<p>Offshore software development has become increasingly popular over the last decade, with more and more businesses seeking access to high-quality, cost-effective software services all around the globe.</p><p>Along with this progress, several trends have emerged within the scene, so let’s see some of the top offshore software development trends that have happened in 2023.</p><h2>AI-powered development becomes the norm</h2><p>Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, from chatbots to self-driving vehicles. More software development companies are now utilizing AI to increase productivity, reduce human error, and improve customer experience.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Robot_face_rafiki_c4f0e74c08.png"><figcaption>(People illustrations by Storyset)</figcaption></figure><p>So far, there have been AI tools capable of speeding up the coding process, automating code documentation, managing <a href="https://fabatechnology.com/resources/technical-debt-when-code-debt-can-t-be-paid-with-just-code">technical debts</a>, and even assisting with online meetings through generated summaries and meeting notes.</p><p>For now, AI is not capable of replacing the human factor entirely, and developers who wish to stay ahead of the game will have to learn how to integrate these new tools into their workflow for better efficiency and higher-quality products.</p><h2>The rise of no-code and low-code development</h2><p>No-code or low-code platforms are a relatively recent invention born from the lack of competent human resources in the current IT industry.</p><p>By empowering non-technical users through easy-to-understand coding interfaces (such as implementing drag-and-drop tools), businesses can now quickly build apps and automate business processes without the need to write every code line-by-line.</p><p>Offshore firms can take advantage of this trend to develop high-quality software products without the need for skilled developers, creating a cost-effective solution for businesses.</p><h2>Doubling down on Cybersecurity</h2><p>A tighter lease on sensitive data is slowly becoming a major concern among many businesses, especially in fintech and healthcare — in turn, creating a demand for improved security measures in offshore projects.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Authentication_rafiki_ffd9a89194.png"><figcaption>(People illustrations by Storyset)</figcaption></figure><p>Popular measures include having a more secure coding practice, implementing risk assessments, and regular penetration testing. If you want to learn more about how cybersecurity works, check out our article on it here!</p><h2>Secure data with DevSecOps</h2><p>DevSecOps is a more secure alternative to the recently popular DevOps and has become an interest to many businesses looking to have a safer, more efficient development flow.</p><p>Short for Development, Security, and Operations — DevSecOps takes the concept of collaboration from DevOps and pushes it further to create an efficient development process with security measures in every step.</p><h2>Blockchain usage in cybersecurity and software development</h2><p>While the presence of blockchain is no longer new, its potential usage outside of cryptocurrency is still underutilized. Blockchain-based authentication methods are now seen by many as a promising alternative to the currently outdated “username and password” method.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Bitcoin_P2_P_rafiki_237fc05041.png"><figcaption>(People illustrations by Storyset)</figcaption></figure><p>Blockchain-based cybersecurity also offers businesses another advantage in the form of decentralized data storage, which makes it more challenging for hackers and prevents designated denial of service (DDoS) attacks.</p><h2>Web3 — blockchain-powered internet</h2><p>Continuing from blockchain, the IT industry has been seeing the rise of Web3 — the next iteration of the internet we know with a focus on decentralization via blockchain technology.</p><p>Web3 provides an alternative digital transaction method that is seen as more secure and direct without needing a third-party intermediary such as banks or PayPal.</p><p>This movement has started to push many businesses, including many offshore firms, to specialize in Web3 development.</p><h2>Optimize efficiency with hybrid development teams</h2><p>Many tech businesses are now embracing the concept of having both offshore and onshore teams working together so they could either gain a larger talent pool, a 24/7 development cycle, or the flexibility that comes with offshoring.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Remote_meeting_rafiki_2_88108ba9c6.png"><figcaption>(People illustrations by Storyset)</figcaption></figure><p>Managing such a distributed team does come with its own management and communication problems, but with the proper usage of collaboration tools, alongside specialized training in soft skills for employees, businesses can now scale their development teams more efficiently.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>One of the benefits of being in the tech scene is that you will see exciting changes happening to the industry every year, but it also creates a demand for many businesses and developers to keep themselves up to date with the latest trends to ensure quality products/services.</p><p>If you need further help, FABA Technology strives to be transparent and help clients fully understand what the IT outsourcing business entails. Let us help you bring in the expertise you need and get your projects done as smoothly as possible.</p><p>To check out what benefits can FABA Technology bring you, contact us&nbsp;<a href="https://fabatechnology.com/contact-us">here</a>.</p>

