What is near-shore software development?

Organizations today are trying their best to reduce average cost of production and increase their profit margin or in some case give price relief to their customers. With the increase in competition levels around the world firms are looking left and right to increase their productivity levels and generate more revenues. However this may sound easy but in truth it takes a lot of thinking and managerial input. One method adopted by organizations to reduce their budding cost levels is the concept of outsourcing software development. Outsourcing software development has three different layers; Onshore, Offshore and Near-shore.

The term near-shore was first introduced back in 1998 when an American software development company decided to set up business in the Caribbean island of Barbados. Near-shore software outsourcing is an easier alternative to offshoring since it enables the organization to take advantage of lower costs (but potentially not as low as offshore) but with a close physical location, easy communication and the same time zone. The use of near-shore software development method can help negate certain drawbacks of outsourcing. One of the potential drawbacks of outsourcing was the lack of communication between the firm and the hired client. To eradicate or minimize this risk, the methodology of near-shoring was adopted. This would allow the firm to employee a contractor that is in a relatively close proximity to the parent firm and operates in similar time zones. Therefore, by adopting the method of near-shoring the firm can build a better communication network and incorporate relevant and appropriate feedbacks.

However the issue with using the method of offshore outsourcing is that the firm can face language barrier problems, and due to the long distance the quality of communication gets hampered. With the increase in geographical distance, the time zone varies further handicapping the quality of communication between the firm and their outsourcing partner. In this regard, most of the companies adopting near-shore outsourcing methods try and work around the possible communication barrier by making changes to their organizational culture are adopting a more flexible organizational hierarchy where the outsourcing partner is incorporated. Hence, they try and look for new market segments or development source that is in closer proximity and allows for ease of access.

Near-shoring allows an organization to operate in an environment which they are completely familiar with. It is essential that an organization is aware of the macro and micro environment workings of the country where the organization is planning to near-shore. With similar time zones, language, work ethics and labor laws, the organization can ensure a smooth working environment.

Countries and companies that view themselves as near-shore position themselves as offering some of the benefits of offshoring (namely cost reduction), while mitigating other difficulties—especially those imposed by distance. Most firms today are using the concept of near-shoring to promote cultural integrity and to position themselves as a global firm operating in more than one country.

With the threat of intellectual theft becoming ever present as technology advances, organizations are trying to bring operational activities closer and making a more compact organizational culture. Therefore, near-shore software development and activities have gained wide, spread acclaim. Not only are organizations trying to reduce the threat of cybercrime, but by adopting near-shore outsourcing practices the parent organization is in close proximity to the clients and their customers. Therefore this increases the applicability of the customer responsiveness and decreasing the turnaround time. Thus this allows the firm to make necessary changes to the product based on the relevant feedback given by the consumer.

Mindfire Solutions has been providing expert offshore software development services since the last 16 years. Our clients have praised our software development services and customer centric behavior through their testimonials that can be found at Mindfire Solutions dot com. If that convinces you enough to test our strengths in software development please drop in your requirements to sales at Mindfire Solutions dot com.

Planning for a Web App 6 Things You Should Consider Before Getting Started

“Web apps are the next generation web applications to replace websites. Web apps can also be treated as smart sites i.e. websites for smart phones. In the era of smart phones, no industry can ignore the power of web apps for the benefit of its business. Every e-commerce site or other website owners want to create a web app form for their users. As a result, there is an overnight demand of web apps in the industry. But for a successful web app, you must follow some concrete methodologies before you fly into the development process- let’s find them out”!

Cost of development is the most important deciding factor: Money is the most important factor for any business or transaction. It determines which business you should start or at which level your business service should run. Similarly, when you want to build a web app, you must consider the amount that you are able to invest for the process otherwise, you may end up your money in the middle of the development process. Better to determine your budget for the web app before you kick start the development process. Again, you should also consider whether you want to gain profit from your web app; if so then in how much time and all.

Time constraint should be considered: Suppose you are already running a successful business and you want to expand it for the next level, then you should consider the time factor. You should consider how much time you would like to give for the development process. Yes, the deadline used to extend and you must aware of this before you decide to develop your web app for your business. Accordingly, you can make a planning for the development process so that; you can get your REFINED end product before your time limit. It is extremely difficult to build a good approach to meet your time line and quality altogether; still you have to try your best to consider every possible constraint that may delay your process.

