There are two major trends that will shape the future of software development and Full-Stack Development over the next few years. First, there’s an increased demand for full-stack developers, and second, there’s an increased need for cross-functional teams in order to get more work done in less time. Let’s take a look at each trend individually...

1) Mobile Applications
The mobile app will not go away as it remains the primary point of access for most users. It will get more exciting and feature-packed. The number of installations is projected to grow from 4 billion to over 7 billion by 2020. There are going to be lots of new features, such as artificial intelligence, an intelligent operating system, and Augmented Reality that will make the experience much better for consumers.

2) Cloud Computing and Infrastructure
In a span of the next five years, data storage and processing capacity on servers are projected to grow by 12x while cloud computing, connected devices, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence will have expanded exponentially. Henceforth there is no doubt that most enterprises will adopt cloud computing and its benefits such as scalability and resource allocation based on demand.

3) IoT (Internet of Things)
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the connection of various objects to the Internet. In essence, it is the linking of any physical device or item to your digital world.

4) Big Data Analytics
Languages like Python, R and Scala are already being used by Data Scientists to quickly and efficiently analyze and manipulate data. These languages have been most popular due to the low barrier to entry and convenience of running on a single operating system. Additionally, an array of tools like Microsoft Excel have made it possible for non-programmers to design datasets that can then be analyzed through these languages.

5) Augmented Reality (AR)
As new technologies are introduced and time goes on, we're beginning to see the effects of these changes. One of the major impacts is augmented reality. Augmented reality describes how digital content is overlaid onto a user's view of the real world (typically via a head-mounted display) with an interface for both types of inputs and outputs.

6) Blockchain Technology
- Blockchains are open and distributed, preventing a single party from running the system. - The Ethereum blockchain is powered by Ether which ensures economic incentivisation for work. - Blockchains are one of the top trending technologies as evidenced by their placement on Gartner’s annual Hype Cycle for emerging technology

7) Robotics Process Automation (RPA)
Robotics process automation, or RPA, is a business process automation (BPA) that uses intelligent software robots to execute repetitive tasks with minimal human intervention. There are many benefits of using RPA including elimination of overhead costs, reduction in dependence on key IT personnel and reduced complexity.

8) Software Testing
Testing has always been an important part of software development, but it is also becoming more complex with every generation. Currently, in order to find bugs you will need to test the entire stack from front-end to back-end. Even if you think a bug only affects the front-end, it can show up on the back end and vice versa. As a result of this complexity, it has become necessary for companies hire full stack developers and divide their tasks accordingly.