large_Top Trend 2023.png

medium_Top Trend 2023.png

small_Top Trend 2023.png

thumbnail_Top Trend 2023.png

Top Trend 2023.png

Knowledge

Blog

Top Offshore Development Trends in 2023

large_VISUAL-04.jpg

medium_VISUAL-04.jpg

small_VISUAL-04.jpg

thumbnail_VISUAL-04.jpg

VISUAL-04.jpg

<p>As Asia continues proving its worth as a leading destination for offshore software development and IT solutions, India and Vietnam have gradually positioned themselves among the top choices in this area.</p><h2>How India and Vietnam prove its worth in offshore development</h2><p>The landscape of offshore software development in Asia has witnessed a significant shift in recent years. Traditionally, India has been a global leader, but today, Vietnam is emerging as a formidable contender.</p><h2>A vast talent pool</h2><p>India has a large labor force that includes both young and seasoned professionals. A sizable proportion of the population is under the age of 25 and working. According to recent data, India has <strong>approximately 5 million tech workers</strong> of diverse skill levels, ranging from entry-level programmers to experienced architects and project managers.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Your_paragraph_text_4_1_adb1241eab.png"></figure><p>Vietnam, too, has a relatively young population. <strong>Over 60% of its population is under 35</strong>, providing a rich source of tech talent. In recent years, Vietnam has been experiencing robust growth in its IT sector, with a growing number of tech workers, estimated to r<strong>each 1.2 million by 2023</strong>, according to <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/vietnam/overview">VINASA</a>.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Your_paragraph_text_1_1c0caa3df3.png"></figure><h2>High level of expertise</h2><p>India has the largest English-speaking IT talent pool in the world. Over 120,000 trained IT professionals are being added to the Indian talent pool yearly compared to 25,000 in the US.</p><blockquote><p>According to a study by Deloitte, more than 59% of participating countries had their Offshore Development Centers or were using outsourcing services from Indian Developers.</p></blockquote><p>62% of this Indian technical workforce has more than four years of experience and over 70% have an engineering degree. Additionally, a significant portion of the Indian workforce is proficient in English, making communication more accessible for international clients.</p><p>However, Vietnam is also rapidly gaining worldwide recognition for its skilled and adaptable workforce. The nation has highly skilled software developers with a proven track record. The most common programming languages in Vietnam are Java, PHP, .NET, and many other languages relating to AI, Machine learning, E-commerce, etc.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Your_paragraph_text_2_49d46b1f68.png"><figcaption>More than 45% of Vietnamese developers are from fresher to junior level, followed by 28% of middle levels. (Source: 2023 TopDev’s Vietnam Tech Talents Report)</figcaption></figure><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Untitled_4_2384ba7ee5.png"><figcaption>Vietnam is ranked 7th among Asian Countries with the best English proficiency, while India is at no. 9 (source: EF English Proficiency Index 2023 report)</figcaption></figure><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>Cost-effective development solution</h2><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Your_paragraph_text_3_ebcbefeba3.png"></figure><p>While cost should not be the only factor when choosing a destination, it is hard to ignore both India and Vietnam’s affordable yet valuable solutions.</p><p>With hourly rates ranging from $18 to $40, Indian software developers are a popular choice. Despite being a relatively young player in IT outsourcing, Vietnam, with 20+ years of experience, has established itself as a top destination. Offering competitive rates at $18-$32, it provides affordability without compromising on top-quality engineering services.</p><blockquote><p>Hiring a top software offshore development company in Vietnam can save 90% of the cost of operation compared to outsourcing in the US. Compared to China, the savings would be 50%, and 30% if to India.</p></blockquote><h2>Guaranteed government support</h2><p>India has a long history of political stability and government support for the IT industry. In 2017, the government invested over 100 billion dollars in building infrastructure and strengthening the IT sector to give companies better opportunities and strengths.</p><p>The Vietnamese government has recognized the importance of technology and innovation in driving economic growth. Policies and initiatives have been put in place to foster these sectors</p><ul><li>over US$15 billion in FDI attracted to the IT sector in 2022</li><li>over US$1 billion invested in IT education and training programs</li><li>50% corporate income tax reduction for enterprises operating in IT parks and industrial zones</li></ul><p>Moreover, the country was recently ranked among the most attractive destinations for countries in the GSLI 2017 report. That favorable data shows that more businesses are choosing to use offshore software development in Vietnam over other competitors, such as India.</p><h2>Wrapping up</h2><p>In the epic battle of IT outsourcing, India and Vietnam emerge as formidable contenders, each with its unique strengths. India stands as a titan, ideal for large-scale, intricate projects, while Vietnam, the agile newcomer, excels in smaller to medium-sized ventures, offering flexibility and cost-efficiency.</p><p>As businesses navigate the ever-evolving landscape, they are presented with a tantalizing choice between the seasoned expertise of India and the vibrant potential of Vietnam, making the Asian IT industry a captivating arena of endless possibilities.</p><p>Ready to explore the boundless potential of IT outsourcing in Vietnam? <strong>Contact us</strong> today to unlock a world of offshore development opportunities.</p>