Choose the right platform: This is yet another important factor to consider for your venture. There are basically 3 platforms i.e. Android, iOS and Windows. I think you should much bother about Windows until you have already web apps for both Android and iOS. Android has a better market presence in the globe whereas iOS maintains higher standard for its apps. If you want to get a good profit from your app, then you can opt for iOS; but make sure that, you are creating a quality web app otherwise; your app may not be considered for iOS app store. Again for an iOS app, you have to pay little extra as the development cost since iOS developers demand more in the industry. On the other hand, Android platform is having a larger community and you can reach at more number of users through Android. So if you want to reach at more number of users then you can consider Android platform for the development process. Again Android play store is open for everyone so you needn’t to bother about the permission to launch your web app on Android platform. Here the development cost will be less as compared to iOS. So you have to decide wisely which platform suite your business best considering the above points.

Market research and know your target audience: This is the most important consideration for any new business. You must research market properly and find out who are your target audience because it will help you in creating a better canvas for your business. Suppose your target audience is the youth section then you can design your web app accordingly to attract the youth. This becomes extremely vital for the success of your business and you should take this decision consciously with prior research and effort.

Know your competitors before you proceed: Every business is surrounded by a large number of competitors. May it be a small food stall or a big enterprise; there is competition everywhere. In order to sustain in the market you have to provide as better service as your competitors provide. Hence you must shortlist the top competitors of your business and you should go through their web apps if available for your reference. Then accordingly you can develop your assessments for a better web app with more features or improved features for your users. This is a must for every business to consider their competitor’s activities thoroughly so that they can able to modify their business strategy from time to time and hence the web app.

Design the first layout with extensive effort and time: After market research and competitors activities you can sit down and start sketching your business application with your consultants in order to make a better web app for your user. Never underestimate the power of user experience for any business. A bad user experience can ruin your all hard work in no time. So be careful before crafting your template for the business web app. The first layout that you have designed is never becomes the last one. In fact you have to go through multiple iterative processes to reach at a better design. For the same, you need to put all your effort, expertise and you also have to consider the suggestions from your consultants and business associates for an improved user interface. This stage is the most important stage of your entire lifecycle and hence you should take as much time and effort as you can for the success of your business application in future. You can also consider hiring some experienced professionals for this purpose so that they can help you in designing a better pattern for your web app.

If needed, you should outsource your development work to an offshore software development firm. There are many third party software companies or offshore software development firms having a tremendous expertise in your required domain. For safety, you can outsource your web app project to a reliable offshore software development company for better result. You can consider the most trusted offshore software development destination of the world i.e., India for the development process of your web app. You can definitely get an amazing experience with the software developers of an Indian firm for outstanding result that too at less cost.

At Mindfire Solutions, we have been handling custom web application development requirements of our clients since 15 years now. We have dedicated teams for ColdFusion, PHP, PHP Frameworks, Python, ASP.Net and Java to name a few. We also have senior developers in various popular CMS like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal. If you need any assistance in creating engaging web applications for your target customers, please feel free to write to us. As a limited period offer, you can also avail our Risk-Free Trial offer.

Offshore Software Development. What is the need?

Globalization has popularized offshore development practices by small, medium and large industries. Building a strong online presence is a key factor today to spell success for online businesses. To achieve this end, it is vital to create an exclusive identity on the Internet that would help the businesses to reach out to the target audiences beyond the boundaries of a particular country. Such businesses require software development and other services to create an online identity. This is where the offshore software development services have a role to play. The need for the services arises out of various factors. If a company allots its software projects to an offshore service provider, then it can focus completely on its core businesses.

The companies offering these services to their clients ensure customized applications throughout the various stages of software development lifecycle. Usually these companies operate like partners with the core company to work on several kinds of projects and proposals. The services enable the companies to enhance their ROI and reduce costing. In addition there is no need to hire any IT professionals. The offshore software development company will have the required team of IT professionals to do the needful. Experienced Java, PHP and .Net programmers work in tandem with the clients to deliver a successful product. Thus, the entire process of recruitment and training is not necessary at all. This saves both time and money.

Migration of applications is required while developing software. The outsourcing services have the desired expertise to deal with the migration of the application across various platforms. There are a number of clients who want to port their applications to .NET, MySQL, MS Access or J2EE. Creating a product is not enough. It is also essential to maintain it. These companies offer maintenance of the existing applications as well.

Outsourcing work is always a cost effective solution. In the western countries, the designers and software developers charge quite a huge sum for their services. But when they outsource the same work, the cost incurred is lesser. Inspite of charging minimum rates, the quality of work delivered by the offshore companies is quite high. The products that they deliver are in perfect sync with the international standards.

There has been a lot of speculation about communication with the outsourcing companies. Many opine that there might be language barrier or communication problems. But with the advancement of technology such problems have reduced. There are chats, videos, emails, video conferencing and many such solutions through which a company can easily correspond. If a western company is allotting work to Asian countries, there might be an issue with time. However, various companies in Asia have shifting duties. This solves all the problems as professionals are available 24X7 to communicate with their clients.

