Why IT Leaders Are Shifting from Frameworks to Platform

“Cost, talent, and speed. That’s why we chose low-code.”

David Lloyd, Director of IT, Park Industries

The platform approach, especially with AI-powered low-code platforms like OutSystems, is redefining how software is built. It offers agility, scalability, and efficiency that standalone frameworks simply cannot match. But what exactly makes a platform superior, and why should IT leaders make the switch?

The productivity boost: deliver more, faster

Framework-based development relies on traditional coding languages that require expensive teams of specialists to manually handle coding, debugging, integration, and maintenance. This consumes valuable time and resources, delaying time-to-market and increasing costs for critical applications.

With an AI-powered low-code platform like OutSystems, IT Leaders can:

Accelerate development timelines — delivering value to business earlier
Rapidly prototype and iterate applications — collaborating with business with agility
Reduce skills dependency — one platform, one visual language, deploying in any device.

According to McKinsey & Company, AI-driven development can reduce software development time by up to 50% while improving overall efficiency. IT teams can focus on innovation rather than getting bogged down in low-value coding tasks.

“My background is in SAP development, and things that used to take me forever, like implementing dropdown fields with dynamic content, I can now do easily in OutSystems. That’s what won me over.”

Elton Escaleira – IT Product and Service Owner, Bosch

The resources reduction: true cost of traditional development

Beyond speed and security, IT leaders must also consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) when comparing frameworks to platforms. Cross-platform frameworks require large development teams, extensive custom coding, and ongoing maintenance.

Whereas a platform approach:

Reduces the need for specialised talent, minimising recruitment and retention challenges
Lowers operational costs by simplifying maintenance and updates
Streamlines infrastructure costs with built-in cloud hosting and DevOps automation

Reducing complexity: a unified approach

Cross-platform frameworks require significant effort to maintain compatibility, optimise performance, and integrate with enterprise systems. Each update, security patch, or new feature requires extensive manual intervention.

In contrast, a platform like OutSystems:

Provides a single, unified and visual language to develop and deploy React, native, and web applications
Ensures seamless integration with APIs, databases, and legacy systems with 200+ out-of-the-box connectors
Offers built-in security, compliance, and governance features and AI-powered tools for the whole SLDC (Software Development Lifecycle)
Automates tasks across the SLDC (Software Development Lifecycle) and increases code quality

Instead of relying on multiple tools, OutSystems teams can work within a single platform that automatically manages dependencies and version control, reducing operational overhead.

“With tools like OutSystems, we can reuse components from previous apps. So, 80% of a new app is already built before we even start. That’s the strength of our development model.”

Giada Binelli, Global Low-Code Product Owner, Heineken

AI-powered development: the future is here

AI is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s actively transforming software development.

OutSystems AI-powered low-code platform accelerates innovation by:

Automating Code Generation – AI suggests, completes, and refactors code, reducing human error
AI Mentor – This powerful AI tool goes beyond enhancing code to improving each step of the software development lifecycle: coding, performance, security and maintenance
Enhancing Developer Productivity – AI-powered chatbots and code assistants simplify complex logic
Providing Safety Rails – Ensures AI-generated code is secure, scalable, and compliant with enterprise standards

With AI advancing at an unprecedented pace, IT leaders leveraging an AI-powered platform can future-proof their development strategies, ensuring adaptability and long-term viability.

We can bring product managers and business users together in a room to develop solutions collaboratively and with shared ownership. That drives user satisfaction.

David Lloyd, Director of IT, Park Industries

The shift has already begun—don’t get left behind

For IT leaders who still rely on traditional frameworks, the writing is on the wall. AI-powered low-code platforms like OutSystems are redefining how enterprise software is built – delivering speed, efficiency and a future-proof alternative.

According to Gartner, by 2026, low-code platforms will account for 75% of all enterprise software development, a clear indication of their cost-effectiveness and growing adoption.

The real question isn’t whether the platform approach is superior—it’s how soon you’ll make the shift. With frameworks like Xamarin being sunsetted, don’t just rebuild—rethink your software development strategy with a platform that’s geared for the future. The time to shift is now.

Improved security out-of-the-box

Modern platforms like OutSystems are built with advanced security frameworks, helping organisations meet compliance and cybersecurity standards. One of the key reasons multinational security provider Prosegur Seguridad chose OutSystems was its enterprise-grade scalability and security.

“The strong security credentials of the OutSystems platform was a major plus for us—as a security firm, we take cybersecurity very seriously. By developing a consistent backend with OutSystems, we’ve been able to turn-off 16 legacy systems.”

Andrew Buch Sampaio. Director of Systems Engineering, Prosegur

Scalability and performance

Cloud-native architectures ensure systems can scale dynamically to meet business demands. OutSystems recently enabled a global community to replace its existing Android legacy application with a world-class mobile app that grew its user base to 40K+ people.

“We were spending several million dollars every year on a legacy app that had zero features. The developers were afraid to touch it because as soon as they did, the whole thing fell down. We’d get 24,000 people unable to use the platform. With the OutSystems app, we’ve taken the usage close to 50,000 with lots of new features and 100% availability.”

CEO, Consulting Organisation

Enhanced agility

With the OutSystems platform, businesses can adapt quickly to market changes by continuously updating and iterating applications. Recently, GarantiBank International successfully moved its core end-to-end processes to the cloud. The bank now has the agility needed to deliver fast and continuous process improvement to meet their customer experience, operational excellence, and digital transformation objectives.

“The OutSystems platform has helped us adopt a leaner, more agile way of working that helps our digital transformation and operational excellence initiatives fly.”

Marco Witteveen, COO at GarantiBank International.

Eliminates developer dependency

The software lives independently of the original developer, allowing new developers to step in and make changes without extensive reverse engineering.

“IT Leaders don’t like developers to be attached to a particular product for too long. With OutSystems, whenever you need a change, you can bring in any developer.”

OutSystems CEO Paulo Rosado

Future-proof your applications

With OutSystems, you can continuously change and evolve your apps quickly and easily with drag-and-drop components and one-click deployment of updated code. For the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), the benefits of the platform went beyond speed when replacing 50 legacy apps. OutSystems is helping MDEC revolutionise its software and application infrastructure, providing a future-proof, scalable foundation for existing and new applications.

Let’s talk about how OutSystems can help accelerate your modernisation projects