The main use case is that it is a platform as a service based on .NET. We can build any type of enterprise application, but not reporting tools. It supports multi-channel development for websites and mobile applications. We can create a single mobile application and generate iOS for the App Store and Android APK files for the Google Play Store. No recoding is required for conversion, only generation of iOS or APK files as needed.

I have mainly worked on financial and banking domains, and this platform supports all types of use cases. Additionally, with generative AI, OutSystems has started supporting it.

By using a backend database to store data brainstorming and consuming AWS APIs, our customers support the predictive AI mechanism. We can also go with generative AI because most of the tools are available in the market. OutSystems has a feature, IPP (Intellectual Property Protection), that allows for architectural property. 

If someone wants to develop a website or web application in two to three months, they can develop that application in OutSystems. If they don't want to continue with OutSystems as a platform, they can convert the OutSystems source code into normal .NET code. 

There is no extra cost required, and the application will work as a .NET source code base.

This is a possibility that the user or company can adapt this tool for development, and later, if they want to save costs, they can convert it to .NET. This is not possible with other tools.

OutSystems has integrated AI.  We can improve the application tool. For example, if a user is creating a ticket, by using generative AI technology, we can create user interaction inputs. Users can input case IDs and their contacts. Based on that, the large language model (LLM) connects with the OutSystems vector databases and is capable of analyzing and understanding what you want in natural language.

So, some sort of predictive analysis. Based on that, the program can accept the outputs.

There is room for improvement in support. They maintain a two-day SLA for everything. 48 hours is very high.

Scalability is supported by default by OutSystems on the cloud. Let's say we are buying 10 GB or 20 GB of hardware, and our database is near failure. We can request them to increase the sizes from the backend. The OutSystems cloud platform is based on AWS and installed on AWS. So whatever AWS supports is supported by OutSystems.

If we need any extra features, like using S3, OutSystems can integrate with it, but extra licensing costs are required. From the scalability and security point of view, everything is supported by OutSystems, and it is a managed service. Based on that, they are charging.

If I face any problem during application development, I can create tickets based on the category by logging into my account. There is an SLA of two to three days based on the ticket's priority, and the team responds accordingly.

Most of the time, they resolve all issues. To speed up the process, they call if there is a high-priority ticket. We connect with them and fix the issue collaboratively via phone.

I will not rate it ten, though, because they are maintaining a two-day SLA for everything. 48 hours is very high.

Positive

I did not spend my time on any other platform. For the last ten years, I have only been involved with OutSystems.

The initial setup is not difficult because everything is based on integration. A set of databases, like vector databases, and things like that require extra hardware and software configuration. But integrating with OutSystems is very easy.

There is ROI. To be specific, it's purely for the developers. It's reducing the cost of development. There is a 100% guarantee the platform is promoting code on the server with accuracy. Logical errors are a different thing, but the source code generated is secure. Anyone can understand the source code easily. We are providing security as a visual development tool. 

By using the visual development tool, there is no need to remember the syntax. Everything is available as drag and drop. It just depends on remembering how and when we need to use a node for development purposes. Let's assume a project in .NET, native .NET, or Java takes around 12 months. In OutSystems, we can build that application in four to five months.

So, twice or even more. This is the area where we can improve and save money. But definitely, this is a highly in-demand tool, and the cost is very high. It's completely dependent on the vendor. Some companies are going with the cloud environment, and some organizations are using the on-premises environment. In the cloud environment, everything is managed by OutSystems. They provide some credentials, and the company can start developing multiple applications on the same cloud license.

The cost is high. I saw on the website that the minimum license is around $4,000  per month.

Overall, I would rate it a ten out of ten. I would definitely recommend this tool.

The primary use cases are mostly related to the rapid low-code framework. Currently, I'm working on a business use case where we need to create a responsive website that enhances the customer's experience.

OutSystems is a hybrid framework and supports my mobile and web application development needs. This means I don't have to write separate code for mobile applications. It adapts the UI and functionality, whether I'm developing for web or mobile interfaces. All I need to do is provide the layout during development.

