What's trending for developers and specifically the "GeoDev?"

Earlier this year at HERE Directions I presented on how to build with HERE platform. In the introduction of that talk, I spoke briefly about the developer led landscape and observations over the past couple of years around trends we have seen with developers and more specifically, the Geo Developer (GeoDev). As we wrap up the year, I will expand on some of the trends in this blog post. 

TL; DR: Technology is always evolving, which affects how we consume it. With changes in demand, distribution, infrastructure, and pricing, we also have seen impacts to how software is bought and who influences the buying. Developers increasingly have a greater role across this spectrum and within the context of geospatial, there are some notable trends happening. 

What's this about a GeoDev?

First, a definition. What is a GeoDev? In its simplest form, a GeoDev is a developer who touches code related to geospatial sciences, geography, spatial analysis, GIS, etc. This might be as simple as a python script in GIS or full-blown application development with JavaScript or C#. If you're a GIS professional writing some code in your workflows, then you are a GeoDev! If you are a developer that is working at a geospatial company, then you are too!

Developers as influencers in general

Labels aside, search the web for “the influence of developers.” You will find page after page discussing how developers have greater influence over purchasing decisions in companies over the past ten years or so. Even though developers may not be the ones who write the checks, they are often the ones executives consult to understand if a product can make a business impact. One 2021 study suggested this economy accounts for almost 50 billion in recurring revenue. This is a substantial number.

It is worth pointing out that this is what the author terms the “developer-led landscape,” or all products that are consumed, sold directly to, or influenced by developers. While experience matters, overall, 2/3rds of Developers have some influence over the purchasing of new technology, either as direct decision makers or as an influencer of that process.  

One obvious reason for this trend is that today’s buyers of software are more often the end user, i.e., the developer, versus say, executives and CIOs of years past. This aligns with the pricing and infrastructure changes of today’s pay as you grow/free-tier and the modern connected cloud, versus the annual purchase model and the traditional cloud or data center infrastructure. The software buying model has changed and most organizations are keen to give developers a choice in the tools that enable them. In this newer paradigm software becomes an enabler to other business models. In the end, developers and their experience are a part of the overall software buying process and at the forefront of business planning. 

With API-as-a-Product, integration > features  

API-as-a-Product puts an API at the core of a business's value. The API becomes the product, we show you what it can do, and you integrate it as you see fit. This segment could be the fastest grower in the developer ecosystem as APIs drive broad adoption and make sense in consumptive business models.  

APIs should be performant, and they may be feature-rich, but developers are less likely to choose the API if it does not integrate well into existing workflows and frameworks no matter how much it does. Developers and organizations often want to use their current libraries, tools and data. Cloud infrastructure that allows integration of existing tools and workflows will be championed. APIs can no longer just supply a simple function — they need a great developer experience, ample security, reliability, and integration. 

Low code development and reducing barriers to entry 

Low code in its purest form is an application development method that presents coding in a visual form instead of a traditional textual coding environment. This is becoming increasingly popular as it allows all development skill levels to build enterprise business applications.  

Low-code development often translates into easier, faster development as it is about enabling businesses to streamline their workflows and add new functionality with less overall complexity.  

HERE is reworking Workspace due to customer feedback in this area. A revamped UX and project templates will aid in solving specific location problems and allow outcomes such as insights, search, routing powered by private mapping, and supplying extensibility to HERE Location Services in a more intuitive way. BYOD (bring your own data) is also coming to HERE platform in 2023 which can expand capabilities around data processing, private mapping and analysis, and provides enablement between Workspace, HERE Location Services, routing, insights as well as SDK to support intelligent search. 

à la carte data & content + their own technology (and data)

Developers want power and simplicity but also choice. Signups are often driven by a problem being faced in that moment. If you’ve already made an investment and have a solution that uses existing libraries, it is natural to want to augment that through location-enablement.  Maybe you already have data and want to enrich it.

In the geospatial realm, this means developers want location services exposed and content and data available on demand, without a full tech stack investment. A “try before you buy” approach is highly desired, as well as a pricing model that is value based. In other words, being charged for actual usage. These are a good starting point to answer the question of, “how can they use your tools to deliver more value in a shorter amount of time?” 

In closing

Look for future thoughts on the Geo Developer and trends we are tracking. In the meantime, the developer evangelists at HERE wish you a happy new year and look forward to seeing you in 2023!

Check out all of the HERE APIs and feel free to reach out to us on twitter at @heredev or on our Slack channel. We'd love to see what you're working on!