To develop software successfully it is essential to hire suitable talent. The outsourcing companies solve this issue as they have the resources whenever you need them. Thus, it is easy to employ talented resources at lesser amounts of money and without any retention hassles. The offshore services also ensure that the assigned project is delivered on the scheduled time. At the end you are sure to get your software within a stipulated timeframe. The service providers are capable of dealing with all kinds of solutions ranging from designing, development, innovative results, effective solutions, technical expertise and complete business knowledge about various domains.

There is another reason why companies are increasingly choosing for offshore service providers. Besides providing cost effective solutions, they also provide customized applications. While collaborating with a particular company it is important that it understands your business well. Thus, when the projects are delivered the solutions are in perfect sync with the requirements. Depending on the kind of work the packages and prices are fixed. The customized solutions offered are more reliable and efficient. The tailor made solutions are highly effective to achieve the required results for the organization. You can get in touch with a custom software development India companies who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide software development services. If you would like to hire offshore developers for your web development needs. Please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Mistakes that Developers Make while Using 3rd Party API

Unlike a user interface, an application-programming interface (API) makes applications talk to each other without any user intervention. APIs are a set of programming instructions and standards that makes the user interface access other web tools and web-based software applications. Many companies, nowadays, make their APIs accessible to other businesses and users. So the software developers have option to use a wide range of third-party APIs to make their products powered by relevant services. But most developers forget some simple facts and commit common mistakes while designing software using third-party APIs.

Common Mistakes that Developers Make while Using 3^rd Party APIs

Ignoring Client-Side Problems

While using 3^rd party APIs, most developers forget the client-side problems. When a user requests a web page, the web page go to the API, the API in turn works from a remote source. Thus, the API takes some time to fetch the information from its originating source and deliver the web page to the user. Thus, an API can increase the web page request time. Many developers request for the API by making one-to-one ratio calls. The ways the calls are made can create problems at the client-side.

Inadequate Caching of Copies

Many developers even forget to create a cache for storing the API data for a shorter span of time. Normally, a business allows the public only to use their data through the API. But it does not permit users to capture any information. But the developers can always create a cache to store the information for a short time span. Despite having a shorter lifespan, the cache will make it easier for the developers to fetch the required information.

Not Checking Hang Time

When an application relies on a 3^rd party API to fetch and deliver information to users, the developers must remember that the interaction will take some time. Both processing the request and fetching the required information will require time. There are also chances that the applicator will not give any response to users when it is waiting for the data. The developers can use any web tool to identify the difference time gap between the request made by the users and the information delivered to the user. The developers must manage the hang time effectively to keep the users engaged.

Opting for XML over JSON

It is a common practice among developers to access 3^rd party APIs through XML. But they forget that JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) is more efficient and effective than XML to gather results from the API. JSON further allows developers to push raw API results through their response. Thus, JSON can push data faster by making the data stored on the server talking directly to the JavaScript code on the web page. Further, JSON makes the arrays and objects more flexible.

Not Testing the Code

Most programmers forget to check their code after integrating a 3^rd party API into their application. There are always chances that the use of an external API can have a huge impact on the functioning and performance of the web application. Further, some APIs need customization to work seamlessly with the software and deliver desired results. The 3^rd party APIs can be used without writing any complex code. But the developers must test their code thoroughly to ensure that the API complements the software’s functioning by delivering the expected results.

While using 3^rd party APIs, many developers even do not focus on legalities. When a company allows other developers to access its API, it requires them to adhere to the service agreement. So the developers must read the service agreement in detail while using or customizing the API. They must comply with the service agreement to optimize their software application’s performance without violating any rules. You can get in touch with a software development company India who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

We provide software development services. If you would like to hire offshore developers for your web development needs. Please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Why do Businesses Prefer Certified Developers in a Web Development Company?

A web development company has to concentrate on several factors to deliver rich internet applications on time and budget. Along with deciding the right web technologies and web application development frameworks, it also needs to hire the right web developers for its project. Many companies even hire offshore web programmers to keep project overheads under control. While hiring a web developer, each company must consider his training, skills, expertise and experience. A company can further reap several benefits by hiring certified developers. The professional certification reflects the developer’s in-depth knowledge on specific web technologies. Also, the company can consider hiring developer with certifications focusing on different aspects of web application development.

Why Many Businesses Prefer Hiring Certified Web Developers?

Several Web Development Certifications

As an employer, you have option to choose developers with different certifications. Some of these certifications are oriented towards beginners, whereas others require the programmers to have certain skills and experience. But each certification highlights the web programmer’s ability to design, code and implement websites and web applications. Normally, the beginners can obtain CIW Associate certification, CWD certification, HTML Developer Certificate from W3C, or other intermediate and advanced certifications. Some professionals even have certifications in widely used web technologies like Flash, Dreamweaver, ColdFusion, Java, JavaScript, Ruby on Rails, Python and Microsoft .NET.