large_VN vs India.png

medium_VN vs India.png

small_VN vs India.png

thumbnail_VN vs India.png

VN vs India.png

Vietnam vs India - Offshore Development Destination Comparison

<h2>Introduction</h2><p>Offshore development has started to gain a lot of popularity in the past decade, and many businesses with incompatible local workforces are looking into this cost-effective opportunity.</p><p>Despite this, many still consider hiring an offshore team to be a major gamble. This article is here to debunk your concerns on whether to directly scale up your in-house team, or let the offshore vendor lend you a hand.</p><p>Before we begin, here is a quick summary of what in-house and offshore software development can bring you:</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Inhouse_vs_offshore_1_83dd24bba5.png"></figure><h2>In-house software development</h2><h3>Pros</h3><h4>Allows business prioritization</h4><p>In-house team is yours and yours alone, so they will be able to prioritize tasks quickly, provided they have enough resources, as opposed to an offshore team who will have to juggle between your projects and many other client’s projects and may not have enough resources to prioritize your projects should emergency tasks occurred.</p><p>An in-house team, which is solely yours, can efficiently prioritize tasks if they have sufficient resources, unlike an offshore team that may struggle to balance multiple projects and may not have sufficient resources for emergency tasks.</p><h4>Direct and streamlined communication</h4><p>This is a no-brainer, sharing the same location and language can contribute a lot to a successful communication flow. Expectations and requirements will also be more clearly defined in the case of an in-house team, and any sudden occurrences can be quickly tackled with no wait time.</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Voice_chat_rafiki_10565c4594.png"></figure><h4>Building internal experts</h4><p>A factor that comes exclusively with having an in-house team is that in time, your members will become more proficient and knowledgeable about your workflow and project knowledge, and can be deemed as highly skilled employees.</p><p>On the other hand, an offshore team will only achieve this benefit if you are using some form of long-term working model with them, such as a <a href="https://fabatechnology.com/resources/offshore-packages-pros-and-cons">Dedicated Team</a> business model.</p><h4>Mutual understanding and high ownership</h4><p>In-house teams are more closely connected to the company’s culture, mission, and values — not only will the team be easier to work with, but they will also be more likely to develop a stronger sense of ownership at work.</p><h3>Cons</h3><h4>Costly hires</h4><p>Using an in-house team means spending money for both recruiting and maintaining the crew — creating a cost-consuming factor that business owners should consider whether it is worth it or not.</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Money_stress_rafiki_fadf7e97cc.png"></figure><h4>Low retention/ high turnover rates</h4><p>A recent trend among many young developers is a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/retention-rate-importance-gen-z-employee-needs-layoffs-tech/">lower retention rate</a>, and there’s nothing much you can do about this problem.</p><p>However, this weakness can be very annoying when your area has a limited hiring range, leading to a slow recovery when your business is losing manpower.</p><h4>Limited recruitment pool</h4><p>Building an in-house team in an unfavorable location will cost you a lot of time and money, and it is not guaranteed that you will even be able to succeed.</p><p>Even worse, competition from local businesses, especially in high-tech areas, can make it difficult for you to find available workers.</p><h2>Offshore software development</h2><h3>Pros</h3><h4>Expanded talent range</h4><p>Moving your business range to another continent means a whole new hiring pool to dive into. This is extremely beneficial if your headquarters office is not located in an advantageous area.