A few years later, smartphones (such as the iPhone) and wireless technology (such as Wi-Fi and 4G networks) became popular and widely used. Application software was transformed from binaries to online services. The web browser became the interface of application software, which meant that it no longer requires installation. The infrastructure became very dynamic—in order to accommodate rapidly-changing application requirements, it now had to be able to grow in both capacity and performance.

This is made possible through virtualization technology and a Software Defined Network (SDN). Now, cloud services, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure, are often used. These can create and manage on-demand infrastructures easily.

The infrastructure is one of the most important components within the scope of the Software Development Delivery Cycle. Because applications are installed and operated on the server side, rather than on a client-side PC, the software and service delivery cycle takes between just a few days and a few weeks.