Report:

A: This research covers a 26-criterion evaluation of low-code development platforms designed for professional developers in large enterprises. It evaluates 14 providers across three main categories: current offering (including tooling for data/integrations, process automation, UX, DevOps, and governance), strategy (vision, innovation, roadmap, partner ecosystem, community, and pricing), and market presence. The evaluation focuses on platforms that provide comprehensive low-code tooling capable of delivering a variety of business use cases and serve the needs of application development and delivery professionals.

A: This research should be used by professional developers, application development and delivery (AD&D) professionals, and technology decision-makers in large enterprises (over $2 billion in revenue) who are evaluating low-code development platforms. It helps buyers understand how different vendors measure up against key criteria, identify which platforms best support their intended use cases, and select the right platform based on their specific needs for DevOps capabilities, governance features, citizen developer support, and technical requirements.

A: All vendors included in this evaluation must provide: 1) Comprehensive low-code tooling capable of delivering a variety of business use cases through a full stack of application development services, 2) Development experiences designed to serve the current and emerging needs of AD&D professionals in large enterprises, 3) Primary focus on large enterprise customers (more than $2 billion in revenue), 4) At least $10 million in annual revenue from low-code platforms for professional developers, and 5) Strong market presence and relevance to Forrester clients.

A:

• Annual revenue from low-code platforms for professional developers below $10 million
• Vendor does not primarily target large enterprises (>$2 billion revenue)
• Platform lacks comprehensive low-code tooling for variety of business use cases
• Development experiences not designed for AD&D professionals in large enterprises
• Not established in general-purpose low-code market
• Insufficient market presence or relevance to Forrester clients
• Vendor declined to participate or contributed only partially to evaluation
• Platform primarily focused on specific use case rather than general-purpose development
• Vendor does not meet Forrester's judgment criteria for inclusion based on market dynamics

A:

• Support intended use cases at a high enterprise standard - functional strengths should map to most significant intended use cases and areas with high technical requirements
• Provide a credible DevOps approach - include full range of DevOps tools (version control, automated testing, CI/CD, agile planning) as part of the product to maximize development speed
• Provide solid governance and portfolio management features - deep access controls, monitoring and management tools for work-in-progress applications and production app portfolio, custom policy configuration
• Evaluate vendor's support for citizen developers if fusion team strategy is planned
• Consider deployment options - some platforms only available as service, others support on-premises or multiple infrastructure options
• Assess partner ecosystem maturity and availability of qualified implementation partners
• Review pricing model transparency and flexibility for your organization's needs
• Evaluate innovation track record and roadmap alignment with your strategic direction
• Consider platform's AI capabilities for both application development and developer assistance
• Assess security certifications relevant to your industry and compliance requirements

A:

• Low-code is fully mainstream and advancing the definition of 'developer' and agile development practices
• Generative AI creating opportunity and uncertainty in the low-code market
• Growing focus on fusion teams - collaboration between professional and citizen developers
• Increasing demand for better collaboration tools in low-code platforms
• Stronger DevOps and governance features becoming critical
• Wave of new R&D focused on generative and assistive AI
• Decentralized and democratized development strategies expanding
• Need for platforms supporting both intended use cases at high enterprise standards and citizen developers
• Growing importance of credible DevOps approaches including CI/CD and automated testing
• Governance of low-code as the most common inquiry theme from Forrester clients

A: Strength of Current Offering evaluates the technical capabilities and features of the platform itself - including data/integration tools, process automation, UX development, DevOps capabilities, and governance features. It represents what the product can do today. Strength of Strategy evaluates the vendor's market approach and future direction - including vision for the market, innovation track record, product roadmap, partner ecosystem strength, community support, and pricing model. It represents where the vendor is headed and their ability to execute.