</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/International_cooperation_rafiki_a2a5edae70.png"></figure><p>Moreover, offshore development teams in Asian countries typically work for <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-country-best-outsourcing-software-development-asia/">much lower rates</a> than developers in the US or UK, and all the hassle that comes with hiring will always be done in advance by the offshore firm, saving you both money and time.</p><h4>Different business perspective</h4><p>A different perspective can give you more ideas on how to tackle your products, this can be vital in retaining creativity in the process. This advantage can be very beneficial if you are planning to penetrate a market abroad or wants to have more idea during the beginning phases of your projects.</p><h4>On-demand access to specialized talents</h4><p>Access to a bigger talent pool will help you when your original location is lacking IT specialists in fields such as big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc.</p><p>This will not only save you time and money but maintaining and staffing these specialists post-project becomes a non-issue, saving you and your crew from all the stress and worries.</p><h4>Easy to scale</h4><p>Certain projects might require your team to scale up/down — a task that is very difficult for in-house teams but is trivialized when using an offshore team.</p><h3>Cons</h3><h4>Communication problems</h4><p>This is an age-old problem that comes with having a team from afar, but it’s worth mentioning again. Problems such as language barriers, timezone differences, and clashes between working styles and cultures will always occur.</p><p>Thanks to the recent improvement of communication/management tools made to support remote work, offshore development has become easier to handle. As such, this problem has quickly become less of a disadvantage and more of an inherent challenge that every offshore firm worth its salt must learn to overcome.</p><h4>Risk to data security</h4><p>A problem inherent in offshoring is that your sensitive data is at risk of a security breach — leading to legal problems that could cost a lot of money to solve.</p><p>What you should do to rectify this problem is to ensure that the offshore firm signs a contract entailing which sides are responsible during cases of security breach, as well as integrate security protocol into your development process to ensure maximum security.</p><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Cyber_attack_rafiki_1_4124f5fe7b.png"></figure><h4>Quality concerns</h4><p>Since quality and skill standards for hires are different in other countries, there is a concern among many businesses that the quality of their products will be affected — further emphasized by the feelings of paying for cost-effective services to get the job done.</p><p>Despite this, all offshore firms are willing to match themselves to the standards that businesses may live up to. However, it is up to you to communicate your standards clearly to the firm to ensure transparency.</p><h2>Which one is the best approach for software development?</h2><p>As a matter of fact, no team is better than the other, how compatible they are with the type of projects you are thinking of should be decided by you alone. What we would recommend is to consult with the offshore firm of your choice to see how they can benefit you.</p><p>With that said, we would advise you to look at the following factors when considering whether to offshore or not:</p><ul><li>Project scope</li><li>Timeline</li><li>Budget</li><li>Possibility of scaling</li><li>Current access to talents at your location</li></ul><h2>In-house VS offshore software development — closing words</h2><p>Deciding between using in-house development or offshore development should be considered carefully, as each methodology offers different sets of advantages and comes with its own extra challenges that you should tackle to ensure a successful project.</p><p>Consider the many factors and see whether you want to incorporate an offshore team or not. To make it quicker, reach out to us for a consultation and see how your projects can benefit from offshore software development <a href="https://fabatechnology.com/contact-us">here</a>.</p>

