MAD Services Deliver Cool New Products Whilst Transforming Your Development Capabilities
Modern Application Development (MAD) services represent the next wave in custom application development services. Emerging from the convergence of current and past services like Application Development and Management Services (ADMS), Digital Transformation Services (DTS), Digital Product Engineering Services (DPES), and broader Application Modernization Services (AMS), MAD services are now utilized by leading organizations, with an increasing number of CIOs showing strong interest in these offerings (see Figure).
What sets MAD services apart? Their unique ability to not only support clients in delivering modern apps using the latest technologies and development practices, but also their role in transforming and modernizing their custom development capabilities. The Venn diagram illustrates the context for MAD services and their foundational services, though it doesn’t capture the market’s multi-billion dollar scale, which is expected to grow.
We just published The Forrester Wave™: Modern Application Development Services, Q1 2025 which analyzes and compares the top 13 medium and large market players out of 50+ providers that offer MAD services: Accenture, CI&T, Cap Gemini, Cognizant, EPAM, Globant, HCL Technologies, LTIMIndtree, Infosys, NTT Data, Softtek, TCS, and ThoughtWorks.
Why These Players and Not Others?
The MAD services market is highly competitive and Forrester clients can learn more about the broader landscape and discover a wider group of vendors in The Modern Application Development Services Landscape, Q3 2024. This most recent MAD Services Wave analysis focuses on medium and large vendors when compared to our previous Wave on the same market where the emphasis was on smaller ones. But not every company from the landscape report met the stringent criteria for inclusion in the Wave, which were:
- Significant peer recognition. Providers most frequently cited in client bids.
- Forrester mindshare. Those service providers, referenced more during briefings, inquiries, or research projects over the last year.
- MAD capabilities. A comprehensive and differentiating set of MAD capabilities or, in Forrester’s view, unique capabilities that warrant inclusion.
- Global MAD services revenue of at least US$ 450m. Vendors that have a global MAD services revenue of US$ 450m in at least two of the North America, LATAM, EMEA or APAC regions combined.
What Distinguishes The Leaders, Strong Performers and Challengers?
Our Wave methodology categorizes vendors into three groups: Leaders, Strong Performers, and Challengers, based on a range of services we evaluated: Agile, DevOps, micro-service architecture, cloud services, and more advanced services like site reliability engineering (SRE), project-to-product, AI, and GenAI architecture, testing and development of AI-infused applications. Showing differentiation in all these services was key to our evaluation. Reference clients, case studies, and other evidence also played a critical role in our analysis. After all it’s the provider’s ability to enhance your team’s skills in new technologies and practices that truly differentiates MAD services from traditional ADMS or AMS services.
We encourage readers not to dismiss any provider without first examining the detailed descriptions of strategy, capabilities, and client feedback in our Wave report. Download the accompanying Excel file for a breakdown of the RFI questions, scoring, and criteria grading.
For more information, feedback, or questions, email me at dlogiudice@forrester.com, or if you’re a Forrester client, schedule a guidance session or inquiry. I’m here to assist!
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