The 2019 IDG Role of the Developer Study explores the roles that are fueling software development today. The roles involved in driving business forward through software development go beyond the traditional developer title – we see great involvement from architects, engineers, programmers – and their responsibilities appear to be growing. This 2019 research provides insight into the tasks the development team is spending the majority of their time on, the skills they’d like to further develop, and the challenges that are hindering their work. While 82% say they frequently/sometimes spend their time modifying/maintaining software applications, 41% say they would like to focus more time developing/building software applications.

Key Takeaways:

  • Technology modernization initiatives have impacted the role of the development team – 89% say that the role of their development team at their organization has been impacted due to tech modernization.
  • More than half (56%) of developers report that the application development team is involved in the technology decision-making process prior to purchase, during the research phase. 81% are very/somewhat satisfied with their level of involvement.
  • The most important skills for development success include problem solving/troubleshooting skills, communications/collaboration, and agile development skills. Developers could also use additional education/training in security issues management/security knowledge.
  • DevOps is the norm – 82% of organizations use or plan to use a DevOps approach within the next 12 months.
  • A top challenge for developers is doing more with less staff. Some organizations are addressing this challenge, as 39% expect the staffing of their in-house development team to increase over the next 12 months.

DOWNLOAD THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO THE RESEARCH.

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