Gartner summit recap #1
Recently our colleague, Harmjan, had the opportunity to attend the Gartner Summit alongside the Mendix team, where he gained valuable insights from some truly inspiring presentations. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing key takeaways and trends we observed, starting with how low-code is shaping the future of enterprise applications. Stay tuned for more updates and insights from the event!
Author of the blog:
Harmjan Oonk
Gartner’s vison on how Low-Code Fits into the Future of Enterprise Software
According to Gartner, the future of enterprise applications hinges on adaptive experiences, embedded intelligence, autonomous orchestration and composable architectures.
In a recent presentation at the Gartner Summit, Neha Ralnan emphasized that low-code is integral to helping CIOs lead their organizations into an automated, agile reality. Her insights highlight how low-code development acts as a flexible layer around core enterprise systems.
The Strategic Role of Low-Code in Enterprise Applications
Gartner’s image of the future of enterprise applications (shown below) revolves around four key pillars:
- adaptive experience;
- autonomous orchestration;
- composable architecture;
- embedded intelligence.
In this context, low-code platforms play a pivotal role, helping organizations implement each of these pillars to meet their evolving business objectives.
Low-code’s strength lies in its flexibility. It creates an agile layer around traditional, commodity core systems, enabling organizations to extend, customize, and rapidly adapt their user experiences and internal processes. As highlighted in Gartner’s framework, businesses can use low-code to rapidly create or modify applications that align with these future enterprise goals.
The Composable Architecture: Build vs. Buy Approach
Secondly Gartner discussed the Buy vs. Build Approach, which underscores the strategic role that low-code plays in this decision-making process. Neha Ralnan discussed how low-code helps blend the “buy and build” models, enabling organizations to integrate custom additions (e.g., AI or bespoke processes) into their commodity core systems.
Gartner’s model encourages companies to adopt composable architectures, where the core system (the “Buy” component) can be enhanced by Add-ons and custom-built integrations via low-code (the “Build” component). For instance, low-code platforms facilitate the seamless connection of new AI modules or adaptive experiences to the traditional ERP, CRM, or HR systems.
This blend of low-code development enables businesses to focus on their unique needs without overhauling their entire IT infrastructure. It helps enterprises achieve faster time-to-market, reduce costs, and increase flexibility in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Conclusion
Gartner’s vision of enterprise applications clearly illustrates how low-code platforms will continue to play a strategic role in shaping the future of business software. By acting as a flexible, composable layer around core systems, low-code development tools empower organizations to drive adaptive experiences, integrate intelligent automation, and orchestrate business processes seamlessly. As CIOs embark on their digital transformation journeys, the ability to “build and blend” using low-code will be essential for organizations aiming to stay competitive in an increasingly automated and agile world.
Neha Ralnan’s insights from the Gartner Summit reveal a crucial truth: low-code is becoming a necessity for businesseslooking to future-proof their enterprise applications.
Harmjan Oonk
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