large_Inhouse vs offshore (3).png

medium_Inhouse vs offshore (3).png

small_Inhouse vs offshore (3).png

thumbnail_Inhouse vs offshore (3).png

Inhouse vs offshore (3).png

Pros & Cons of In-house VS Offshore Software Development

<p style="text-align:justify;">DevOps has swiftly captured the attention of the IT industry, and for all the right reasons. In today's work climate, faster delivery and shorter turnaround times in the software development industry have become critical to an organization's success. As a result, the demand for high-quality output with few post-production mistakes gave rise to DevOps. Let us learn more about DevOps and the benefits that it brings to your team.</p><h2 style="text-align:justify;">What Is DevOps?</h2><p>The word "DevOps" was coined by merging the terms "software development" (Dev) and "operations" (Ops). Patrick Debois created the phrase in 2009 to allow for the rapid and effective distribution of software updates, bug fixes, and improvements.</p><p>Varied people have different interpretations of what DevOps is. No matter how you define DevOps, it is critical to understand how to embark on the DevOps journey in order to enjoy the benefits. Below are the benefits of a DevOps Strategy.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/20945896_518d4099c5.jpg"></figure><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">1. Collaboration</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevOps promotes an environment where the different teams work together to achieve common organizational objectives. This means that the teams in your organization won’t be isolated and won’t work toward department-specific goals anymore.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Plus, a good DevOps strategy can motivate people from different departments to come together and brainstorm the areas of improvement in the operational workflow of a product.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">2. Speed</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">From farm to table, from code to customer. The faster you release great software, the faster you can embrace the business value of the product features.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevOps speeds up the pace at which you deliver your software features and modifications through automated testing and integration.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">3. Innovation</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevOps nurtures innovation by enabling the teams to learn more and understand customer expectations better. Innovation typically stems from brainstorming different perspectives and bouncing ideas off each other.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">4. Customer Satisfaction</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Your customers hate waiting for products, and the longer you make them wait, the worse the adverse impact.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">As DevOps streamlines the different aspects of your workflow, you’ll be able to offer your products at a lower cost when compared to a competitor who doesn’t do DevOps.</span></p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lghqzDDLeF5RQvcd6Rd-4waEExVesJloZQsqwYUuMCA0AYKE9iuecWRu5pSyKuS7r4uZDwEmreh5h3mFOyrcYWaauVAtNrqZ9LA-ZJUCkcQJLnNcXgv7ApweWNaGzxjbUE7kxcZ3=s1600"></figure><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">5. Agility</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The demands of modern customers are intense in terms of product complexity and time. To combat such challenges and to stay ahead of the competition, enterprises have to infuse agility into their processes.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">6. Quality and Reliability</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The quality of your software is important for obvious reasons, and DevOps can help you maximize that.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevOps adoption improves service reliability, as it improves the availability and connectivity of services needed for the smooth running of a business.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">7. Security</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevSecOps is a way of approaching IT security with an “everyone is responsible for security” mindset. It involves injecting security practices into an organization’s DevOps pipeline. The goal is to incorporate security into all stages of the software development workflow.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">8. Competitive Advantage</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">As a result, DevOps helps a business to be competitive are quicker software releases, high-quality features, continuous feedback incorporation, and maximized ROI.</span></p><h2><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">9. Costs Reduction</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>9.1. Downtime costs</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Network unavailability can be catastrophic. Companies pay the price in billions for network downtime.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">DevOps, with its automated testing and continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) practices, can help developers produce more efficient code and also identify and fix bugs quickly</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;"><strong>9.2. Software release costs</strong></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">By automating your release pipeline, DevOps enables you to release your software faster. It also reduces the manpower needed for the process and slashes software release costs significantly.</span></p><h1 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Conclusion</span></h1><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">And those are how your company can benefit from DevOps. FABA Technology can provide your company with a comprehensive strategy to elevate your product’s flow and quality. Reach out to us for a free consultation </span><a href="https://fabatechnology.com/contact-us"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><u>here.</u></span></a></p><p><br>&nbsp;</p>

