Dive Brief:

• Google is making it easier for G Suite customers to build applications. In what it touts as a "low code" experience, Google announced Wednesday its App Maker, which allows anyone in IT, or even citizen developers, to build and deploy apps. 
• App Maker has built-in templates with a drag-and-drop interface so developers at any level can build applications. The framework uses HTML, CSS and Javascript. 
• Google emphasizes that customers can "focus on delivery, not infrastructure." The App Maker uses the same infrastructure as Gmail, Docs and Drive, so customers don't have to worry about the back-end framework when deploying customized applications. 

Dive Insight:

Google is trying to democratize the application development process, focusing on usability for customers when building customized apps. Providers are more frequently creating intuitive services that don't require a high-level of knowledge in particular coding languages or technologies. 

To keep up with competitors, companies have to have innovative applications so they can better-reach their customers. Google has focused on the customer experience in recent months, adding power to its API offerings. In September, Google bought API company Apigee for $625 million, which touts customers like Walgreens and Burberry.  

APIs are all about creating a more fluid digital experience, and the market is set to quickly grow in coming years. With the growing demand for digital interactions, companies are expected to spend $3 billion on API management by 2020, according to Forrester.