Accelerator Platforms vs. Copilots : Beyond the Need for Speed

Technology media is abuzz with copilots and their potential to deliver exponential productivity gains for software developers. However, organizations need more than copilots to get faster time-to-market at reduced development costs. And then they have other challenges: Software quality, developer experience, and the problem that never goes away - skill gaps.

These are problems that low code platforms promise to solve. Organizations considering developer accelerator platforms for their engineering process should consider how and where copilots fit in. But first let's understand what a copilot does, and share an example.

The GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant from GitHub and it is already mainstream with software developers. Productivity tools for developers are decades old but are mostly toolsmithy in nature. AI assistants are moving away from being a tool to directly recommending code snippets, functions and even entire algorithms as you type.

And, being AI, this tool learns and gets better as you write. This lends unprecedented speed to the coding process. With Copilot's insights and pair coding, developers should have more time on hand to explore newer coding techniques and uncharted areas. However, GitHub Copilot's output cannot be left unsupervised.

Use Copilots But...

Using suggestions of an AI coding assistant without fully understanding the underlying logic can result in a shallow grasp of the code. Not all suggestions are optimal. Some may even be wrong. Developers need to critically evaluate and test the code before checking it in.

Copilots try, but may not always understand the full context of the project. This leads to irrelevant or inappropriate code suggestions. Then there are critical security considerations while adding code and integrations.

For example, it is true that GitHub Copilot is powerful and can significantly boost productivity - and learning - for developers. However, it's crucial to use it as an aid rather than a substitute, ensuring that code quality, security - and the contentious matter of ethical standards - remain a priority among developers.

Development Accelerator Platforms

Development accelerated platforms, such as those that use low code architecture, are sophisticated environments designed to enable developers to rapidly build applications with minimal or no coding. These platforms offer modular or component architectures that offer transformative software lifecycle benefits and substantial business value. Here are a few significant ones.

For software delivery teams:

• Modernization Programs: Use future-ready component architecture and tech stack for building modern applications.
• Differentiated Experience: Deliver pixel-perfect, sophisticated user interactions that can make features stand out.
• Minimal Cost of Change: Modular architecture makes it easy for applications to keep pace with business changes.

For business owners:

• Faster to Customer Dollar: Roll out customizations and more personalized experiences tailored to customer needs faster.
• Running Efficiency: Reduce total cost of ownership.
• Hassle-free Modernization: Re-platform or rebrand legacy systems more swiftly.
• Responsive IT: Componentize software for greater flexibility and scalability.

Accelerator Platforms vs Copilots

Clearly, accelerator platforms and copilots serve different strategic purposes for enterprises and small to medium-sized customers who have embarked on a modernization and digital transformation journey. Accelerator platforms are invaluable for promoting agility, broadening participation in the development process, and fostering a product mindset among solution teams. To enumerate:

• • Visual drag-and-drop widgets
  • Pre-built functional components
  • Cost effective
• Data-driven applications
  • Quick and seamless integrations to any type of data source (DB/APIs)
  • Ready to use reports, dashboards and user-friendly interfaces
  • Faster development cycles
• Citizen developer driven programs
  • Minimal or no technical skills
  • Cost efficiency
  • Enhanced creativity leveraging diverse perspectives
• Legacy system modernization
  • Offers digital accelerators for customers
  • Quickly build reusable functional components
  • Rapid development of experience APIs with a consistent and modern UI layer
  • Bridges gap between legacy and modern technologies
• Enterprise transformation
  • Democratize app development improving business outcomes
  • Drag-and-drop and re-usable templates/components automating development process
  • Built in enterprise-grade capabilities to tackle more strategic initiatives
  • Core enabler to experiment new ideas and sustain agility
  • Foster stronger collaboration among engineering, product management and business, leading to a more streamlined organization.

Distinct Advantages of an Accelerator Platform

• Provides a comprehensive suite of tools for building, testing, and deploying cloud-native applications, offering a more integrated approach (configurability, customizability and extensibility)
• Extensive libraries of pre-built components, modules and templates
• Cultivates a product-centric mindset
• Minimal development costs (less reliance on specialized developers)
• Reduced technical debt as low-code enforces best practices and coding standards
• Scalability ensuring applications can handle increasing loads

In Summary

In the grand plan of accelerating digital transformation, both copilots and accelerator platforms that use low code and AI, offer significant advantages. While copilots, like GitHub Copilot, do a terrific job of augmenting individual developer capability, accelerator platforms democratize development and enable organizations to build and deploy massive, complex applications at high velocity while maintaining engineering excellence. However, it can be argued that strategic adoption of accelerator platforms truly differentiate organizations, allowing them to scale development, reduce time-to-market, deliver exceptional business outcomes and drive innovation. This is only for now. Because, as technology continues to evolve, embracing accelerator platforms and copilots will not be an option anymore, but a strategic necessity for organizations who are seeking a competitive advantage in the digital age. That said, without a deep understanding of their limitations, organizations risk achieving the opposite of desired results.