In addition to providing businesses with new and affordable means of Database management, low-code databases have also empowered citizen developers in contributing new ideas and innovation into the market place. While in the past such development possibilities were limited only to those with advanced programing capabilities, the door is now open for people with a greater diversity of perspectives and backgrounds to build database systems. Because of the rise of citizen developers empowered by low cost databases, there is now a whole new range of custom options and applications for businesses; no longer must businesses get stuck with one-size-fits-all applications.

What exactly is a citizen developer? This term has seen an uptick in interest and shows up in many new tech articles. A citizen developer is a name given to developers who do not have a formal programing background, or formal coding skills, but who are nevertheless involved in application and platform development. With the aid of Low-Code development tools, professionals in a variety of industries and positions can quickly and efficiently create applications.

When we refer to Low-Code development and Low-Code databases like TeamDesk, QuickBase or Caspio, we are talking about a platform of tools that enable the ability to create advanced customized applications without the need for extensive hand coding and without in-depth knowledge of programing languages. A low-code development platform for database creation may include tools like drag-and-drop, WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) tools, and customizable templates. While Low-Code development tools may vary, they all center around the idea of being able to create and manage applications visually, instead of strictly though lines of coding.

The advantage of Low-Code development is that it allows individuals to create custom tools that are tailored-made to address industry specific challenges and needs. For example, a healthcare professional without coding knowledge, can use their experience to create a database that meets the needs of practicing nurses and doctors. While software professionals and developers may have the technical knowledge to build applications, they may not necessarily have the insights to create solutions truly tailored for specific industries. Considering how important data management is to businesses, there are unique advantages in being able to create easy to use visual database solutions.

Another advantage of these low-code development platforms is the ability to more quickly make changes and adapt a database application to a growing business. Often attempted to change a hand coded database or applications will lead to errors, if these changes are done by individuals not directly familiar with the source code. With a low-code solution changes can be made to a database system with the need for a complete development overhaul, and without the fear of doing possible harm to important source code.

Low-Code development platforms are expected to continue to keep growing. In fact, based on a 2015 study done by the technology research company Gartner Inc., 70 percent of companies will make citizen development a routine part of their operations. As the technology powering Low-Code platforms continues to grow, so will the number of citizen developers. Low-Code enables new perceptive and imaginative solutions from otherwise unlikely sources.