Back in 2015, Amazon competitor Microsoft released PowerApps to enable citizen developers. Five years later, Amazon enters the no-code market with Amazon Honeycode. Available in beta, it’s a fully managed service that lets customers build compelling mobile and web applications.
“There’s no programming required, and customers who need applications to track and manage things like process approvals, event scheduling, customer relationship management, etc.”
Today’s market looks a lot different than it did five years ago, and that’s backed up by multiple studies that highlight COVID-19 for creating a higher demand for low and no-code environments to thrive. With Amazon Honeycode, customers can use a simple visual application builder to create interactive web and mobile applications hosted on the AWS database to perform tasks like tracking data over time and notifying users of changes. They can set up routing approvals and facilitate interactive business processes as well.
One of the coolest perks of the new no-code service out in beta is that you can build applications with up to 20 users free of charge while only paying for user accounts and storage space on more comprehensive applications, and there is a free trial. As enterprises continue to adjust to the shifting landscape, they will have to flex their agility, and the capability of building an app that grows with a business is enticing I have to admit. It extends something far-too valuable to overlook, continuity, which is what most seem to be in search of nowadays.
With Amazon’s new no-code app builder, all updates made to apps or data within apps get shared with teams in real-time. You can even configure Honeycode-built apps so users get permission to see what you allow. Users can perform a host of other no-code functions as well, such as reminding people about action items and deliverables.
The barrier to entry many companies face in the new COVID-19-based reality they now face may have lessened a bit with Amazon’s latest market penetration, though it is too early to tell. What is for certain is that Amazon always seems to know when to jump into the market, so watching the adoption of the Honeycode platform unfold could get interesting. Amazon’s team of strategists seem to have seized this moment in history with its plans to enter a no-code market where seismic demand’s anticipated, thanks to a novel virus running amock. This will undoubtedly translate into higher margins for Amazon (which feels odd to say) considering Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos has amassed even more excessive wealth during the COVID-19 period.
Reports from Bloomberg suggest, as the world’s richest person, Bezos added $56.7 billion to his estate in 2020 alone. And last week, Amazon’s shares reached a record $2,878.70, a surge that boosted Bezos’ total net worth to $171.6 billion, further Bloomberg reporting uncovered. In what could be fueled by a combination of disbursed workers across the globe, broadband challenges, limited resources, and quite frankly, a shortage of skilled programmers, others have also introduced their no-code app development capabilities. Google did that in January, before the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic with the acquisition of AppSheet.
