity hit?

Things started to be complex for a newcomer who does not know where and how to start market research and what components to consider while conducting it. The process is time-consuming as there is no well-functioning system that can help every type of business conduct a variety of market research. 

Before we move to the critical part of how and why first we will introduce you to the term market research, and what exactly it is.

What is Market Research?

Market research involves a methodical process that helps businesses to gather relevant information about the market, ongoing trends, competitors’ analysis, customer behavior, and most importantly their interest. 

As per your business requirement, you can choose different market research software that will help convert the hard numbers into simple reports for you to make informed decisions. Market research is a detailed process that will provide insights into different fields. 

market research

By staying aware of industry trends, consumer demands and preferences, legislative changes, and other factors, companies can tailor their efforts and allocate resources effectively. This is where the value of market research lies.

The market is huge and has unlimited opportunities for every business. But before that business asks how to do effective research, before that they understand why they are doing it and why they need market research software.

Here is “Why” to Market Research

Whether you are a new business or established, you must conduct market research frequently to understand the market needs and change customers’ behavior. Not only this, market research can help businesses to reach new heights.

“Below are the reasons why businesses must make market research a crucial part of their development process.”

  • Identifying potential customers, what are their demands, who is the target audience who will be using the product, their age range, their demographics, and others. It will help to target customers effectively.
  • Learn more from existing customers, such as what they like about the product, how they are using the product, what is influencing their purchase decisions, and others. Not only this, but you will encounter their pain points also, so you can eliminate them with improved products and identify upsell opportunities.
  • Help you set realistic and long-term targets for your business. Leveraging market data, you can improve your tactics and improve marketing campaigns for continuous development. Being a part of a customer-centric market, you must adopt an STP model: Segmentation – Targeting – Positioning for better results.
  • Help you identify potential market challenges and how you can eliminate them by developing a solution to boost your business.
  • Find new places and platforms to advertise your products for better reach.
  • It helps in getting the latest updates on competitors, their sales, strategies, and their approach to targeting potential customers. 

Now that you know how market research can help your business in several ways, then why not do it? 

But, the most asked question is how can we start doing our research, what methods are available and how do we do that, and what approach to use in different scenarios?

Well, this could be challenging if you are not aware of different ways of conducting market research. So, here we move to the “how” part of the research.

“How” do we do Market Research?

Different types of market research help businesses get accurate information. Market research takes much time and incurs money, so, whatever information you want to be used within your business to make decisions, you must choose the right form of market research. 

types of market research

Primary Research

In this type, you gather the data directly from the target market, making it a primary data set. Collecting data through primary research yields two types of results: exploratory data, defining the nature of the problem, and conclusive data, which is used to solve a problem. 

For example-

Problem: not able to eliminate fraud respondents who are filling the surveys and it is impacting the quality of the results.

Solution: for that, companies can include fraud detection techniques to eliminate respondents who are leveraging the existing system to complete surveys incorrectly.

pros/cons of primary market research

The data collected from participants is raw and must be analyzed to identify trends and comparisons. It generally includes focus groups, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, and others.

Secondary Research

The second marketing method is known as secondary research, which involves utilizing previously collected, analyzed, and published data. This type of research can be conducted through desktop research using public domain data such as government statistics, think tanks, research centers, and other sources available on the internet, such as Google.

Compared to primary research strategies, secondary research is often less expensive as much of the information is freely available. However, in certain cases, the collected data may not provide sufficient details to describe the results accurately, requiring the use of primary market research to enhance understanding.

Qualitative Research

Qualitative research involves data that cannot be measured. This type of research can be either primary or secondary, and methods such as interviews, polls, and surveys are often used to gain insights into customers’ thoughts and feelings about a product or service.

By asking open-ended questions such as

  • Why do you buy our product or service?
  • What are the scope of improvements and why?” 

Such answers can help businesses to make significant changes to newly launched and existing products and services. Qualitative research is helpful if conducted before the product launch. 

Quantitative Research

To gather statistical data for analysis, marketers use quantitative research. The objective of this type of market research is to have numerical evidence to support your marketing strategy. The numbers obtained are empirical, and not interpretations, this is where qualitative and quantitative research differs.

Quantitative market research gathers data via surveys, polls, questionnaires, and other methods to generate numerical data for analysis. It helps your business to understand where to allocate your marketing efforts and budget. By analyzing data such as page views, subscribers, and other dimensions, you can modify your marketing strategy according to your findings.

But, that is not all. Once you get into market research, you will come across different methods to get better customer insights. 

With time, people get more curious and have changing opinions about everything. So it is better to connect one-on-one and provide a personalized experience where they can share their true reviews. Getting to know a dedicated set of genuine respondents will take time, only then you can make a futuristic decision to help your business grow while eliminating risks.

Thus one can say that conducting market research is a crucial task that brings many challenges that must be eliminated for a seamless research process. If you are not aware of those challenges then you must take a look.

Potential Market Research Challenges

No matter how much effort you put into conducting detailed market research, if you make a single mistake or use a faulty system to conduct it, your business will have to suffer from losses that you might not be prepared for.

No matter how much effort you put into conducting detailed market research, if you make a single mistake or use a faulty system to conduct it, your business will have to suffer from losses that you might not be prepared for.

Many businesses have failed the process due to many reasons, such as-

  • Limited staff and budget to go deeper into the research to get more accurate results, resulting in impacted survey results.
  • Making assumptions about the gathered information or completing surveys with wrong data internally.
  • Relying on the respondents who are vaguely completing the surveys for just rewards, such as using different accounts to complete the surveys, filling in different data from different cities, and filling surveys for different demographics.
  • A seamless pattern to help businesses to manage and create their projects internally.
  • Managing a wide range of global suppliers for completing the surveys.
  • Not able to check the project’s feasibility even before starting the project.

To cater to these challenges, several companies are developing top-notch market research solutions. With such MR platforms, businesses can process and manage surveys, projects, and respondents from across the globe with great customization.

Unlock Market research opportunities with OnGraph

With the increased need for accurate market insights for making informed decisions, businesses need solutions that can help them get accurate data, connect to genuine respondents and suppliers, create engaging surveys, and more.

To help markets, analysts, and survey respondents, we have a team of experts that will help your business to eliminate all the significant challenges and streamline the market research process. With our solutions, we have helped global clients to make a significant difference in achieving their success.

To know more about these functionalities and market research software development services, you can connect with our team with complete requirements. We will build a perfect MR solution for every business needs.

The Rise of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

PWA

The mobile landscape has rapidly evolved in recent years. With the high reliability of mobile devices, businesses, and customers need an exceptional mobile experience incorporated with the latest technologies, people are experiencing a Rise in Progressive Web Apps.

Thus, businesses are leveraging the potential of the Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that lead the charge in revolutionizing the mobile experience. PWAs are web applications that provide a seamless and native-like experience on mobile devices without downloading a separate app from an app store. 

According to a study, PWAs have been more effective in retaining users visiting sites and are most likely to improve conversion rates. 

Rise of Progressive Web Apps to retain users

Due to the immense benefits of PWA for the mobile industry, the PWA market is on the rise at an accelerating rate. It can maybe replace the android and iOS native apps in the coming years. 

In this article, we will highlight how PWA is the future of the next-gen mobile experience. So, let’s unfold what PWAs offer in 2023 and how they can bring new opportunities.

But, before that, we will understand what PWAs are.

What are PWAs?

Well, for those who do not know more about PWA, it stands for progressive web apps. As the name suggests, “progressive” means the next-gen or a step ahead. It is not old technology; it stepped foot in 2015 and was introduced by Google.

A progressive web application integrates the latest technologies while providing the look and feel of an app. Progressive web apps are developed using a much larger web ecosystem, plugins, and community. On top of it, it comes with great ease of deploying and maintaining a website compared to a native application. Once you try your expertise and creativity, you will feel the difference as you do not have to maintain API with backward compatibility.

Throughout its journey, PWA has gained much attention due to its ease of development while providing a fantastic user experience. 

Below is the fantastic journey of PWA.

Rise of Progressive Web Apps journey

As we are talking about PWA and its advantages over native mobile apps. But how are they different? Let’s see.

How do PWAs differ from Native Mobile Apps?

