Low-code platform provider OutSystems today acquired mobile app builder Ionic in a move "to bring the best cloud-native mobile development solutions to companies of all sizes," OutSystems CTO Patrick Jean told SDxCentral.

Following the acquisition, Ionic will operate independently to support and grow its developer community while complementing the OutSystems platform. Together, they bring customers the capabilities to build "serious" cloud-native applications with a significant business impact, Jean explained.

The CTO said the two companies carry "the potential to make every developer a cloud-native, full-stack developer, whether they are a traditional developer using the Ionic product or a low-code developer using OutSystems."

Ionic is "an exceptional fit for OutSystems" because it extends the low-code provider's high-performance app development portfolio, Jean said, highlighting Ionic's open source mobile development capabilities and "highly aligned missions, which center on giving organizations the solutions and services they need to innovate through software."

Jean said Ionic is an attractive acquisition because its platform includes everything web developers need to build enterprise mobile applications. This includes popular open source tools; managed software services for app security, authentication, storage, and others; cloud services for app delivery and mobile continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD); and enterprise support.

The acquisition will enable OutSystems to provide a variety of development approaches ranging from open source to high-performance low-code while maintaining a focus on building in security and scalability to enterprise apps. This will allow the two companies' customers to choose tools that fit their app requirements and their development team's expertise and preferences, Jean explained.

"There are many exciting options to integrate our respective technologies where it will make the best sense for our customers," Jean said. "Ionic and OutSystems have the opportunity to significantly redefine how collaborative software development is done across traditional development and low-code, allowing developers to leverage their existing development tools and skill set," he noted.

While OutSystems is welcoming the Ionic team and community, the brand and platform will remain standalone entities, and Ionic will be labeled as "An OutSystems Company." OutSystems CEO Paulo Rosado will lead the combined company, and the management team will include executives from Ionic.