IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Developer and DevOps 2025 Predictions
This IDC study presents IDC's top 10 predictions for developers and DevOps for 2025 and beyond."The emerging wave of generative AI (GenAI)/ML is sweeping through the industry, significantly influencing developers and DevOps professionals at the forefront of this new paradigm. As we navigate the landscape of development and DevOps, it becomes evident that the pace of change is accelerating. Many of the transformations forecast by the IDC FutureScape team in recent years are now becoming a reality," said Jim Mercer, program vice president of Software Development DevOps and DevSecOps at IDC. "The coming years are poised to be among the most pivotal in the history of application development and deployment."
IDC FutureScape Figure
Executive Summary
IDC FutureScape Predictions
Summary of External Drivers
Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
Prediction 1: By 2028, 65% of Organizations Will Use DevOps Tools That Combine MLOps, LLMOps, DataOps, CloudOps, and DevOps Capabilities to Optimize the Route to AI Value in Software Delivery Processes
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 2: By 2027, 75% of Organizations Will Combine GenAI with FinOps Processes to Improve the Intelligence of DevOps Pipelines and Optimize Costs Before Going into Production
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Business Impact
Guidance
Prediction 3: By 2027, 70% of Corrective Code Fixes for Application Security Issues Will Be Generated by AI-Assisted Automated Remediation Tools, Reducing the Time to Patch a Software Vulnerability Down to Days
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 4: By 2025, the Need for Faster Access to Innovation, Operational Sovereignty, Transparency, and Lower Costs Will Drive 65% of Organizations to Develop Applications with Open Source AI Foundation Models
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 5: By 2027, 60% of Net-New Applications That Leverage Generative AI Capabilities Will Be Developed by Low-Code or No-Code Developer Technologies
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 6: By 2029, GenAI-Based Software Testing Tools, Capable of Writing 85% of Tests, Will Be Augmented by AI Agents and Agentic Workflows, Improving Code Coverage and Quality, But Demanding Governance
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 7: As Part of the Shift to Platform Engineering, 70% of Developers Will Leverage Cloud-Native Developer Portals and Cloud Developer Environments to Improve the Efficiency of Their Work by 2027
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 8: By 2027, 60% of Enterprises Will Require Technologies to Manage the Proliferation of GenAI Copilots and Digital Assistants
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 9: By 2026, 30% of Mainframe Developers Will Use GenAI to Retro-Document COBOL and Accelerate the Modernization of Mainframe Applications, Opening Up New Opportunities for Mainframes in a Digital Landscape
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Prediction 10: By 2028, Natural Language Will Become the Most Widely Used Programming Language, with Developers Using It to Create 70% of Net-New Digital Solutions
Associated Drivers
IT Impact
Guidance
Advice for Technology Buyers
External Drivers: Detail
AI-Driven Business Models — Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization
The Drive to Automate — Toward a Data-Driven Future
AI-Driven Workplace Transformation — Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today
Expanding Digital Security Frontiers — Fortification Against Multiplying Threats
Battling Against Technical Debt — Overcoming Hurdles to IT Modernization
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