If you want to develop unique and highly-interactive mobile apps, then you must understand the limitations of each type of app. Today, many businesses are using native mobile apps that might impact their sales, conversion rates, and other factors.

Looking at the overall picture and considering different factors, you will see how PWAs outranked native mobile apps. Going forward in the age of digitization, native apps can significantly impact your business performance and productivity. 

So, it is time that you must start including PWA apps for better opportunities. Below is a brief table that will help you understand how PWAs are sweeping the native app market.

Rise of Progressive Web Apps is different from Native apps

Real-world Examples of Companies that have implemented PWAs

Many companies have implemented Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in the real world:

  • Twitter: The Twitter PWA offers a fast and reliable experience, allowing users to access the platform offline and receive push notifications.
  • Alibaba: The Alibaba PWA improved the conversion rate by 76% and increased the number of monthly active users by 30%.
  • Flipkart: The Flipkart PWA increased the time users spent on the site by 40% and resulted in a 70% increase in conversions.
  • Uber: The Uber PWA allows users to request a ride and track the driver’s location without installing the native app.
  • Pinterest: The Pinterest PWA improved the core web vitals by 60% and increased user engagement by 40%.
  • Instagram: The Instagram PWA allows users to access the platform on low-end devices and slow networks, increasing engagement and retention.
  • Lancome: The Lancome PWA increased the conversion rate by 17% and reduced the bounce rate by 15%.

Rise of Progressive Web Apps real-world examples

Now that you know, PWA is better than native apps. But what are the core elements that build PWA more powerful?

Core Elements of PWA

To make an app PWA, you must consider the following components that work behind the success of PWA. Consider the following as a prerequisite for building a PWA app.

PWA core elements

Service worker

It is a JavaScript file that executes separately from the web page and helps provide the features of native and web apps to the end users. It lies between the network and the device, facilitating offline capability, synchronizing data in the background, push notifications, and resource caching.

Manifest.json

It is a JSON file providing a look and feel similar to a Native App. Developers use this file to control and customize the look of the PWA app. Some changes include a full-screen mode app, linking icons and icon sizes, type and location, and critical elements.

Sample Manifest file:

{

  “name”: “My Application”,

  “short_name”: “my_application”,

  “theme_color”: “#208075”,

  “background_color”: “#208075”,

  “start_url”: “index.html”,

  “display”: “standalone”,

  “orientation”: “landscape”,

  “icons”: [

{

   “src”: “launcher-icon-3x.png”,

   “sizes”: “144×144”,

   “type”: “image/png”

},

{

   “src”: “launcher-icon-4x.png”,

   “sizes”: “192×192”,

   “type”: “image/png”

}

  ],

}

HTTPS

It enhances the app’s security as the site is served over HTTPS. PWAs follow the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, so they must ensure some rules while transferring and maintaining data security.

Apart from this, there are other components.

Application shell

It is a graphic interface skeleton or simply a template. For example, you want to develop a website with a header, two sidebars, and a footer. The remaining static data is the app shell, where you can simply remove the webpage content and dynamic elements.

These components make PWA more attractive and engaging, giving a rise to Progressive Web Apps. But how can it benefit businesses to scale and create a strong market presence?

Experience the Future of Web Applications: Rise of Progressive Web Apps

PWA benefits include improved speed and performance, native app-like UX, and multi-platform usage. But it is just the start; PWAs have more to offer; let’s take a look.

Shorter time-to-market.

PWAs have changed the outlook of every business by speeding up the development and deployment process. The main reason is that developers can save time creating separate apps for different platforms. 

Lightweight (revolutionizing the mobile experience)

While PWAs come with spectacular features, such as being unexceptionally lightweight. The top example of Tinder’s PWA is now 90% smaller than its native app, reducing the load times from 11.91 seconds to 4.69 seconds.

PWA helps companies to reduce load time

Improves user engagement.

Being a mobile-dominant market, some businesses still get significant traffic through the desktop. This might be due to the different and changing goals of mobile users. For this, businesses must work on creating a fully-functioning website offering great UX. 

PWA helps to achieve those goals and significantly improves user re-engagement. 

Offline support.

Not being able to access data and websites during a low internet connection or while on a flight and spending long hours without the internet is a problem. But PWA takes care of it and helps you to stay connected and access information, but how?

It is possible due to the service worker caching the information while the device is online and then displaying it without an internet connection. It keeps users engaged. Thus, businesses are using PWAs as it takes care of the customer’s pain point.

Improves page loading speed.

Based on advanced caching capabilities, PWA apps are faster to load than native apps. This is the plus point for businesses to reduce bounce rates due to slow load time or poor website performance. 

Platform independence.

This is the topmost reason PWAs bag the crown for a better performer. The developers must develop once, and the code will work for each platform, providing the same look and feel. PWA apps can adapt well to the underlying platforms with great ease, significantly reducing the development time, bounce rate, and complexity and enhancing visibility. 

Anyone can access the app through their mobile phone, which has a web browser. It will revolutionize the mobile experience.

All these benefits are possible due to the wide range of features being offered by PWA.

Technology stack for PWA development 

A typical tech stack for Progressive Web App (PWA) development includes:

 

  • HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the frontend
  • JavaScript frameworks such as Angular, React, or Vue.js for building the user interface and handling client-side logic.
  • A web framework such as Express or Nest.js for the backend
  • A database such as MongoDB or Firebase for storing data
  • Service Workers for caching and offline functionality
  • Web App Manifest for installation on the user’s device
  • HTTPS for secure communication
  • Lighthouse for auditing and improving PWA performance.

Best Practices and Considerations for Building PWAs.

When building Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), there are a few best practices and considerations to keep in mind to revolutionize the mobile experience.

 

  • Use a Service Worker: Service Workers are a crucial component of PWAs and allow offline functionality and background updates.
  • Make use of a Web App Manifest: A Web App Manifest allows users to add your PWA to their home screen, making it feel like a native app.
  • Use HTTPS: PWAs must be served over HTTPS to ensure secure communication and take advantage of features such as Service Workers.
  • Optimize for performance: PWAs should be fast and responsive, so optimize images, use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), and minify your code.
  • Make use of push notifications: PWAs can send notifications, resulting in increased engagement and retention.
  • Design for mobile first: PWAs are often accessed on mobile devices, so it’s essential to design for the small screen and touch interactions.
  • Keep accessibility in mind: PWAs should be accessible to users with disabilities, so follow accessibility guidelines and test your app with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
  • Test your PWA on different browsers and devices: PWAs are web apps that must be tested on different browsers and devices to ensure a consistent user experience.
  • Auditing with Lighthouse: Lighthouse is a powerful tool that allows you to audit your PWA’s performance and quality. It is a good idea to use it to improve the quality of your PWA.

OnGraph- developing PWAs to drive digital transformation.

Embracing the rise of Progressive Web Apps

Developing Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) can be a powerful way to drive digital transformation for businesses. PWAs offer several benefits, such as offline functionality, push notifications, and fast performance, which can help increase engagement and retention. 

PWAs are also accessible to users on various devices and browsers, which can help expand a business’s reach. By following best practices and considering important factors such as performance, accessibility, and user experience, businesses can create PWAs that provide users with a seamless and smooth experience. Additionally, PWAs can effectively bridge the gap between traditional web and native mobile apps, providing a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to drive digital transformation.

We believe that the market of Progressive Web Apps will go further.

Future of Software Industry in Next 5 Years

Future of Software Industry

The software industry is very tricky and ever-evolving. We all have experienced a surge in technological demand past the COVID-19 pandemic that has changed the work for good and made unexpected possible. Here we are providing complete information about the Future of the Software Industry in the next 5 years.

The Future of Software Industry is full of new possibilities and innovation, and businesses must have an open eye to embrace and leverage those technologies. Many things are changing and introducing simultaneously that will excite you and help your business scale.

You might have heard that the world has been under the impact of digital transformation that accelerated the pace of technological change, the development of new business models, and much more. The surge in demand for more personalized, dynamic online experiences and instant services created the demand for new technologies to take over the industry to develop quick and efficient solutions to everyone’s pain points.

It is leading the software industry to a new and more advanced era of software development trends to be considered and adopted in 2024 to create a significant impact.

