Businesses need modern technology to survive today’s ever-evolving market. The right enterprise software solution can help businesses thrive. However, not all businesses might have the necessary in-house skills to develop one, and let’s be honest, off-the-shelf software does not fit all needs. Thanks to custom software development vendors, enterprises can access technology experts on the go to build customized technology solutions that cater to their unique business needs.

According to a survey by Deloitte, 79% of U.S. executives currently outsource software development. However, any business application is only as good as the developer who creates it. Choosing the right software development partner is a crucial responsibility.

If your business plans to hire an app development partner, here’s a quick checklist that can help. But before we get started, let’s look at why you need to choose the best software development vendor.

Why Do Businesses Need Software Development Vendors?

Organizations rely on app development partners to:

• Bridge talent gaps and save in-house hiring costs
• Drive value by developing end-to-end solutions
• Access the best of technology, skills, and expertise
• Avoid development delays and cut operating costs
• Increase speed-to-market and enhance core competencies
• Mitigate the risks of running an in-house development project

You can easily unlock these advantages by choosing the right software development vendor. But what happens if you choose the wrong app development partner? Here are the risks!

Risks of Choosing a Wrong Software Development Vendor

Wrong software vendor selection can leave a lasting impact on your company.

• Poor-quality software rollouts can lead to massive sales losses. It can force your customers to go to competitors.
• Ill-fitted software solutions affect your day-to-day operations and increase your team’s workload.
• A bad match will never help you with add-ons and customizations you might need for the future.
• Botched software can cause frequent business disruptions. It can affect your customer experience, reputation, and brand.
• Faulty software can lower your team’s morale and engagement. Constant software glitches add to employee frustration and fatigue.
• A wrong vendor may not be able to meet your deadlines. They may also charge you more than expected. There is always an inherent risk of hidden costs.
• Communication breakdowns can create misunderstandings between the vendor and your stakeholders.
• Inadequate security measures opted by the vendor can put your business at risk. It can increase the chance of damaged, lost, or stolen data.

How can you avoid these risks? Ace software development vendor selection by using our checklist (below).

Checklist: How to Choose the Right Software Development Vendor?

1. Define Your Needs and Goals

The first step to finding the right developer is identifying your goals. Why do companies seek to build customized software? Some of the common reasons are:

• Enhancing customer experience and satisfaction
• Improving workforce productivity and operational competency
• Tracking and managing staff responsibilities
• Automating specific tasks and repetitive functions
• Boosting reliability and security

A good discernment of your objectives and business needs will allow you to proceed to the next steps more efficiently.

2. Set up a Budget

Defining your goals should help you prepare a detailed budget. At this stage, it is important to determine the capital, expenditures, and forecasted return on investment (ROI).
Assess the factors that impact the cost of your software development project:

• Type of software you need and its level of complexity
• Custom software or off-the-shelf software
• UX/UI design considerations
• Backend infrastructure and dependencies
• Integrations with other applications you use
• Location of the app development partner
• Development time, resources employed
• Investments in new technologies
• Estimates/rates quoted by the software development vendor

Any business’s priority is to produce high-quality software. However, keeping the project within budget is vital for business success.

3. Research Potential Vendors

Research potential software development vendors. Assess the selected app development partners based on the following factors:

• Do they have experience working on the type of software you need?
• Have they worked in your industry or domain in the past?
• Do they handle the entire software development lifecycle? Do they provide post-launch application maintenance and support?
• Do they help train your staff on the new software?
• What are the services they offer?
• Does their rate fit your budget?
• What other value-added services do they provide software development? Developing an e-commerce application, maybe?

4. Shortlist Top Software Development Vendors

Choosing from hundreds of service providers can be overwhelming. Once you do the research and specify your requirements, you can start shortlisting the options you find appealing.

Here are a few ways to narrow down your list:

• Read through the company profiles, case studies, and client testimonials of potential vendors.
• Use any credible B2B rating platform to check out their ratings and reviews. Platforms like Clutch, GoodFirms, etc. list the top vetted software development partners.
• Filter vendors based on their minimum project costs, team size, average ratings, and location.
• Keep your list short so you can reach out to the selected firms quickly.

5. Talk to Each of the Selected Vendors

A direct conversation with the software development vendor gives you a fair idea of their services and expertise.
Before meeting a vendor, prepare a set of questions that will help you gauge their work:

• What technologies and programming languages are your team proficient in?
• What are the industries and domains that you primarily cater to?
• What project management tools do you use to manage your workflows?
• How do you ensure the quality of your software?
• What is your project engagement model?
• What software development methodology do you follow—Agile, Waterfall, RAD, Lean?
• How do you determine the costs of your work?
• Is my budget and expected timeline realistic for my project?

Above all, it’s crucial to identify if the potential vendor’s way of operating and objectives align with your requirements.

6. Narrow Down Your List Further

A direct conversation with each vendor should help you narrow your choices between two or three developers.

