These are my predictions, based on nothing more than my observations over the year so far.
- Machine learning is going to be BIG – demand for anyone with commercial experience or a PHD in Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence will be massive. Watch out of Neural Networks and Bayesian Optimisation
- Microservices will continue to be adopted, driving up demand for the skills like SOA and RESTful Webservices, and driving down contractor rates
- React will overtake Angular the Front End space
- Enter Kotlin : a new Jetbrains language, based on the JVM there are already a handful of commercial projects in flight, but I think this new language will gain more traction and recognition this year
- Growth of Web-based mobile apps – and therefore less demand for specific iOS and Android developers
- PAAS – I’ve seen a lot of service-based companies building Platforms As A Service encouraging their buyers to cut down their own internal infrastructure teams, and I think this trend will only continue
- OpenStack and DevOps As A Service projects – we’ll see the technologists who have learnt to use these tools this year hit the market in 2017
- NancyFX (an “OpenSource” Microsoft lightweight development framework) will become an in demand skill in the C# development world
- Software Development Engineers In Test become increasingly in demand – we will continue to witness the steady decline of manual testing skills as automation and agile methodologies continue top penetrate the Software Test Lifecycle
- Enter the Age of “X is Code” – Infrastructure As Code, Networking As Code, etc. It will become increasingly harder for any hands on technologists who are non-coders to compete for the top positions
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