So, let’s see what opportunities will unfold in 2024.

Global Spending IT Projection 2024

 

It is expected to experience the emergence of new technologies and the evolution of existing ones to meet the changing demands of the marketplace. To bring flexible, scalable ideas to the table, businesses must consider the following software development trends in the coming year.

Crypto and Blockchain Development

No wonder blockchain app development is skyrocketing and is expanding its growth in different market sectors, such as manufacturing, media, finance, telecom, healthcare, energy, and even government sectors are showing a significant interest in developing and circulating blockchain-based apps. This has given a boost to its popularity and adoption globally.

Future blockchain technology trends are more promising, especially for SMEs and startups. But, before digging deep into this topic, let’s understand the blockchain concept.

Future of Software Industry: blockchain technology trends

Edge computing

It is evident that Cloud computing will continue to mark its significant impact in 2023. However, innovations under cloud computing are not the only thing we will experience.

It is when software is in great demand for real-time data processing despite low-quality bandwidth, and Cloud computing is no longer an option.

When we disconnect from the Internet, the application cannot reach remote data centers.

This is where Edge computing comes into the picture, providing a solution to this problem by moving the data to the edge of the local network, allowing users to use the software online/offline. In this colossal software industry, a millisecond of blackout results in significant losses, so edge computing is the way to go.

Statistics estimated that the edge computing market would grow and holds endless opportunities in the future for edge networks.

Future of Software Industry: Edge computing

Opportunities for low-code/no-code software development

The greater demand to provide instant and efficient solutions to customers has raised the popularity of the development of low-code/no-code. It results in the instant surge of low-code platforms for building quicker apps. They offer pre-built blocks with drag-and-drop facilities, fastening the development of mobile and web-based apps.

The growth of low-code market

Some companies still think of its significant concerns over the flexibility and security of developed software with these platforms. But the advancement in the process has fixed it and made software development quicker. Even research forecast the global adoption of low-code by 2030.

Some popular low-code/no-code development platforms are Outsystems, Mendix, and Appian. Leveraging low code will bring several benefits to your growing business.

Future of Software Industry: low code solution

Mobile Apps Take the Front Seat

Today, more than a web app is needed to impact the market and outrank competitors significantly. Due to the high reliability of mobile devices, you need an interactive and fully functioning mobile app to drive most of your traffic.

You are losing significant opportunities if your business does not have a website that can be operated well on mobile devices. To help your business grow and scale as per the changing market demands, you must embrace mobile app development using the latest technologies, such as Node.js, ionic, React.js, Python, flutter, and others.

With highly-responsive mobile apps, you will be ready to race among others, and this comes with potential benefits for any business.

Future of Software Industry: Mobile application benefits for business

The latest technologies, like AR/VR, are bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds of mobile apps.

AR/VR market Forecast

Not only just AR/VR, but many companies are getting success by integrating AI, Beacon technology, IoT, blockchain, and others to make more intelligent and innovative mobile apps.

Integrated Blockchain Solutions

Due to the rising demand to create more decentralized services and products, blockchain will make a significant difference in the coming year. Today, companies are heavily using the cloud to store information. What if we decentralize that information and encrypt it using the blockchain?

In the coming years, we can count on the development of source ways. No doubt, our data will become more secure. But there is still a scope remaining for finding potential and innovative ways to access and analyze that information.

The worldwide usage of Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will become more practical in the new year. For example, NFT tickets to concerts will improve customers’ backstage experiences and memorabilia. NFTs will be the futuristic way to interact with the modern-age digital products and services we buy and help simplify the contracts between parties. For example, NFT tickets to concerts will improve customers’ backstage experiences and memorabilia.

In 2023, you may experience a whole new world of new opportunities in Blockchain.

Blockchain Trends in 2023

The Boom of the IoT

Everyone and everything in the market is getting smart, talking from intelligent devices to smart homes. You can control everything from a single point without any human intervention. All this is possible with the implementation and integration of IoT solutions.

Examples of IoT solutions

IoT is expanding its benefits in every market sector, from IT to the manufacturing and medical fields, to ease every task. Today, the dream of integrated cities is now a reality. The IoT devices have eased congestion and understand traffic better, bringing people together and more connected.

The usage of IoT is expected to have a CAGR of 10.53% within the next five years. You will experience a new era where you can simply track and collect the data, control how users engage across IoT devices, and even impact inventory management or shipping. Getting insights using this using IoT is spurring the need for AI and analytics.

To stay ahead of the competitive market, you should consider leveraging the power of IoT with dedicated development companies that can take charge of everything and help your business scale.

AI-powered chatbot

While accessing today’s websites, you might have encountered a chatbox popup for instant connectivity with customer care. Well, you can refer to them as conversational chatbots that help conduct an online conversation.

Chatbot

These chatbots are the better way to instantaneously connect with potential customers and understand their desires about the product/service. Chatbots are successfully replacing the traditional interaction that includes human agents with AI.

Chatbots have evolved over the years and have become a future-ready solution for scaling and growing businesses.

future-ready solution for scaling and growing businesses

Introduction to ChatGPT

Another considerable accomplishment of the IT industry is the chatGPT based on GPT-3.5, which OpenAI introduced in November 2022. It is a long-form question-answering AI with the capability to answer even complex questions conversationally.

It’s the latest next-gen technology because it’s trained to learn more, such as what humans mean when they ask a question. Its capability to provide human-quality responses can change the future of all industries.

ChatGPT

As per Stanford, GPT-3 can perform tasks not explicitly trained on, such as translating sentences from English to French.

Isn’t it fantastic how fast and intelligent our software industry is evolving?

The Rising Trend of Marketplace

Buying online has become a new trend that has boosted the adoption of the eCommerce market. Seeing the surge in demand and popularity of eCommerce platforms, businesses are now focusing on creating a mobile eCommerce market. This unexpected acceleration in eCommerce sales increased after the Covid-19 outbreak, which has taken online business transactions to another level.

You can see how the marketplace’s popularity has grown so far.

marketplace's popularity

Some excellent platforms like Amazon, Myntra, Flipcart, and others. Today, there is a considerable percentage of people shop online. Thus, we need more platforms like these to grow the eCommerce market globally. Such mobile apps are also called marketplace apps.

It is expected to experience a surge in the global demand for more seamless marketplaces.

mobile ecommerce

Conclusion:

Advanced technologies have changed the way of developing software. The availability of unlimited features, such as pre-built templates and drag-and-drop functionalities, has made it easier to build innovative and intelligent apps.

The pandemic has driven businesses to look beyond their existing and well-established business models and adopt new digital strategies and technologies, such as IoT, AI, ML, blockchain, and others.

You can connect with us with your requirements if you have an idea for a new project. We will help your business to create next-gen software with our practical and proven software development services by leveraging the latest market trends.

Hire Android Developers: A Complete Guide 2024

Hire Android developers

Android app development is sweeping the market in all sectors. Today, people running small or large online businesses are focusing on developing innovative and engaging Android apps for their businesses. Here is a complete guide to Hire Android Developers.

The Android development market is on the rise and is tremendously growing.

Hire Android Developers: Rise of Android development

By 2023, you will also experience growth in the Android app market, as suggested by Statista. But what drives the Android app market demand?

It is the customers, end-users, or stakeholders who drive the demand. Consistent dependency on mobile devices has boosted app development. The business must leverage different platforms to cater to a broader audience, and Android apps are the way to go.

So, does every Android app have the same impact on its customers and end-users? Does every app generate revenue for the business?

No, not really. You will be amazed to know that only 1 of thousands of mobile apps can survive successfully, leaving their competitors behind to create their impact.

How can any business bring innovative android apps to the table? It is only possible if you hire an Android developer to create amazing apps to help your business to stand out.

If you have started your journey with Android app development, then this article will help you in your journey to develop creatively.

What is Android Development?

An application built on the Android OS using the android software development kit (SDK) on android studio refers to android development. Google introduced this open-source and Linux-based OS for mobiles. Being open-source, it has been modified by developers to develop different GUIs.

You can install SDK for developing any application for the android system. These applications can efficiently run on any platform and device, are built in android OS, and are written In Java. The android apps run on Java Virtual Machines (JVM).