large_Blog - BENIFIT.png

medium_Blog - BENIFIT.png

small_Blog - BENIFIT.png

thumbnail_Blog - BENIFIT.png

Blog - BENIFIT.png

Benefits of a DevOps Strategy

medium_icon-user.png

small_icon-user.png

thumbnail_icon-user.png

icon-user.png

<h2 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">What is a Software Release Cycle?</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">A software release life cycle is the total of a computer software's stages of development and maturity. A cycle extends from its original development to its ultimate release, including updated versions of the released version to improve the product or fix present bugs.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">A software release cycle typically consists of 3 main stages, Development, Release, and Support. Let us take a closer look at what each stage entails.</span></p><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Software_release_cycle_b95b249563.png"></figure><h2 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Stages of development</span></h2><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Pre-alpha</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">Pre-alpha refers to all activities performed during the software project before testing. These activities can include requirements analysis, software design, software development, and unit testing.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Alpha</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin software testing</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Beta</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">Software in the beta phase will generally have more bugs in it than the complete version, such as speed, or performance issues, and may still cause crashes or data loss.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Perpetual Beta</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">New features functionality are continually added to the software without establishing a final “stable” release.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Open and Closed Beta</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">Developers may release either a closed beta, also called private beta, or open beta, also known as public beta. Closed beta versions are released to a restricted group of individuals for a user test invitation, while open beta testers are from a larger selected group, or anyone interested.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Release Candidate (RC)</span></h3><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">All product features have been designed, coded, and tested through one or more beta cycles with no known showstopper-class bugs.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Release</span></h3><h4><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#666666;">Release to Manufacturing (RTM)</span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">At this stage, the product is ready to be delivered.</span></p><h4><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#666666;">General Availability (GA)</span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">In the GA stage, all necessary commercialization activities have been completed, and the software product is available for purchase.&nbsp;</span></p><h4><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#666666;">Release to Web (RTW)</span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">This is a software delivery stage that makes use of the Internet as a distribution channel.</span></p><h3 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#111111;">Support</span></h3><h4><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#666666;">End-of-life</span></h4><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#222222;">Once the software is no longer sold or supported, the product is said to have end-of-life. However, user loyalty may continue to exist for some time even long after its platform is obsolete.&nbsp;</span></p><h2 style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Conclusion</span></h2><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The software release cycle oversees a constant change throughout the whole process because any software will always have its updated version until and unless it reaches end of life (EOL). Each update is an opportunity to fine-tune everything from your process to your checklist as your team learns which roadmap works best for what type of launch—and which doesn't.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">FABA Technology can provide you with the dream team to help you achieve your product milestone, no matter which stage you’re at. Get in touch with us for a free consultation </span><a href="https://fabatechnology.com/contact-us"><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#1155cc;"><strong><u>here.</u></strong></span></a></p>

