GenAI has disrupted many businesses and it seemed like low-code was slated to be one of the many industries doomed to be affected. 

However, experts believe that the future lies in leveraging AI-infused low-code platforms, which promise significant productivity boosts of up to 35%, enabling diverse teams to innovate and excel in software development.

OutSystems is one such US-based low-code application development platform which has formed partnerships with major tech entities such as Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and AWS, leveraging their AI integration.

In an exclusive interview with AIM, Mark Weaser, Vice President-Asia Pacific, OutSystems explained how the combination of AI and high-performance low-code boosts every phase of the software lifecycle, significantly benefiting enterprises across various industries.

“In the rapidly digitising financial sector, Indian firms are trying to modernise workflows using AI-integrated low-code. This enables rapid development of digital lending services, automation of loan origination, and significant cost reduction in processing, all achieved much faster than with traditional coding methods,” explained Weaser.

Companies Adopting OutSystems

Weaser provided insights into how their low-code platform has also been instrumental in transforming legacy systems for companies like JK Cement, one of India’s leading cement manufacturers, and Magenta Mobility—an integrated clean energy and electric mobility solutions provider. 

JK Cement used OutSystems to develop a range of applications for sales management, land assets management, and loyalty management processes. 

“This was driven by the need for a more flexible and automated development approach to keep up with industry changes and a growing application backlog, while staying cost-effective,” Weaser explained.

He highlighted their goal was to “redefine the experience of its customers, employees and partners,” by consolidating applications under a single platform for a unified UI/UX experience and shorter go-to-market timelines.

Similarly, Magenta Mobility, an integrated clean energy and electric mobility solutions provider, chose OutSystems for its user-friendliness and agility. Weaser noted that these features allowed Magenta Mobility to “supercharge their digital transformation journey for asset tracking, monitoring, and auditing,” significantly reducing manual costs and improving accuracy. 

OutSystems Embracing GenAI

Discussing their recent collaborations with Microsoft and OpenAI, Weaser highlighted their new platform that integrates services from Microsoft Azure OpenAI and their in-house GenAI capabilities.

“OutSystems has seamlessly integrated AI into the platform. We recently launched Project Morpheus, which are new generative AI capabilities that further speed and simplify the development process,” he said. 

He added that their GenAI roadmap includes key benefits such as instant app generation using conversational prompts, an AI-powered app editor offering ongoing suggestions, and real-time visual representations of app changes. These generative AI integrations provide limitless customisations for customers while validating code produced by generative AI mechanisms.

Besides, OutSystems has been integrating AI into its offerings since 2018—with its AI Mentor System, a machine learning-powered suite, which provides expert assistance in key software development areas. It includes specialised mentors for guiding developers, ensuring robust code, checking vulnerabilities, optimising application performance, and managing technical debt. OutSystems.AI further aids businesses in quickly developing customer service chatbots, extracting insights from documents, and analysing customer sentiment.

Asia-Pacific Projections 

The market for no-code and low-code platforms, expected to grow nearly 20% to $10 billion in 2023, is anticipated to reach $12.3 billion this year. 

In light of these projections and their impressive revenue of over $263 million, Weaser emphasised that amidst global macroeconomic uncertainties, organisations will turn to advanced, modern application platforms for quick, secure, and unique application development to adapt to the dynamic global market. 

He holds a strong conviction about the role of AI, reiterating, “In particular, AI will be key to delivering productivity for all types of developers.” 

Considering their huge presence and business, Weaser also reflected on the Asia Pacific market. He anticipates that the global demand for digital transformation and tech talent shortages will also be seen in this region. He stated, “60%-80% of organisations find it difficult to fill vacancies in IT roles such as developers and data professionals.” He observed a trend towards digital transformation in various sectors like banking, energy, and government, as seen in OutSystems’ customer base.

Addressing developer challenges, Weaser cited the OutSystems Developer Engagement report which stated that while more than half of developers in India said they love their jobs, only 59% said they would be with their current company a year from now, which further drops to 44% for two years.

He advocates low-code technology as a solution noting that it helps to reduce time spent on manual coding, enhancing creativity and innovation in development, and positively impacting developers’ attitudes towards career advancement and productivity.