Today, the number of apps on Google Play is reaching 3 million apps, leading the pack for market share globally.

Statistics (Google Play is reaching 3 million apps)

Around 70k new Android apps are making their market presence every month. Some get attention, and some do not.

Google play stastics

Due to the increased hype around Android app development, companies are taking it seriously and making it mandatory to have an android app for scaling their business.

How an Android app development help to skyrocket your business?

No doubt, the Android ecosystem is growing and getting huge. Every business will benefit from adopting Android app development.

Let’s see what Android has provided to the market and what 6 key factors made it a prior choice for business.

Hire Android Developers: Power of Android Development

1- High ROI with a low-cost investment

Android SDK is available for free, which helps developers to develop interactive apps using its material designs. But, developers have to pay a one-time registration cost for distributing the app. After that, developers can leverage its benefits to build and test their apps. It has reduced the investment cost too much while maintaining the app’s quality and engaging users. With an excellent user interface, it will get the attention of users generating more ROI.

2- Speedy development process

If you want to stay competitive and bring an effective yet speedy solution to your business growth, then Android app development is preferable. It will reduce the time-to-market while maintaining the efficiency of the app. Android development has a more minor and fast development cycle lasting a few hours.

3- Target multiple platforms

Java is the primary programming language for Android app development, thus making it easier to port the app to any other platform. This way, developers can easily target multiple platforms with similar coding.

Java and Kotlin have become official languages for Android development. With Kotlin, Multiplatform, you can power applications that run on iOS & Android.

4- Versatile and scalable apps

Android Studio can easily integrate the entire Android ecosystem, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, and TVs, to incorporate the latest trends like IoT, AR, and VR. It has helped developers build dynamic mobile applications catering to customers’ needs. After Android Studio, any business can leverage flexible and scalable apps that suit changing business needs.

5- Improved security

Android has been modified over time and offers in-built security features. It helps in ensuring the overall security of apps against malware and viruses.

6- Highly customizable

Being open-source, it offers the freedom of customization to the developers. With the latest tools, features, and functionalities of Android, developers can integrate different aspects of the app to make it more functional and engaging. With open freedom to customization, businesses can reach a wider audience having different needs.

But to leverage the actual benefits, the features need to be adequately implemented. This is why we need dedicated Android developers with specific skills.

Let’s see what we need to excel at.

Consider Things During Hire Android Developers

It takes a lot of effort, skills, and knowledge from designing to developing Android mobile apps. Thus hiring becomes a challenging process. But if you consider the following skills, you can find the right talent.

Things to consider during hire android developers

  • Programming languages

Developers must have Java and Kotlin experience for developing Android apps. They must have their base clear, including syntax and basics, frameworks, multithreading and concurrency, functional programming, and generics.

  • SDKs and development kits

Every Android developer must be familiar with SDKs that will save time and effort and make their coding journey easier. For example, you need to include a payment gateway to your app, which will require SDKs to rescue coding effort. With pre-built code or templates, developers can speed up their development process.

  • Familiar with Android Studio

It is an IDE (integrated development environment) where developers will get a wide range of SDKs to integrate within their apps.

  • Workaround APIs

APIs connect the Android apps with third-party services or apps. For example, you want your app to locate the users. Thus, you can add Google APIs for locating local places using google Maps.

  • Database knowledge.

Whether small or large app, it will store some amount of data. For that, you will require a database to store all that data. Thus, developers must be able to create queries for retrieving, connecting, and accessing data from the app.

What tech stack should you prefer for Android app development?

Choosing the right stack is essential to include all the features and functionalities in any app. The developer must choose the right approach, technology, and framework to develop an excellent Android app.

Before you decide on your tech stack, developers must create a list of the features they want in their app and understand how they will add those features. Then they should check out the tech stack that can help them include all the listed features and more. The tech stack must help them add more features in the future to keep the app up-to-date as per the changing market demands.

Other factors need consideration, such as the type of app you want to create (native or cross-platform).

But how can a developer choose the right tech stack for development?

  • First, understand your project’s requirements.
  • Then, understand the objective of your app and what features you want to include, and choose a monetization model for your app.
  • Next, find out what type of developers you want to hire, full-time or freelancers.
  • What security features must you include to keep your app and customer data safe?
  • Mention what integration you need and what your app compatibility is.

Java

Many developers are still using Java for their Android app development. It is the oldest programming language and still significantly impacts the IT industry. It is a perfect bundle for Android app development, including Java Development Kit, Java Runtime Environment, and Integrated Development Environment.

Today, Java has become the language for large enterprises. Developers can develop web apps and big data technologies like Hadoop and Apache Storm.

Below are the pros and cons of using Java as your technology.

Pros and Cons of using Java

Kotlin

Kotlin is a new open-source Android language introduced by Google. It made its market presence in 2011 yet has gained global popularity. For developers, it has become another preferable language as they do not have to rewrite the entire code again while switching from Java to kotlin.

Today, companies are actively hiring Kotlin developers to build Android apps. Some famous examples are- Uber, Evernote, Pinterest, and others.

Pros and Cons of using Kotlin

 

After you select the tech stack for your app development, you must streamline the hiring process and must be clear about what you are looking for.

Android vs. Cross-platform Development

Android vs. Cross-platform Development

Differences Native and Cross Platform

Android vs. iOS Development

Android vs. iOS Development

The process to hire an Android developer

The process is simple. Still, you need to stick with the requirements. Below is the straightforward process that will help you find the right talent.

  • Prepare a technical description that you can roll out on various platforms where you can find potential talents. For example- LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.
  • Choose a suitable hiring model. You can hire an internal app development team or outsource mobile app development services per your budget.
  • Conduct technical interviews and other processes to understand the knowledge of the hiring employee.
  • Roll out the agreement or contract to make a deal.

Partner with OnGraph for your Android developer’s needs

The android app market is growing and having a significant impact on users. More than having a web app is required if you want to approach a wider audience. With Android apps, every process is more precise and smooth. You can create a fantastic app with the proper development at your disposal.

If you are looking for the proper development team, you can work per your expectations, and then you must partner with OnGraph. With their 250+ talented developers, you can leverage the implementation of the latest technologies and tech stacks.

You will get the best resources for Android App Development, and we are just a call away.

Schedule a meeting to understand your project and Android app development features.

MEAN Stack Development, How Can It Be The Future Of Web App Development?

Mean Stack

Are web apps going to decay? Well, no. but aren’t they becoming too basic in this high-end mobile users market? Well, yes, you can say that. 

With the increased popularity and dependency on mobile apps, people believe there is no future for web apps and that the future market is about mobile users. Well, people are wrong, as web apps are retaking the market. 

Everyone can see today mobile app users have increased, and this has increased the expectations of the customers to access every website via mobile devices.

Digital Product Growth-scaled

For a business, web apps and mobile apps both are necessary. Their main goal is to reach as much audience as possible. Leaving behind the web app’s users is not justifying their deeds. 

Thus, web apps have secured their position in the market and, believe it or not, are somehow better than mobile apps. To improve the website user’s experience, developers need a development stack that fulfills all their needs under one roof.

The answer is MEAN stack.

It is revolutionizing web app development and taking the market swiftly. 

If you haven’t heard about MEAN stack and does not know how it can help business to scale with innovative web apps, then you are on the right track. Let’s explore more about the MEAN stack and how it works.

What do you MEAN by MEAN stack? 

Mean and stack.

Stack specifies the collection of required technologies to create a web app. MEAN stands for (MongoDB, Express, Angular.js, and Node.js). 

Expressive MEAN stack development services

The MEAN stack is a JavaScript-based framework for developing cloud-ready web applications.

All these four technologies are bundled together to develop a fantastic outstanding web app from head to toe. It is a part of full-stack development.

OnGraph is an established company offering expertise in MEAN stack development. 

MEAN cooks up using four main ingredients that create all the difference, adding a unique flavor every time you create web apps. Let’s discuss more those ingredients.

Four ingredients of MEAN

Bringing all the fantastic technologies together in a single platform isn’t a dream for every developer, where they can integrate and work together seamlessly. 

This is what MEAN stack offers you. A MEAN stack developer leverages the individual benefits of these technologies to develop dynamic web apps and deliver the best version of the app. 

