While 88% of IT professionals are exploring building GenAI-powered apps, security and governance concerns and talent shortages are stalling projects 

SINGAPORE, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — OutSystems, a global leader transforming how companies innovate through software, today released its global 2025 State of Application Development report, revealing the obstacles IT professionals face—as well as the innovative approaches they’re taking—when developing modern applications. Notably, the report, which reflects the perspectives of nearly 1,700 global IT professionals, found that the majority (81%) are using GenAI to assist with traditional coding, but also found that GenAI introduces security and governance concerns for 62% of respondents.

Across industries, IT teams are seeing high demand for applications. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents say their organizations plan to build 10 or more apps over the next 12 months, while 45% anticipate building more than 25 apps over the same timeframe. Considering that 74% of organizations are planning to build external, customer-facing applications in the next year, the stakes are high.

“As enterprises are increasingly opting to build software rather than buy it, today’s developers are under immense pressure to deliver mission-critical, customer-facing apps at unprecedented speed,” said Paulo Rosado, CEO & Founder of OutSystems. “While GenAI is a powerful tool to increase productivity and develop code faster, AI-written code can lead to considerable security and governance issues if left unchecked, so IT leaders must consider ways to incorporate guardrails without stalling the speed of innovation.”

With considerable workloads, a persistent talent shortage, and high costs associated with traditional application development, it’s no surprise that developer teams are leaning on GenAI for support. However, half of IT professionals (50%) report significant complexities with integrating AI technologies with existing software development workflows, and only 40% of respondents “mostly” trust GenAI to write code without human assistance.

Relying solely on traditional coding is often too time, labor, and resource intensive for IT teams to keep up with an aggressive application development strategy, but GenAI may not be capable of fully taking the reins just yet. A study found that popular GenAI tools generate accurate code no more than approximately 65% of the time—with accuracy rates for some tools falling as low as 31%.

“In the Generative Software Cycle, we believe that GenAI and low-code in combination will redefine application development, increase productivity while ensuring governance throughout the entire software development lifecycle,” Rosado continued. “Developer teams shouldn’t have to choose between high-quality, fully functional apps and speed-to-market, and by abandoning antiquated development practices in favor of AI-powered low-code technology, they can reap the performance and agility benefits of these transformative technologies.”

Low-code development continues to be seen as predictable, productive, and cost-effective. Respondents with more mature low-code applications noted increased developer productivity (36%), faster time to market (34%), and ease of updating apps (32%) as key benefits to implementing low-code. Even further, 62% of organizations using low-code reported the ability to consistently predict budget compared to 52% of organizations using traditional code.

OutSystems recently unveiled OutSystems Mentor, a first-of-its-kind full software development lifecycle (SDLC) digital worker that enables app generation, delivery, and monitoring using low-code, GenAI, and AI-powered guidance. With Mentor, IT teams can generate fully functional, scalable apps in minutes—while maintaining control and governance throughout the SDLC. To learn more about how OutSystems Mentor helps organizations fully harness the potential of AI-driven software development, click here.

Survey Methodology

OutSystems and Centiment surveyed 1,666 global IT professionals in September 2024. Respondents held a range of positions within their organizations’ IT departments, with the majority in management or senior management. Their organizations report revenue ranging from under $10M to more than $2.5B, and have been in business between 1 and 20+ years.

For more key findings, as well as practical strategies for how IT leaders can use AI and low-code to lead in the evolving landscape of application development, read the full report here.

About OutSystems

OutSystems is a global leader transforming how companies innovate through software, empowering IT leaders with a better way to build the software that matters most. The OutSystems platform helps companies develop, deploy, and maintain mission-critical applications by unifying and automating the entire software lifecycle. With OutSystems, organizations leverage GenAI to deliver software instantaneously, adapt faster to changing requirements, and reduce technical debt by building on a future-proof platform. Helping customers achieve their business goals by addressing key strategic initiatives, OutSystems delivers software up to 10x faster than traditional development. Recognized as a leader by analysts, IT executives, business leaders, and developers around the world, global brands trust OutSystems to tackle their impossible projects and turn their big ideas into software that moves their business, people, and the world forward.

Founded in 2001, the company’s network spans more than 800,000 community members, over 500 partners, and active customers in 75+ countries across 21 industries. Learn more at www.outsystems.com.

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SOURCE OutSystems

SINGAPORE, Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Digital travel platform Agoda has unveiled its 2025 Travel Trends survey, highlighting the key factors set to shape the travel landscape in Asia in the coming year. The survey reveals a strong focus on relaxation, family-oriented trips, and the excitement of discovering new destinations as primary motivations for travelers.

Agoda’s findings indicate that travelers are prioritizing quality time with loved ones and seeking respite from daily routines. The survey also underscores the growing interest in exploring uncharted territories. Noteworthy is the popularity of theme parks, with one in eight respondents expecting to go on a trip to visit one.