large_Blog - Software Release Cycle.png

medium_Blog - Software Release Cycle.png

small_Blog - Software Release Cycle.png

thumbnail_Blog - Software Release Cycle.png

Blog - Software Release Cycle.png

Software Release Cycle

<p>Technical debt is no new problem in software development. The causes may vary, but its negative consequences stay obvious if you let the debt accumulate over time.</p><p>In this second part of the Technical Debt series, let's discover how technical debt builds up, and the best ways to reduce it.</p><h2>How technical debt accumulates over time</h2><p>Technical debt accumulates in every business, just in different ways. <strong>Remember, not all technical debt is bad.</strong> Just like you sometimes need to borrow money to finance a business expansion, it is okay to take on a manageable amount of tech debt to grow or accelerate your business.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Untitled_f820c0fb8e.png"></figure><p>To better manage trade-offs, engineering organizations must understand how technical debt accumulates. Here are a few common reasons it starts to grow:</p><h3><strong>Deadline pressure</strong></h3><p>Tight project schedules or urgent demands may force developers to take shortcuts to meet delivery deadlines, leading to less-than-ideal solutions.</p><h3><strong>Lack of experience</strong></h3><p>Inexperienced software developers might inadvertently write code that isn’t efficient or maintainable.</p><h3><strong>Changing scope</strong></h3><p>If requirements shift during development, previously well-designed code might become obsolete or incompatible.</p><h3><strong>Temporary solutions</strong></h3><p>Sometimes, developers implement quick fixes or short-term solutions to address immediate issues, intending to revisit them later (which often never happens).</p><h3><strong>Ignoring code quality</strong></h3><p>Failure to adhere to coding standards and best practices can lead to bad code debt that is difficult to read, understand, and maintain.</p><h3><strong>Outdated technologies</strong></h3><p>Using obsolete or deprecated technologies can create technical debt as they become harder to maintain and integrate with newer solutions.</p><h3><strong>Inadequate testing</strong></h3><p>Only complete or sufficient testing may cause undetected bugs or vulnerabilities, leading to future complications.</p><h2>The importance of reducing technical debt</h2><p>Reducing technical debt on time is crucial since accumulated code debt poses a danger not only to the product but also to the entire business.</p><p>When technical debt is not correctly handled, it can result in both financial and technical concerns, such as:</p><ul><li>increased expenses</li><li>lower productivity</li><li>security-related issues</li><li>decreased product quality</li><li>decreased user experience</li></ul><h2><strong>Why you should not aim for zero technical debt</strong></h2><p>As previously said, every business develops some sort of tech debt. Attempting to erase all technical debt is unrealistic for the following reasons:</p><ul><li>Reducing technical debt requires an investment of time and resources, which may result in severe delays and make timely delivery impossible</li><li>Development teams must prioritize delivering business value. If project requirements change, they must follow suit</li><li>Not all technical debt carries the same level of risk; so trying to eliminate a low-impact technical debt may be a waste of time and resources</li><li>Time allocated solely to eliminating technical debt may take away from other important activities, such as developing new features or addressing critical bugs</li></ul><h2>Best practices to reduce technical debt</h2><p>While technical debt is unavoidable (and even necessary) in certain situations, effective debt-reducing measures are crucial to prevent it from hurting the long-term software development process.</p><p>Here are some strategies you can use to manage and reduce tech debt:</p><h3>Acknowledge your debt</h3><p>It often happens that companies acquire technical debt without realizing it. However, there is a tipping point when the technical debt is no longer a “blessing” but a “curse”. The earlier you acknowledge it, the easier it is for you to reduce it.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Untitled_1_ca9e0e52ac.png"></figure><h3>Measure your debt</h3><p>This can help set realistic debt reduction goals and track progress over time. Here are a few ways to measure technical debt:</p><ul><li><strong>Code metrics:</strong> such as code duplication and cyclomatic complexity; the higher these values, the higher the debt</li><li><strong>Defect density:</strong> the number of known defects divided by the size of the number of lines of code; a high defect density often signals a high amount of technical debt.</li><li><strong>Code churn:</strong> refers to the frequency with which code is modified. A high rate of code churn suggests that the software carries technical debt.</li><li><strong>Time-to-market:</strong> as technical debt accumulates, new features take longer to implement as developers must navigate and manage a more complex codebase.