To better understand how MEAN works to improve your app efficiency, you must understand the role of each ingredient (say components). 

M- MongoDB (database)

E- Express (back-end framework)

A- Angular.js (front-end framework)

N- Node.js (back-end runtime environment)

MongoDB

Every business tends to grow quickly or slowly, resulting in growing data over time. But how can you help your business’s data to scale smoothly? 

It depends on which database you store, edit, and access your data. Earlier, relational databases took the market by storm, but with technological advancements, NoSQL databases are in trend, making query execution faster than ever.

In the top list of NoSQL databases stands MongoDB. 

SQLDatabases

With its features and characteristics, people can get answers to their queries in real time, making the user experience even better. Also, this database is highly scalable and capable of catering to your increasing traffic. 

On top of it, MongoDB Atlas is now available in the market as a multi-cloud development data platform, simplifying the way you work with your data.

Today, MongoDB has been widely adopted globally due to its several benefits over relational databases. Thus, it is making the MEAN stack one of the preferred stacks nowadays.

MongoDB Applications

Express 

In 2010, StrongLoop, TJ Holowaychuk, and others introduced this open-source Node.js framework. It is a well-suited back-end development framework for creating dynamic web apps. Express’s wide range of features and functionalities can save development time and effort. 

Today, Express framework comes in the top Node.js framework. 

Many companies in the market have leveraged Express to create a high-end web app. It handles all the interactions between the web app’s server side and the database that is  MongoDB.

Angular.js

While Express works as a back-end framework, Angular.js is a front-end development framework. It is Google’s in-house JavaScript front-end framework, capable of creating dynamic web apps with impressive user experience. 

It is one of the best options for developing high-performing, scalable, flexible, and stable web applications. With the power of programming languages HTML, CSS, and TypeScript, Angular.js facilitates the development of dynamic and web-responsive web apps. 

It has a vastly growing community working for its improvement.

Angular.js is expanding its market and has become one of the top JavaScript frameworks.

FrameworksUsed

Today, major companies are using Angular.js for developing their web app’s front end.

Node.js

Some confuse Node.js as a programming language or framework, but it is a runtime environment. It is based on Google’s V8 engine that executes the JavaScript code server-side. 

It is lightweight, versatile, and simple to deploy, enough to accelerate the performance and speed of your application project while maintaining efficiency. Node.js has been adopted widely by several companies due to the following reasons.

Today, top companies are leveraging the immense benefits of Node.js.

NodeJSApps

Combining the power of all these four components, the MEAN stack can do wonders in delivering the most powerful web apps of the time. 

But, as a developer, you must understand how these components work together and interact to deliver a high-performance web application. So, let’s take a look at how the MEAN stack works.

How does MEAN stack work?

MEAN stack consists of JavaScript technologies that work together seamlessly to develop the most dynamic web applications. The below architecture shows how the request and data flow using these technologies. 

  • Client-side 

Angular, a JavaScript MVW Framework” comes at the top. It helps the developers to extend the HTML tags with metadata to create interactive web experiences. It includes form validation, localization, and communication with your back-end service. 

  • Server-side 

Then comes the (back-end server) Express.js and Node.js. Express.js runs on a Node.js server and handles URL routing, HTTP requests, and responses. By creating XML HTTP requests (XHRs), GETs, or POSTs using your Angular.js front end, you can connect to Express.js functions powering your application. These functions will use MongoDB’s Node.js drivers, either using callbacks or promises, to access and update data in your MongoDB database.

  • Database

Then there is the MongoDB database that stores the data in JSON documents format.

Reasons to choose MEAN stack for your business-

MEAN stack is a complete JavaScript development from client to server-side to database. Thus, you will undoubtedly get unexpected performance and versatile web applications that will help your business to scale. 

So, what reasons make the MEAN stack perfect for any business?

Mean Stack For Business

  • Improved app startup time

Due to the usage of Node.js on both client-side and server-side, many companies are switching to using Node.js. It reduces the time and effort for writing everything double for error handling, activity tracking, and debugging by using Node.js for both client and server-side. 

Using Node.js, people have experienced a reduction in startup time from 40+ minutes to less than a minute. Thus, companies like Netflix and others have shifted to Node.js

StartupTimeComparison

  • Scalable stack

The four technologies are known for creating scalable apps, thus making the MEAN stack highly scalable. It means whenever there is a surge in traffic, your app will function as expected without impacting its performance. MEAN stack is a perfect solution for small and large businesses with growth in mind.

With the unique features of MongoDB, such as auto-sharding, replication, and high availability, it helps scale apps without any failover. Also, with Node.js, single-threaded asynchronous architecture amplifies the scalability. 

MeanQuery

  • Secured web apps

Different attacks can reduce the performance and reputation of your web apps your business. It is essential to keep your web apps safe against cyber attacks, which is possible if you choose your technology stack well.

SecuredWebApps

When we talk about security, the MEAN stack is one of the secure and stable platforms. MongoDB, a non-relational database, is not impacted by SQL injection as the data is stored as JSON objects that cannot be easily manipulated, improving database security. 

Node.js is a core contributor and addresses the security of the Node.js project and its users. 

  • Low development cost and high-quality product

Each technology is open source. Thus, it requires no additional cost to buy software or any tools for developing a fantastic web app. 

  • Isomorphic code

JavaScript is a commonly used programming language in the industry.

IsomorphicCode

The MEAN stack uses isomorphic coding, i.e., you can easily and quickly transfer the code written in one specific framework to another. JavaScript is a common language for both the client and server sides, making it easier for any developer to understand how the data flows through the MEAN’s components.

You only need a specific web browser where you can execute the JavaScript web application.

  • Suitable for For Multi-Tiered Web Application Development

With the fantastic combination of Angular, Node.js, and MongoDB, any developer can quickly create complex, multi-tiered, and dynamic web applications. 

  • Easy To Maintain CodeBase

Each technology offers necessary libraries that are a cherry on top to include the latest features and functionalities to the web apps. With every library bundled with the MEAN stack, developers do not have to invest time searching for them online. 

MEAN stack has a simple and easy-to-maintain codebase. Thus, developers can focus on development and deployment work without worrying about the configuration details. Even a beginner can start quickly with this stack.

  • Responsive user interface

Today, the number of people using mobile phones is skyrocketing, thus increasing the demand for web apps that can run on mobile devices. These apps must be able to adapt quickly to different screen sizes. 

In simple words, any web app must be mobile responsive. But the challenge is with the traditional web apps that are not mobile responsive by default, thus requiring extra coding efforts. 

But with MEAN stack, developers can create mobile responsive web apps.

  • Improved user experience

Any app will only be successful if it has a great user experience. All efforts are wasted if the app cannot attract and engage customers.

Today, customers have high expectations of web apps, such as fast response time, no reloading of web pages, interactive UI, and smooth navigation. You can also call such apps single-page apps that are easy to create with Angular.js. 

  • The active and global community

MEAN is globally adopted, and many developers prefer it due to the involved technologies. Each technology has enormous community support who pay scale t help, share, and discuss new projects.

  • Creating real-time applications

Nowadays, customers prefer real-time apps for a better experience. These apps help them get updated facts and information to help them make calculated decisions. These real-time apps keep the customers engaged, such as video calls, live chat, online games, and others. 

MEAN stack is capable of creating real-time apps. Some examples are- LinkedIn, Walmart, and others are using Node.js for real-time apps.

When can you consider using the MEAN stack?

MEAN applications

Looking at the reasons to choose MEAN or say benefits, and it is well-suited for every type of business, especially startups looking for affordable technology for their business to grow. 

Each technology has its benefits and a place in the developer-preferred list. MEAN stack can handle simple to complex web apps with great ease. 

You can use MEAN stack to create different web apps, such as Web Apps for Bigdata, Real-Time Applications, Streaming Apps, Enterprise complex apps, and Secondary business apps.

Some of the top market giants have leveraged the MEAN stack’s benefits.

MeanExamples

The successful adoption of the MEAN stack depends on the developers’ skills. 

Skills of a MEAN Stack Developer

They must possess the following skills.