Ittai Chorev, Chief Product Officer at Agoda, said: “At Agoda, we love seeing how travelers are planning their adventures for 2025. Whether it’s unwinding with family or exploring new places, we’re here to make every traveler’s dream trip memorable and are ready to help them every step of the way.”

Seven key insights from Agoda’s 2025 Travel Trends survey:

1.    The more the merrier: Traveling with family tops the list
For many travelers family time equals quality time. More than a third of travelers (34%) plan to travel with family in 2025. Indonesians are the most fervent family travelers of all, with no less than 58% expecting to go on a multi-generational trip with loved ones. Family travelers are followed by couples (23%), and solo travelers (19%) in terms of most popular travel groupings.

2.    Easy does it: Relaxation is the top travel motivation, by far
Escaping from the hustle and bustle of daily life is by far the most important reason to travel, according to the survey. 75% of respondents cited relaxation as their most important travel motivation. Singaporeans desire relaxation the most (87%). Regionally, visiting family and friends follows in second (39%), with cultural exploration in third (34%).

3.    Computer says ‘yes’: Tech assisting in travel planning
Technology is playing a pivotal role in shaping travel plans. A substantial majority of travelers (80%) plan to use travel apps, while about one in eight (12%) are interested in virtual reality tours. Indian travelers appear to be most tech-savvy, with nine out of ten respondents claiming the use of travel apps when booking a trip.

4.    Travel For Less: Journey more, spend smart 
Budget considerations remain a key factor, with a significant portion of travelers (65%) planning to spend less than $250 per night on accommodation. But price is not a barrier to international travel – 87% of travelers expect to take the same number of trips or more compared to 2024, with most of those journeys crossing borders (52%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, travelers from Hong Kong expect to travel internationally the most (82%). More than a quarter of respondents (27%) plan to travel both domestically and internationally.

5.    In and Out of Office: Traveling on and off the clock
In addition to traditional business trips, which 28% of respondents expect to embark on, the survey also picked up on the emergence of digital nomads, borderless workers who work remotely. 1 in 25 expects to work remotely in 2025, with a focus on combining work and leisure, as more companies adopt flexible work arrangements. Most prospective digital nomads in the region are from the Philippines, where one in fourteen travelers expect to work while traveling.

6.    #Inspiration: Many ways to discover new destinations
There’s nothing quite as exciting as exploring a place for the very first time. 84% of travelers expect to visit new destinations in 2025. Travel inspiration can come from many sources including personal interests and hobbies (71%), great value deals (56%), and recommendations from friends and family (33%). One in five (20%) gets their travel inspiration from social media, with Malaysians and Indonesians most inspired by Instagram and the likes (both 29%).

7.    Life is a rollercoaster: Theme Parks are a reason to travel
Asia’s many theme parks – Disney in Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Lotte World in Seoul, Universal in Osaka and Singapore, Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, to name a few – are a major draw for year-round tourism. Over one in eight travelers (13%) expect to travel specifically to visit a theme park in 2025. Indonesians seem most excited by the prospects of rollercoasters and amusement, with one in five expecting to travel for theme parks.

Agoda’s offerings, including over 4.5 million holiday properties, more than 130,000 flight routes, and over 300,000 activities, provide travelers with the flexibility to tailor their trips to their unique interests and preferences. For more information and to take advantage of the latest deals, visit Agoda.com or download the Agoda app.

 –ENDS–

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SOURCE Agoda

BEIJING, Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — An expert review meeting for a research project was held in Beijing on Monday, focusing on the practices and policies concerning the effective integration of the ecological protection compensation system with the mechanism for realizing ecological value to promote sustainable agricultural and pastoral development.

Two research reports compiled by China Economic Information Service (CEIS) received high acclaim from the experts attending the meeting.

As global environmental issues intensify and the concept of sustainable development gains traction, the ecological protection compensation system and the mechanism for realizing ecological value are playing an increasingly vital role as innovative environmental economic policy tools for promoting sustainable agricultural and pastoral development.

The first report provides an in-depth analysis of the theories, policies, mechanisms, models, approaches and solutions related to the effective combination of ecological protection compensation and the realization of ecological value.

The second report examines practices in six selected regions, including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and provinces of Gansu, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Qinghai, summarizes their experience and provides valuable insights for reference.

The research project received strong support from Mengniu public welfare foundation, which is committed to creating greater social value through tangible actions in areas such as emergency disaster relief, rural revitalization, nutrition empowerment, and ecological protection.

Looking ahead, Mengniu will continue to actively engage in public welfare initiatives, fulfill its corporate social responsibilities, deepen efforts across various key areas, and contribute to building a better society through its business practices.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/343433.html

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SOURCE Xinhua Silk Road