</li></ul><h3><strong>Document your debt</strong></h3><ol><li><strong>Update your project documentation regularly</strong></li></ol><p>Without up-to-date documentation, developers risk creating solutions that aren’t fully aligned with the project requirements, which eventually leads to technical debt. Similarly, when product requirements change and technical debt is discovered, the documentation should be updated as soon as possible.</p><p>It is best to start the documentation even before the development begins.</p><ol><li><strong>Maintain the debt list as part of a Scrum product backlog</strong></li></ol><p>Treat each debt as a user story, and the estimated effort and schedule to pay off each debt is estimated the same way other stories are estimated in Scrum.</p><ol><li><strong>Identify risks and dependencies early on</strong></li></ol><p>Once you have identified the dependencies and risks, you need to align the project schedules and milestones with the dependent teams or stakeholders to avoid delays or conflicts. Additionally, it is important to define clear roles and responsibilities for managing the dependencies and risks, and communicate them to all the involved parties. Lastly, allocate sufficient time, resources, and contingency buffers to handle the dependencies and risks.</p><h3>Ensure code quality and cleanliness</h3><ol><li><strong>Establish a clear Definition of Done and coding standards</strong></li></ol><p>With a <strong>clear and standardized Definition of Done</strong>, the team will be on the same page and complete all that needs to be done for a project to be delivered. By defining and following coding standards, you can avoid technical debt caused by messy, confusing, or inconsistent code. No steps skipped and no corners cut, the quality delivered will stay high and consistent with every sprint.</p><ol><li><strong>Take code reviews and pair programming serious</strong></li></ol><p>When pairing in programming, developers review each other's code for quality. However, it is important for the code reviewer to not just play the role of someone checking quality, but as someone who elevates the overall quality standards.</p><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Untitled_2_aa45ccbaf4.png"></figure><p><strong>Refactor code regularly</strong> Refactoring can help eliminate technical debt by removing redundant, obsolete, or duplicated code, simplifying complex or convoluted logic, enhancing modularity and reusability, and fixing bugs or vulnerabilities. Refactoring code regularly can also make it easier to adapt to changing requirements, add new features, or integrate with other systems.</p><p><strong>Avoid over-engineering</strong> While writing maintainable code is crucial, avoid over-engineering solutions that can lead to unnecessary complexity and potential technical debt.</p><p><strong>Don’t “test it later,” do it now</strong></p><p>Testing is not just about finding bugs but ensuring alignment with business needs. It is the practice of verifying that the code meets the expected specifications, requirements, and quality standards. Done right, testing can help avoid technical debt by detecting and preventing errors, bugs, or failures that can compromise the functionality, performance, or security of the software.</p><h3>Communicate about the debt</h3><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://api.fabatechnology.com/uploads/Untitled_3_d291e86af3.png"></figure><p><strong>Educate non-technical stakeholders</strong></p><p>One of the critical aspects of managing your technical debt is ensuring that people who make decisions understand the importance of reducing technical debt. The more you explain why technical debt occurs and why it is essential to pay it down, the easier it will be to get them on your side.</p><p><strong>Align technical decisions with business objectives</strong> When addressing technical debt, make decisions that align with your business goals and requirements. Prioritize managing the most crucial technical debt that corresponds with your product roadmap and the long-term strategies of your company.</p><blockquote><p>Remember: completely eliminating technical debt is often impractical and unnecessary. Debt speeds development. Your goal should be to manage it effectively and balance handling existing debt and delivering new features.</p></blockquote><h2>Closing</h2><p>In conclusion, dealing with technical debt is about prioritizing goals, taking your code seriously, and organizing the team’s work. To reduce technical debt, it is crucial to understand the reasons for its occurrence, the specific size of the debt, and its characteristics. You also need to find a way to communicate about it with key stakeholders and tell them about all the crucial points of this issue.</p><p>In the next article, let’s dive deeper into how technical debt can impact your business in the long run.</p>

From Our Experts

Top Offshore Development Trends in 2023

Vietnam vs India - Offshore Development Destination Comparison

Pros & Cons of In-house VS Offshore Software Development

Benefits of a DevOps Strategy

Software Release Cycle

Reducing Technical Debt: Best Practices for Future-proofing Your Projects