Software development in the digital era is often challenged by skilled developer shortages, technical debt, and shadow IT. Low-code\no-code (LCNC) platforms hold a promise to fix these problems and accelerate enterprise digital transformation. With their growing acceptance in wide-scale, patent grants in the space recorded a 19.6% growth between 2015 and 15 December 2021, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Darshana Naranje, Senior Disruptive Tech Analyst at GlobalData, notes: “A variety of IT technologies have evolved over the last decade and therefore IT teams are required to rely on experts to embrace digitalization. Moreover, conventional custom scripts often fail to match the speed and agility of business requirements. This has led to a significant growth in LCNC patent filings and grants over the last five years where technology followed by financial services were the sweet spots across industries.”

Research focus areas in technology include LCNC platform development for content generation, web hosting, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, dialogue systems, game software, and spreadsheet-based software, while financial services encompassed LCNC platform development for financial transactions, investments, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

GlobalData’s FutureTech Series report, ‘Codeless Tomorrow: Can Low-Code/No-Code Platforms Revolutionize Application Development in Digital Age?’, highlights the key trends in patent filings and grants by industry.

Technology

US11069340B2: Existing speech generation systems do not allow non-expert administrators to modify the architecture and dialogue patterns. Microsoft has patented a system that allows non-engineer administrators to modify the existing dialogue system without programming. It includes a knowledge system and learning model that can be used to annotate a user voice using simple language, in audio and video recording systems.

KR101815561B1: Conventional ERP systems have limitations in tackling rapid modification and renewal of the enterprise business processes. Korean startup Bizentro has patented an ERP system, which enables its clients to perform the required business process customization in the existing system without any coding expertise.

Financial Services

US11017053B2: Useful and desired information can be often lost in massive data. CRM software is used to track customer information and audit sales opportunities. However, it lacks business logic and templates. Callidus Software (SAP subsidiary) has patented a CRM system that includes a content repository and a communication portal developer to manage customer data that can be created without coding.

US10817662B2: Electronic devices can communicate different financial and legal transactions using web services. However, web services require complex design, development, and deployment, which is an expensive and time-consuming process. US-based startup Kim Technologies has patented a system, which enables the automation of data collection, validation, and execution without coding.

Naranje concludes: “The COVID-19 crisis has made businesses more open to agile and innovative LCNC tools. Democratizing the patents of these technologies will become an attractive proposition to minimize the barriers between technology creation and adoption, ultimately benefitting the drive for digital transformation.”