  • Core knowledge of database architecture and frontend and backend processes.
  • Frontend and backend languages include HTML/ CSS, JavaScript, XML, jQuery, C#, Java, and Python. 
  • Able to work with MongoDB, Express.js, Angular.js, and Node.js.
  • Should be able to create templates and architecture design guidelines.
  • Should be able to understand the concepts of Web Development, continuous integration, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Agile methodology, and cloud technology.

Due to this enormous skill set, MEAN stack developers are in great demand. Thus, they have a high pay scale.

MERN

Unline MEAN, MERN stands for MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js, which is another JavaScript stack commonly used for web app development. 

Instead of ANgular.js, MERN is using React.js. This is where the entire difference holds. 

  • MERN stack comes with excellent customer support.
  • With wide range of React libraries, you can access high-end tools for developing web apps. 
  • MERN tech stack has MVC architecture for a simple development process.
  • To employ a JavaScript stack, a developer should know JavaScript and JSON.

MERN

With the increased popularity of React.js over Angular.js, developers are moving to the MERN stack.

Head-to-Head Comparison: MEAN vs. MERN

Parameters
  • Type
  • Language
  • Scalability
  • Architecture
  • Data Binding
  • DOM
  • Features
  • Learning Curve
  • Data Flow
  • Security
  • Performance
MEAN
  • Javascript framework
  • TypeScript
  • Medium
  • Component-based
  • One-way & two-way
  • Regular DOM
  • Moderate level
  • Medium
  • Bidirectional
  • High
  • Slower performance
MERN
  • JavaScript Library
  • JavaScript, JSX
  • High
  • Component-based
  • Only one-way
  • Virtual DOM
  • High-level
  • Low
  • Unidirectional
  • Medium
  • Faster performance

Build dynamic web apps with MEAN stack and OnGraph

Considering the requirement of today’s world, each technology is improving and getting better to fulfill that demand. The same goes with the MEAN stack, which is improving daily and bringing much to the table for the developers. 

So far, the MEAN stack is handy for companies and developers who want to create dynamic web apps. If you are looking for companies to help you develop a fantastic web app and improve your brand value, then at OnGraph, we have a skilled team of MEAN stack developers

 

Digital Transformation: What is the Role in Business Model?

digital transformation driving the world

The Digital revolution has been one of the most significant innovations that have changed how businesses are perceived and performed. Every business emphasizes upgrading its working models to adapt to the new reality.

But do you know what drives this swift change?

The business is not driving this change, but the customer has taken control.

Though customers were always the center point for every business, what has changed now?

Today, customers are focused and more aware of what they need and at what time, and they are well-versed in finding affordable solutions to get what they want. Thus, shifting from conventional methods has become more critical for small-scale businesses and existing tycoons in the market.

Businesses have adopted digital tools and techniques to provide better customer service and retain loyal customers.

This digitization has made the market a massive ground of competition but a healthy one. Everyone competes with rules and does everything legal to prove their worth.

So, before your business gets outdated or suffers financially within this high-end competitive market, you need to transform it digitally.

What exactly is Digital Transformation?

digital transformation process

Digital transformation is a process that results in digitally strong enterprises that leverage technological power to evolve themselves. Companies evolve continuously in all business aspects, from offering and interaction to operation. 

It leads to the fundamental change that has become the need to survive in the market. 

With every technology change, embrace it, and adapt accordingly. Today, digital transformation is not about enterprises choosing to transform; it is more about how they transform themselves. 

Digital transformation is about business evolution by experimenting with new tools and technologies and rework on current strategies to eliminate issues. It is a continuous process that must carry on with the technology change. 

Each company has its way of implementing digital transformation and thus has different approaches and results. But if we consider enterprises, they focus on finding innovative ways to provide an exceptional user experience. It will add significant value to your business and helps you deliver a top-notch user experience. 

Leveraging technologies like cloud, AI, and mobile phones, you can connect to your customers in real-time and have more impact. Several factors affect the adoption of digital transformation, and one major is customer interaction and satisfaction. 

If your business evolves with time, you must have highly engaged customers. 

You can see that there has been an increase in the adoption of digital transformation in the last two years. Due to its immense benefits, digital transformation has become the top priority for every business and is expected to grow in the coming years.

adopting digital transformation

The above chart thoroughly explains the increase in digital spending. Companies have a dedicated budget to implement digital transformation strategies.

global digital transforation spending

The transformation was slow, then the pandemic happened, and business operations changed and took an accelerated path.

The actual growth in digital transformation has been seen after the pandemic. It has fast-forwarded digitization by pushing companies over the technology tipping point, which has positively changed global business.

digital transformation during Covid-19

What Does Digital Transformation Bring to the Business?

Digital transformation has been adding value to the industry and society. You cannot imagine the benefits it brings to every business’s table. It might be possible that it benefits different businesses differently.

Digital transformation creating value

Looking at the list of benefits, you can ensure higher revenues with some effort.

importance of digital transformtion

  • Improves employees productivity

Improving productivity is a crucial factor for any business to evolve. With the increased remote working, the digital transformation ensures that remotely logged-in employees are as productive as those working from the office. The manual workload is eliminated with different automation tools, improving productivity and leading to more creative ideas.

  • Better customer service

Digital transformation is customer-centric. The business tries to use tools and technologies that help them create better connections with their customers and provide them with what they expect. All the changes are done keeping the customer’s needs in mind. 

Digital transformation has helped businesses create more agile delivery processes and increased time-to-market while maintaining efficiency in operations.

DT top benefits

  • Reducing security risks

Security is one of the top aspects for businesses and stakeholders. The adoption of several technologies opens gates to many security risks. But at the same time, digital transformation is helping businesses to reduce security risks using different tools and technologies.

With increased automation, you can implement automating monitoring process to find potential vulnerabilities, go through companies risk profile to understand the cope, upskill your security teams, and make robust security strategies. 

Reducing security risks

  • Informed decision-making

You can apply data and analytics to empower the workforce to get better results. You can apply data and analytics to empower the workforce to get better results. Including the latest tools and technologies within your organization will help you get better insights into your business and customers. It enables agility and real-time services to provide better UX to customers. 

  • Improves business relations

A single enterprise cannot have everything at its disposal. They need to rely on other companies to get better services. This is how businesses stand in this high-end competitive market. 

As a result, companies have to work with different suppliers, distributors, and specialized consultants to create unique products to satisfy different customers’ needs.

Earlier, this communication among different businesses was document-based, creating chaos. But digital transformation helps businesses to streamline their communication and organize their operations efficiently. 

Digital Transformation Strategies:

Strategies specify an outline for the steps taken to leverage the latest technologies. Perfect strategy can bring success to your business. These steps may vary from business to company, or their way of implementation may also vary. 

A strategy will help businesses achieve their goals and address challenges ahead of their success. Still, most companies do not understand the clear picture of digital transformation strategies, which is a major failing factor. 

We will help you to draw a DT strategy outline. Let’s see what it includes.

DT strategy

  • Understanding the “why”

Digital transformation has a different meaning for different businesses. You need to understand your business goals and requirements to leverage the benefits of your DT strategy.

So, let’s start with a few years’ business plan. This will give you a kickstart and implement that strategy. To successfully execute the digital transformation strategy, you must understand what it is and how it can bring value to your business. So, let’s start with a few years’ business plan. This will give you a kickstart and implement that strategy. 

 

  • Get ready for cultural change.

Create awareness about the change among employees and make them understand the need for digital transformation strategies. With DT, it is obvious you can see the changes in your organization at each level, especially for employees who oppose the change. As per the survey, most of the DT process fails due to resistance from employees.

DT helps businesses to identify projects that improve the productivity and effectiveness of employees. So, you must prepare them for the cultural changes which will impact them significantly. It will affect the efficiency and the way of working of the organization.

 

  • Make small and strategic changes

Any business cannot transform in a single leap. Digital transformation is a continuous process, and identifying the first step is critical. It is a transformation that is a lengthy process, and making small changes will help you succeed. 

Any business should not expect instant and quick results. You need to be focused on your goals and take actionable steps to achieve them.

 

  • Implement the right technology

If you start with the right strategy, everything will fall into the right place. The right strategy will help you choose the right technology to achieve your business goals. Some standard technologies that drive digital transformation are- cloud, Big data analytics, IoT, ML, AI, Mobile, and others.

