Software development is a highly rewarding and in-demand field to be a part of today. It has even been declared as the best job in the United States, based on career reviews, salary expectations, and job demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that by 2026 employment growth in the software development field will grow by 30%.
Even though the demand for software developers is high, there is great diversity in the type of work software developers do. Apart from that the more advanced your skillset, the greater the salary opportunities you’ll get for work in the software development field. So, here are the 10 types of software development:
01. Mobile Development
Mobile development is all the rage today and involves creating applications that run on mobile devices, like Android phones, iPhones, and even Windows 10 Platforms. The popular OS’s are created with their own programming language, but traditional languages are used sometimes as well. The versatile nature of mobile development means that you can have anything from console quality games to Candy Crush games in your hand.
02. Application Development
This is the original programming type and involves standard applications performing their tasks on desktop operating systems like Linux, or Mac. Application development is mainly the process of building a computer program or a set of programs that help in the daily functionalities of a business or users.
03. Web Development
Web development involves coding the different web-pages that you generally tend to browse through when you’re having your morning coffee. It ranges in complexity and is diverse. Web development today is increasing in popularity mainly because of new web technologies, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow websites to take advantage of their useful features.
04. Back-end Development
Back-end development is mainly related to the work that is done behind the scenes to ensure the front-end program runs smoothly. The back-end is where the data is stored, and generally includes a database, an application, and a server. Back-end developers must understand databases, along with architecture and server programming languages.
05. Data Science
Data is regarded as the new gold, but large sets of data won’t offer any value if you have no idea on how to use it properly. This is the task of data scientists, who manage to find value in data. They will manipulate and mine through data using an analytical approach to find software development solutions.
06. API Development
The development of Application Programming Interfaces or API Development involves building an extensible program. Developers will create programs acting as pieces of puzzles on desktops, different operating systems, the web, and mobile. API development is about laying a foundation of GUI interaction methods, tools, types, standard procedures, and database access rules, that can be used by other programmers, who are building other applications.
07. Software Tools Development
Software tools development is based around building tools for software developers to test code. Apart from testing, this software development ensures that code meets industry standards and can be maintained for the long-term. It’s not easy to develop programs that test other programs, but tech giants such as Google and Microsoft hire software developers to design applications that will test other projects.
08. Cloud Computing
Cloud computing services have replaced the standard idea of local storage for files and are popular all over the world now. Cloud computing involves using networks of remote servers that are hosted on the internet to manage and store data instead of using a local server or personal computer. Cloud computing software development involves developing the software, which will run cloud storage applications, like OneDrive storage, and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
09. Security Software Development
This is also known as hacking, and you wouldn’t be the first to question, whether this is really a software development type. It is and is an extremely important field these days. Cyber-security experts and penetration testers work together to protect the data and systems of companies. The cyber-security team will develop software that keeps important company assets safe from malicious attacks, viruses, and theft. The penetration tester will then hack into the system to find weak spots or vulnerabilities and then present software development solutions.
10. Embedded Systems Development
Embedded systems development has really boomed due to the rise of the ‘Internet of Things’. This software development type involves coding skills required for embedded systems such as Arduinos, Raspberry Pi’s, Beaglebones, etc.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. We’ve discussed all the 10 types of software development and what you must do to find success in that field. Software development is an in-demand and highly lucrative field and getting involved with any of the above types of software development will provide you with great career prospects.
