LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The twin crises of COVID-19 and Brexit turned up the pressure on enterprises in the U.K. for super-fast software development and agile change management in 2020, and providers of next-generation application development and maintenance services helped them meet these challenges, according to a new report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.
The 2020 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-gen Application Development & Maintenance (ADM) Services report for the U.K. finds drawn-out negotiations over the terms of the U.K.’s exit from the European Union left enterprises in the dark about procedures they would need to follow after the breakup. Meanwhile, the massive shift to working from home due to the pandemic created requirements for new remote working tools, higher software quality and stronger security. All this is occurring amid budget cuts triggered by the continued uncertainty, further increasing demand for ADM services.
“Enterprises in the U.K. are facing the same growing need for application agility and flexibility as companies everywhere, but often with more urgency,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Next-generation ADM providers are evolving their services to meet these kinds of demands, including the need for cultural change to adopt Agile development.”
In particular, providers are adopting new approaches to create localized and industry-specific application maintenance services required by the U.K. midmarket, ISG says. However, Brexit also is creating another form of uncertainty: While the U.K. has been the prime market in the region for the large Indian service providers, the split with the E.U. might hand that distinction to Europe, the report adds.
Fast and reliable software testing has become more vital as these crises force more companies to roll out new and modified applications, according to the report. As enterprises modernize legacy systems and move to hybrid cloud environments, the need for resiliency and stability creates a growing need for continuous testing.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning now commonly play a role in this process, especially in recognizing patterns and correlations and making predictions. Testing is also shifting left, moving into earlier stages of development so problems can be fixed as soon as possible.
In DevOps implementations, which have been widely adopted to speed up application development and improve enterprise agility, security is now taking center stage, according to the report. Most service providers have integrated this element into the DevOps lifecycle, embracing a DevSecOps approach.
The 2020 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-gen Application Development & Maintenance (ADM) Services report for the U.K. evaluates the capabilities of 36 providers across six quadrants: Next-gen ADM, Application Management Services – Midmarket/Niche, Agile Development, Continuous Testing – Large Accounts, Continuous Testing – Midmarket and Expert Consulting and DevSecOps Consulting.
The report names Cognizant, Infosys and Wipro as leaders in all six quadrants. It names Capgemini and TCS as leaders in four quadrants and HCL and IBM as leaders in two quadrants. Accenture, Atos, DXC and Tech Mahindra are named as leaders in one quadrant each.
In addition, LTI is named as a Rising Star—a company with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition—in three quadrants. HCL is named as a Rising Star in two quadrants, and Hexaware is a Rising Star in one quadrant.
Customized versions of the report are available from Capgemini and Infosys.
The 2020 ISG Provider Lens™ Next-gen Application Development & Maintenance (ADM) Services report for the U.K. is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.
About ISG Provider Lens™ Research
The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe and Latin America, as well as in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland, the U.K., France, the Nordics, Brazil and Australia/New Zealand, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.
A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.
About ISG
ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.