Implement the right technology

These technologies will streamline your business workflow, automating crucial tasks and reducing manual efforts and human error, resulting in high-end results.

 

  • Choose your technological partner and expertise

When choosing your technological partner or seeking external advice, you must have a future picture in mind. You must ensure that your technology partner can do the following.

> Help scale your business with the latest technology.

> Both must have a similar vision and scope for digital transformation.

> They must provide long-term support to your business.

> They must be able to integrate well with your existing technology.

>They must be skilled in the specific technology you choose.

 

  • Gather feedback and refine the process

Now that you have everything in hand, put your strategy to work. Analyze the results and gather feedback from your stakeholders and customers to understand your progress. If the results are not up to your expectations, then it is time to refine your process and develop another strategy to help you reach your goals.

You must try to learn from your experiences and create documents that will help you find potential alternatives to great success.

  • Scale and transform

Now scale with the power of implemented strategies and technologies. You might not succeed at the first step, so you must keep the process going until you reach your goals.

Barriers to Digital Transformation

With proper management of DT strategies, many companies have benefited from digital transformation. 

brriers to Digital Transformation

But, there are some barriers to successfully implementing digital transformation strategies. You must consider those barriers and try to eliminate them before you start.

Below are significant challenges that have failed many projects or created barriers to transformation.

 

  • The biggest challenge is the cultural and behavioural changes that come with the DT. Some employees oppose new changes and do not get along. 

DT biggest challenge

  • There is a need for Agile transformation within every business that gradually changes the company’s form, creating a more flexible, fast-changing, and self-organizing environment. But for this, each employee must have the same mindset to embrace self-organization and collaboration.
  • Some leaders do not understand the latest technological trends and cannot find the correct solution to implement and adopt them within the business.
  • Implementing digital change is not a simple task. It requires skilled IT professionals with solid knowledge of the technology you want to include. Most transformation fails due to this lack of skills.
  • Adopting new technologies might require new infrastructure. However, some companies try to make it compatible with the existing infra, making it crucial to run the process as expected.

As the business scale with DT, complexity comes in handy as you need to manage and include new systems. But with platformization, you can handle such chaos as it helps software engineers to use alternative technology rather than creating a new one. Such technologies that can provide platformization are Docker, containers, and others.

  • You need more funding to include new technology in your business processes, such as an IT team, infrastructure, and employee awareness. If your company does not have enough budget, you might fail.

It is estimated that By 2023, global spending on technologies allowing digital transformation will amount to $2.3 trillion (IDC, 2020).

spending on Digital transformation

  • Sometimes seniors do not feel the need to welcome digital transformation due to fear of substantial cultural change within the company that can impact their decision-making.

what holding back digital transformation

But with technologies like intelligent automation, you can leverage AI, ML, and robotics to scale and streamline your decision-making process. These technologies will help to simplify the process and improve operational efficiency.

Digital Transformation Best Practices

As the demands of customers are consistently rising, there has been significant pressure on companies to do better to fulfil their needs. Thus, companies are transforming digitally, leveraging the latest tools and technologies.

But, most businesses seem to fail despite having a set strategy, as they do not follow the best practices. DT is a detailed process that involves several aspects that must be taken care of. 

As per McKinsey

  • Less than 30 percent of DT initiatives are successful. 
  • Companies have to implement more technologies to succeed. 
  • The chances of succeeding in the DT strategy will rise if you have a clear strategy. 

 

As suggested by Gartner, you must include the following six elements in your digital transformation best practices framework.

  • Assign a digital business center of excellence (COE).
  • Develop required digital business skills.
  • Create the right mindset across the business.
  • Keep influential leaders in charge.
  • Create a digital transformation strategy to acquire new opportunities.
  • Generate new digital business capabilities.

 

Below are some best practices that you can use.

  • Create an appropriate culture that embraces risk-taking decisions, testing, experimentation, etc.
  • Set the business goals that you want to achieve using digital transformation.
  • Focus on teamwork to work on your goals.
  • Keep track of your failures and continue experimentation avoiding the earlier risks.
  • Use customer data mining and telematics to gather customer insights and set your goals based on them.
  • Go through the cost-benefit analysis to improve your investment decisions.
  • Hire the right talent to implement the DT strategy. 

 

If you place the key factors in place, businesses will most likely be successful.

Conclusion:

We have heard the saying that “customer is the king”. It’s true.

Today, everything is transforming and evolving to provide a better experience to customers. Every business is competing to get the customer’s attention and to provide what they want, either they have to go through an entire transition.

Digital transformation has made that transition smoother. But it is not an easy process that brings success in a day. You must be consistent, create cultural value, create employee awareness, and upgrade talent. 

To leverage the benefits of digital transformation, you must prepare a strategy using the best practices to get guaranteed results. So, do not hold yourself back and try to find new innovative technologies that can help you grow and create an outstanding user experience.

The Ultimate Guide to Blockchain Development – [Plus use cases]

Before COVID-19, the instant surge in the blockchain market attracted the attention of everyone, even stock marketers. It was a considerable business that gained the trust of people to invest. However, only a few have in-depth knowledge of blockchain development and its work. 

Today, the market is all about how information is getting transferred. Blockchain has changed how it delivers that information as it offers immediate, shared, and transparent information that authenticated network members can only access. Not only this, there is much about blockchain, like decentralization, unanimous, immutable, and others.

distributed ledger technology

As digitization is taking over the global market, blockchain has emerged as one of the new-age technologies that are helping businesses to reach new heights. It will be fantastic to know how big is the blockchain market and how it is growing. 

As per the research, the size of the global blockchain technology market was USD 5.92 billion in 2021, which will grow tremendously by 2030. Below are the stats that will prove it.

blockchain technology

Image Credits: Grandview Research

Investing in blockchain technology is legal in some countries. People are investing in it and creating new opportunities for market growth. Statista says global spending on blockchain solutions accelerated from 4.5 billion to 6.6 billion in 2021, estimated to rise to $19 billion (approx) by 2024. That’s a huge number!

blockchain investment

Well, these are the stats that are important to get to understand more about Blockchain. But for those not aware of the Blockchain and its benefits, you have landed on the right page that will help you explore blockchain technologies and their use cases.

What is Blockchain? Understanding the hype around it…

You can compare a blockchain with a distributed database whose data and crucial information is shared across the network globally. It is a secure way to store transaction records. All the information is stored in a digital format, making it preferable to store and share cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. 

It is just like a database with a critical difference: the data structure. Unlike a typical database, Blockchain gathers information and groups it into blocks. Each block has its storage capacity; once filled, they are closed and will get linked to the previously filled block through cryptographic hashing. It will create a unique secure code that will tie into the next page or block, creating a chain of blocks or a blockchain.

This creates a chain of blocks, thus getting its name (Blockchain).

chain of blocks

But, why does blockchain come into the picture?

Today, global transactions between nations somehow define the legal and political structure. These transactions, contracts, and records need to be secured. The way we have regulated those transactions has to change and needs modifications in terms of security. This is where blockchain came into the picture and has helped solve this problem. 

Blockchain is an open, distributed ledger that records those transactions between two parties efficiently and verifies who is making the transaction. 

Blockchain ledgers are public and designed with robust security measures, making them a fantastic technology for almost every sector. Today, every sector is using blockchain technology to grow their business securely. 

Isn’t it fantastic technology? 

Have you ever wondered how this technology came into the picture and how it has evolved? Let’s dig deeper into its history.

History of Blockchain

Blockchain is not a new technology, though. It has an exciting history that everyone having an interest must know. We have mentioned a timeline from the beginning of the blockchain. In 1991, Stuart Haber and Wakefield Scott Stornetta introduced the first concept of blockchain. They introduced the idea of a cryptographically secured chain that is now referred to as blocks. 

But this technology has just started getting traction and is getting global recognition. 2008 marked a pivotal point when Satoshi Nakamoto introduced an established model and planned application for blockchain technology.

We will discuss the entire evolution below.

evolution of blockchain

blockchain evolution

How does a transaction add to a blockchain?

