Outsourcing software development companies

Software development outsourcing by specialize companies in this type of activity. The reason for such a “complication” of their own activities, as well as the reason for outsourcing in general, is whether the economic feasibility of such separation operations.

For example, a software testing companies specializing in developing high-tech software (for example, applications that handle three-dimensional graphics), can undertake the project to develop and implement a business application that contains a knowledge-based functionality, and quite typical components such as input forms in the database. In this case, the development of generic components, not related to the provision of its own «know-how», these companies may very well entrust to another company in need of orders and specializes in high-tech developments. Known examples where such outsourcing was dictated not so much economic benefit as unwillingness to charge “types” of highly qualified developers, specializing in high-tech solutions, or to hire programmers average.

Another option is to transfer a third-party contractor to write the entire application code and is widely practiced by U.S. companies, although common in Europe and in Russia. These companies have a staff of managers and business analysts, carrying out the tasks for the automation of business processes (for example, using the tools of ARIS) and requirements management (eg using Rational Requisite Pro or Borland Caliber RM), but have no application developers or experts on writing server code, or testers. Finished the same requirements and models are sent to other companies (sometimes located in another region or another country), which create the applications code c using designated for that purpose tools.

Quite often, third-party companies sent more “alienated” part of the projects rather than code snippets. Thus, the creation of user manuals to “box” products are often entrusted to companies specializing exclusively in this type of work. The fact that these companies usually have in the state not only the technical writers and professionals to embed reference systems in applications, but also editors and proofreaders with philological education, and often - and interpreters for foreign languages, and editors are able to change foreign text. The reason for the prevalence of such outsourcing is simple. Technical writer in the state of the development company may be (though in smaller companies it is usually still be underloaded). But keep in the company-developer of editors, proofreaders, web designers, translators are usually quite profitable, as well as assign their functions to project managers or managers.

Application testing is a rather popular trend of outsourcing software development. On the one hand, the testing procedures are an important component of quality assurance, and to be tailored to the requirements of product quality standards, they must be strictly regulated. And even if the issue of compliance with quality standards is not worth the lack of full testing during product development is a major risk factor. This can make a separate project entirely unprofitable, due to the need to eliminate the defects already in the process of industrial exploitation of the product, or because of the need to compensate for losses caused by errors in the operation of the developed product, which can cause serious damage to the reputation of the company.

On the other hand, the software testing services process is usually quite expensive. The company, a developer often has at its disposal a wide variety of hardware resources and operating system versions. These resources are available in some large software companies, but the medium and small companies and can not speak. One of the common types of outsourcing is to develop an intranet-based applications, which are specialized in data QA services companies.

However, we must not forget that there are risks associated with that partner, who ordered the outsourcing of development, could eventually begin to compete with a former client through knowledge gained in the development project. Leaving aside questions of ethics of such behavior, just stating a fact - this happens in all countries, and rare, such cases can not be named. Therefore, the key part of the project, as a rule, you can not assign partners.