Proficiency in Specific Web Technologies

To obtain a web design and development certification, the programmer is required to pass one or more exams. For instance, Microsoft requires web developers to pass two exams. One test covers the .NET Framework foundational skills, whereas the other focuses on web-based client development. So each web developers have to invest both time and effort to obtain the professional certification. Also, a developer has to understand the technology in detail by reading books and online materials. So the professional certification indicated the programmer’s proficiency and in-depth understanding of specific web technologies.

Faster Coding

Each company, nowadays, want to develop a robust internet application within a stipulated period of time. So many businesses look for the right web developers to curtail the overall development time and effort. To obtain any web development certification, the programmer has to learn the web technologies in depth. So he knows how to express a concept or accomplish complex tasks without writing longer lines of code. A certified web developer is also familiar with web development best practices. So a company can hire certified developers to complete the web application development project on predetermined time and budget.

High Quality

Along with developing and deploying the internet application quickly, it is also important for the business to explore ways to make the app popular. When the app delivers impressive user experience, it becomes much easier for the business to make it popular. So structured and high quality coding is essential for launching a popular internet application within a shorter span of time. A certified professional clearly understand the nuisances of the specific web technology. For instance, if you are using ColdFusion for web application development, the holder of ColdFusion MX Developer certification can effectuate the development and implementation process. To obtain the certification, a programmer needs to have in-depth knowledge and one-year year of working experience in ColdFusion. So the certified programmers can reduce the required for writing large and complex projects, while delivering high quality products.

However, a business must remember that the professional certification can never substitute a web developer’s experience and expertise. So it must focus on the programmer’s background, training and experience along with the professional certification. The employer must ask several questions to the certified web developers to ensure that he is hiring the best professional for the job.You can get in touch with a Offshore web development company who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

If you would like to hire offshore developers from web application development India companies for your web development needs. Please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.

Some Great CSS Learning Tools and Resources

From the technical point of view, Cascading Style Sheets works in sync with HTML. While HTML is mainly designed to sort out as well as streamline the structure of the page, CSS helps it to augment its looks, as well as add various subtle interaction levels. This is particularly important, as even if someone is technically not that sound, and has hardly any idea of coding, it will not stop the individual from designing a page. For that, there are a number of learning tools as well as resources that can be availed.

Let us discuss some of these tools.

CSS Diner

This is virtually an excellent game that is impeccably designed to help users learn the script. It is a multilevel game that will ask the users to enter the correct selector in order to complete a level and move on to the next. However, the users can also skip a particular level and jump from one level to another. There is a hamburger icon at the right of the screen that needs to be clicked to open the menu so as to perform this skip.

CSS Selectors

This tool offers a simple visualization of the selectors. The user needs to opt for a selector from the menu to the left of the screen and once that is done, all the properly selected items will come up at the right along with a brief description under the main menu.

Magic of CSS

This is a 6-chapter long tutorial that will teach the users the fundamentals as well as upcoming versions of the tutorial are expected to come up with additional chapters with some more in-depth discussions about the technicalities of the script.

Enjoy CSS

This is actually a playground to learn the fundamentals of Cascading Style Sheets that has a striking resemblance to CodePen. This particular learning tool puts major emphasis on CSS. It also and come along with a Menu, that comes in handy while choosing a particular feature and using a GUI for editing that feature in question.

CSS Guidelines

While previously Guidelines tool was a mere GitHub repo, at present it has updated itself to improve as well as expand to become a full scale Cascading Style Sheets learning tool.

CSS Triggers

This is another Learning Tool that provides lesson along with a quick reference of the property changes in CSS.

Code Guide by @mdo

This is another unique learning tool that combines the style guides of CSS and HTML with a lot of inputs as well as tips that include order of properties, attributes of HTML, comments, selectors and a number of other things.

Flexplorer

This is, again, a simple app that helps to deal with various features of flexbox and have a look at the live or real time results, as they appear. The most important part about the tool is that there is an option with the help of which the users are able to edit text from within the box that the pages come up with. This allows them to have a look at the effects that the changes have on the content amount.

CSS Selectors

This is a relatively new tool that comes up with more than twenty videos that would introduce various ways of selecting different elements of the script.

When it comes to get started with the topic or if anyone is looking forward to improve skills, these tools and many more are found extremely handy. Hence it is highly imperative that they are checked out thoroughly. All these tools are designed as well as developed in the most perfect and seamless way so as to help the users out in learning things about the script. Hence, they are extremely organized, helpful, as well as detailed. You can get in touch with a Offshore web development company who can help you build web apps within allocated budgets and time schedules.

If you would like to hire offshore developers from web application development India companies for your web development needs. Please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.