The tool has enhanced my development speed through its prebuilt templates and drag-and-drop interface. Unlike legacy frameworks like C# and Java, OutSystems provides everything ready to use. You need to connect integrations and formats, which allows developers to develop their modules rapidly.

In the healthcare sector where I work, we handle clinical and non-clinical research involving study criteria and customer-responsive interfaces.

In one of our recent projects, which involves setting up appointment bookings for healthcare organizations like NHS and Canadian provincial health services, OutSystems plays a crucial role. The system monitors Outlook email criteria every five minutes to detect appointment requests. When a request is identified, OutSystems uses AI capabilities to determine if it's a new booking or a follow-up based on the email content.

Once categorized, the tool integrates with other systems, such as Salesforce.

The tool's weakness is its focus on the solution only. Other than that, it's pretty easy to use for both technical and non-technical people. However, the tool lags in automation. For instance, we've used Python for scraping and other automated tasks. So, I believe automation is an area where it could improve.

I have been working with the product for three and a half years. 

OutSystems servers are currently managed directly by the vendor. This setup makes scalability readily achievable because whenever we need to expand our operations to different locations, we can directly engage with the vendor who handles the tool. They can scale the infrastructure to meet our requirements. However, at this point, our focus isn't on scaling further because the configurations we've implemented for recent developments are adequate for targeting the Canadian and North American regions.

Technical support is good, especially for customers on the Gold tier like us. Typically, we receive responses within 24 hours, and their support team is very responsive.

Positive

Appian offers advantages in automation structures with its Appian RPA platform, formerly Jidoka. They have integrated this acquisition into their offerings as Appian RPA. Additionally, Appian has a well-established market presence. Appian holds a slight advantage over OutSystems, which entered the market approximately five years ago.

Our primary goal has been to enhance customer experience by deploying applications developed with OutSystems. The initial response from users has been positive, particularly in reducing previous backlogs. We've streamlined processes with the product, enabling rapid development, integration, and automation.

We haven't yet reached the stage of calculating ROI specifics. Typically, such evaluations are conducted either at the end of the fiscal year or three years.

The tool has its  own AI modules, but we've utilized our custom models. As we focus on specific regions like Canada and North America, we've developed dedicated forms and solutions. We've implemented our custom models using Python and Gen AI to extract data from emails and forms. OutSystems does offer its own AI capabilities.

Due to its fast development strategies and everything, I would recommend OutSystems over Appian. Appian is in a different space and has its own components and frameworks. 

I rate the overall product a seven out of ten. 

I am a consultant for another organization. We've been using OutSystems to develop in-house applications and a convention-type application.

The solution is all-encompassing and very easy to use with its drag-and-drop feature. OutSystems has a Forge feature that allows me to drag and use predeveloped components into the platform so that I don't have to develop everything from scratch.

I'd like to see AI features integrated into the solution.

I have been using OutSystems for two years.

We've very rarely encountered an issue with the solution crashing.

I rate the solution’s stability a nine and a half out of ten.

OutSystems is a very scalable solution. We developed an app, and we've had no problem at all with having 200 people at the convention and, in other cases, 1,000 people at the convention. We use the solution daily in our organization.

There have been times when the solution's technical support took a while to respond. This happens mostly because their technical support is not in North America but Portugal.

Neutral

I also extensively use another product called Apex. It's an excellent product, but it's not the same as OutSystems. With OutSystems, I can develop phone applications. I cannot do that with Apex because it's built more for a back office.

Using OutSystems to develop applications in-house as opposed to using third-party solutions has probably saved our clients a lot of money in the long run. They're not paying the licensing fees over and over again to the other platforms.

The solution's integration is very good. We've integrated the tool into some other SQL areas we have at the client, and it's no problem integrating at all. The solution is deployed on the cloud.

OutSystems is an excellent platform for development and would be an excellent tool for any small, medium, or enterprise business. However, depending on the price, which I don't know, it may be out of range for small and medium businesses.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.