National App Day 2025: Industry leaders weigh in on app economy

With National App Day now behind us (December 11th), it’s a timely opportunity to reflect on the role applications continue to play in today’s workplace. Leaders from OutSystems, Xerox, and Appfire share their perspectives on how apps are shaping modern work - and what organizations can expect as app-driven productivity moves into its next chapter.

National App Day 2025: Miguel Baltazar, VP of Developer Relations, OutSystems

“This National App Day, I would be remiss not to recognize how profoundly the application development landscape has changed over the last year with the rise of autonomous agents – signaling a pivotal change in how we build. As organizations integrate AI into every workflow, developers are transitioning from routine coding to designing and orchestrating systems that support agentic capabilities at far greater scale and speed.

The future of software development is now deeply intertwined with agentic innovation. Many developers are evolving into ‘cognitive architects,’ shaping systems and strategies far beyond what the role once demanded. With the end of 2025 fast approaching, National App Day is a timely reminder for enterprises to reassess how their application strategies will evolve alongside this shift in developer roles and AI-driven workflows in the coming year.”

National App Day 2025: Munu Gandhi, President of IT Solutions, Xerox

“National App Day is a celebration of how software continues to shape the modern workplace. As organizations embrace a growing ecosystem of apps, the challenge is no longer access but rather alignment. The next generation of workplace applications must move beyond isolated tools to become intelligent collaborators, integrating data, workflows, and user intent.

At Xerox, we’re building app ecosystems that extend from print to IT Solutions that help clients automate repetitive work, unify digital processes, and drive better decisions. The real innovation isn’t in creating more apps - it’s in creating connected ones that make work simpler, smarter, and more human.”

National App Day 2025: Ed Frederici, Chief Technology Officer, Appfire

“National App Day is a reminder of how deeply organizations rely on applications to run their business. As workflows span an ever-growing network of systems, technology leaders must ensure their environments are secure, well governed, and built on clean, dependable data. The strongest app ecosystems (the combination of tools and workflows that keep work moving) are built on consistent processes and a shared understanding of how tools connect. When those fundamentals are in place, teams avoid unnecessary friction and gain the visibility they need to make better decisions. The next stage of technology leadership will strengthen the discipline behind these environments so applications remain dependable as they scale, giving teams the clarity and confidence to do their best work.”