If we see the below image, the process seems to be simple. But, it is a complex task.

blockchains work

Image Source

Whenever we have a new transaction, a new block will be added to the blockchain. For this, several nodes having identical blockchain will run algorithms that will evaluate, verify, and process the history of the blockchain. 

If most nodes verify the history and the sign of the new block, it will be accepted into the ledger. Now, the new block is added to the blockchain. 

But, if the block does not process as per the consensus (set of rules by which a blockchain network operates and validates the block’s information), it will get rejected. 

In this way, the blockchain functions as distributed ledgers without needing a central or unifying authority to validate the blockchain transactions, making it highly secure.

Why adopt Blockchain?

We needed a bigger picture to safeguard highly confidential transactions, keep records safe, and eliminate vulnerable attacks. This is when the Blockchain enters. Several reasons can influence you and your business to opt for blockchain technology. If you are not using Blockchain, then you must read its benefits.

  • Greater trust- Blockchain has enabled everyone to get accurate and timely data. Even though your confidential data is on the network, only network members can access it if they have proper access.
  • Greater security- once the information is on the Blockchain, no one can delete that record. Even the system administrator cannot hamper the stored information. It will log what actions are being taken on the data.
  • Improved efficiency- by eliminating the reconciliation of unnecessary records, Blockchain improves the efficiency of the transactions. For speedy transactions, it uses some rules, known as a smart contract that is stored within the Blockchain.
  • Transparency- most blockchains are open-source, allowing everyone to view their codes. Due to enhanced transparency, auditors can review cryptocurrencies for security. There is no fixed authority or authorized person who is allowed to make the code change. If the majority of the users within the network support the change, the code will be updated. 
  • Decentralization- there is no central location for the information. Instead, the Blockchain is copied across the network. A single block change in the Blockchain will reflect on each network, making it difficult to tamper with the Blockchain. 
  • Reduced costs- Blockchain reduced unnecessary costs by eliminating the need for the third party to verify the transactions and their associated costs. Unlike the traditional banking system, where they charge for their transactions, there is nothing like this with Bitcoin transactions. 

But, blockchain has a concept of “gas fees” given to the miners as compensation for the computing power they use to verify any transaction. This payment is done in the blockchain’s native cryptocurrency. This cost is mandatory, and you cannot make transactions without paying gas fees. 

Well, this is not the end of the benefits anyone can leverage of Blockchain. Today, Blockchain is helping many sectors in the market to help their businesses grow.

It has created many attractive opportunities in the various industries. 

blockchain opportunities

 

Drawbacks of Blockchain

Despite several benefits, everyone must keep some significant drawbacks in mind while dealing with blockchain technology.

  • Technology cost- though there are no intermediary charges while transactions with blockchain. However, this technology is costly due to its network’s access. Blockchain has a vast network, and being a part of that is costly. Another cost is for bitcoin mining, which means the process where a bitcoin is awarded to a computer that solves a complex algorithm. This mining process includes solving complex math problems to create new bitcoins that consume a lot of energy. This requires a special system that is too costly. 

bitcoin energy consumption

Image Source

Due to this issue, many solutions are rising to help reduce the computational costs of making transactions and mining the required data within the blockchain network. 

  • The efficiency of data and speed- bitcoin is considered slow as the PoW system takes around 10 minutes to add a new block to the blockchain. This, in turn, reduces the number of transactions per second. Many developers have been working for years to improve this situation of deployed speed. 
  • Illegal activity- somehow, blockchain supports and validates illegal activity around the network. The most famous example of illegal activity is the Silk Road, an online dark web, money laundering, and others. To overcome this problem, some governments have imposed regulations and background checks on the new user’s account. 
  • Regulations- some crypto has regulations imposed by the government of specific regions. Some countries have banned dealing with and owning cryptocurrencies. But, out of the box, PayPal has allowed the ownership of cryptocurrencies on its platform, eliminating the imposed regulations and making it easier for people to make blockchain transactions.

Due to the increased popularity of blockchain over time, new variations of blockchain have been introduced to cater to different market needs. Let’s see what different types of blockchains available are.

If you look closely, these are not drawbacks but seem like barriers to taking blockchain down. Some other barriers to be considered are-

barriers to blockchain

Types of Blockchain networks

Blockchain networks are of different types-

blockchain networks

Image Source

Public blockchain networks

In such networks, blockchain is open and accessible to everyone. In simple words, no permission is required to access such Bitcoin networks. You only need to download and install the software on your system, and your system will become a node within the blockchain public network. Then you can use your system for mining, verifying transactions, and others.

Private blockchain networks

A single entity handles such blockchain networks. These networks have restrictions on who can access them. Leading companies decide whether o constrict or expand the network. Such networks are also known as enterprise blockchains.

Hybrid blockchain networks

Hybrid means combining the benefits of both the public and private blockchain networks. To access the data and other operations on hybrid networks, you need permission for some tasks and do not need permission for others. With a network comes greater flexibility. You can access it anytime, along with some restrictions to ensure high security.

Consortium blockchain networks

A consortium blockchain is also popular as a federated blockchain. Unlike a hybrid network, this network is handled by multiple companies. It has a semi-closed ecosystem rather than having o

Just one. This network comes with high transactional speed and scalability. This is why consortium blockchain networks are highly decentralized. Not only this, you can still be a part of both private and public blockchain networks. 

Blockchain security for the enterprise

To create a blockchain application, you will require many technologies to be combined and work together. Thus, to ensure security, you must implement best security practices at each technology stack. This is how you can manage access and permissions to different types of nodes. 

Maintaining security is not that easy. You must work on strategies and follow the best practices to develop a secured enterprise blockchain solution. Below are some security controls you can include within your enterprise-level blockchain solutions.

  • IAM (Identity and access management)
  • Key security management
  • Data or block privacy
  • Secure and safe communication
  • Smart contract security
  • Transaction endorsement

Handling strong security is not a single-man job. You will require cross-skilled professionals who can efficiently design a compliant solution for your business. 

Blockchain security is a complex structure, as shown below.

blockchain security structure

Blockchain security tips and best practices

Designing security strategies can be complex as you must consider several factors. So, make sure that you consider asking the following questions while designing your strategy. It will help you to come up with the right security solution.

  • On what governance model can any organization join the blockchain network?
  • What type of data do you want to store on the blockchain? Does it require additional security?
  • What should the regulatory requirement be included, and how to ensure their working?
  • How to manage different identities available on the network? 
  • How do encrypt the blocks?
  • How do you manage and revoke keys?
  • Specify the disaster recovery plan for the blockchain participants.

However, the questions are unlimited. You must stay focused and consider every minute detail while designing a security solution. It is essential as different enterprises across the globe are using blockchain. Blockchain has helped various sectors in different ways.

To know more about how blockchain has contributed to the market, we will explore its use cases in those sectors.

Blockchain use cases

Blockchain is everywhere, and people willingly invest in it due to its rising economy. Today many companies are using blockchain technology to help them reduce additional transaction costs, and improve efficiency, speed, and transparency. 

Blockchain

Below are the use cases of blockchain applications.

  • Supply Chain & Logistics- Estonian X-Road solution 
  • Healthcare
  • Retail & eCommerce- Ethereum virtual machine
  • Property & Real Estate- reduced reliability on paper-based communication, reduced costs, and scope of human error.
  • Media- blockchain ensures strong data privacy, royal payments, and intellectual property piracy
  • NFT marketplaces- use blockchain technology to prove digital, physical, or intellectual property ownership
  • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing- scale transparency and trust through all stages of the industrial value chain, from sourcing raw materials to producing the finished product ready 
  • add a higher level of security by preventing data breaches by utilizing transparency and virtual incorruptibilityInternet of Things
  • Personal Identity Security- drop in identity theft by keeping birth certificates, birth dates, and social security numbers.
  • Smart contracts- these are real-time contracts on a blockchain that does not require any third party to verify the agreements.

Conclusion 

In the coming years, blockchain technology will cover more sectors. The below image shows how the blockchain technology market will boom in the coming years globally. 

blockchain technology market

Image Source

The earlier digital currency failed due to security and trust issues, but blockchain has eliminated all those fears and emerged as rising colour. 

So, if you have not invested or made transactions yet, you must try this once. But, make sure to read all about its pros and cons.