• Consult your leadership team. Weigh the pros and cons of each vendor based on your analysis.
• Shortlist your selection to one or two providers. Ensure they can understand your needs and match your company’s culture.

7. Data Security and Privacy Measures

Your business software needs to handle confidential company data. Is your software development partner capable of protecting your application from cyber threats?

• Before choosing a software development vendor, undertake an intellectual property due diligence inquiry.
• Find out how the vendor will be handling your data and assets.
• Review their integrated security and IP protection program.
• Determine the internal measures you should adopt to safeguard your enterprise’s IP.
• Identify which functions need to be managed in-house and what should be outsourced.

8. Compliance, Reliability, and Support

Along with analyzing the vendor’s cybersecurity offerings, you also need to verify:

• Does the vendor’s development and delivery practice/policies comply with the essential regulations?
• Have you done extensive background checks to ensure the integrity and reliability of the vendor?
• Did you do a proper technical and strategic vetting of the selected development vendor?
• Is the vendor equipped to address unexpected IT outages and disruptions?
• What are the risk management policies/processes followed by the software development vendor? Do they have a robust disaster recovery plan?
• Does their development process align with your organization’s sustainability goals?
• Does the vendor stick to responsible application design, development, and maintenance that can reduce the environmental impact?

Choosing the right software development partner requires careful planning. It’s indeed a very tricky job to pick out the right one from a huge list of potential vendors. The checklist aims to make the job simple for you.

Software Development Company vs. Freelancer: Which is Better?

What is the difference between a freelancer and a software development company?

• A freelancer is an individual who works independently on software development projects.
• A software development company is a professional organization that provides software development services.

How does working with a software development company help your business?

• A team of certified professionals well-versed in multiple areas
• Access to the latest technologies and specific domain expertise
• A reliable vendor-customer contract (agreement) to back you
• Round-the-clock support and IT help desk
• Transparent communications, no hidden surprises
• Standardized pricing with no additional costs
• Dedicated ongoing maintenance and support

Transform Your Business With the Right Software Development Vendor

The best software development vendor:

• Works with you throughout the entire development process
• Helps navigate the complexities of software creation and maintenance
• Makes incremental changes for continuous software enhancement
• Develops tailor-made solutions that align with your business goals
• Improves your business’s efficiency, productivity, and financial performance

Why Choose Fingent as Your Software Development Partner?

Since 2003, Fingent has been a reliable and capable software development partner for leading global brands, including several Fortune 500 companies.

• An impeccable track record as a successful custom software vendor
• Experience in new and emerging technologies—AI, AR, VR, IoT, blockchain, and more
• Legacy application modernization, cloud migration
• Multi-platform development—web, mobile, cloud, and more
• Diverse offshore talent pool with experienced developers and tech professionals
• Tech certifications, partnerships, centers of excellence

Build scalable and robust applications by partnering with a professional custom software vendor. Contact us to get an extended consultation.

Organizations are enhancing their competitiveness by prioritizing digital transformation as the global marketplace becomes increasingly crowded and interconnected.

Broadly speaking, the concept of digital transformation involves the systematic evolution of core and auxiliary business processes to take advantage of advances in computing and software systems to increase efficiencies.

However, no digital transformation initiative will be effective unless it involves an app modernization component.

Also referred to as “application modernization,” app modernization enables organizations to transform effectively, increase their competitiveness, and differentiate themselves within their respective industries.

What is App Modernization?

A “legacy” system uses outdated software or computing hardware to deliver important organizational capabilities but cannot interact with other systems or be updated effectively. App modernization is the process of addressing known issues in outdated legacy software. The issues may include:

• Software problems (“bugs”) that cannot be resolved fast enough,
• Missing features will take too long to add,
• Fragile code (changes tend to create new problems),
• Technology obsolescence (e.g., few programmers for the source code language used),
• A software vendor is out of business, etc.

Commercial off-the-shelf software (COTS) may not provide source code access, preventing an organization from addressing software issues. When pursuing app modernization for software for which source code is available, your organization can choose between one of three approaches:

• Revitalizing an application old applications
• Replacing an application technology with custom-built solutions
• Rehosting or re-platforming

Organizations that choose to revitalize old applications will be updating existing software with new capabilities and features. This may also include refactoring (editing the software to do the same things better).

Read more: Why choose custom software over commercial off-the-shelf solutions?

Other companies may elect to get rid of aging technology to replace it with new, custom-built solutions or with a COTS solution.

In some instances, though, to achieve performance improvements, you may just need to move your existing application onto a more powerful computing engine, typically today on a modern, cloud-based infrastructure — a process known as rehosting or re-platforming.

How do you know which is the best app modernization option for your needs?

Particularly old or antiquated legacy technology will need to be replaced, whereas newer solutions might be suitable for repurposing or retrofitting. Rehosting is the most pragmatic approach if an application still meets your business’s needs but is negatively impacted by your current infrastructure.

When updating existing software, your app modernization team will need to rewrite code to add new features to your solutions. While this can be a tedious and time-consuming process, it may be more efficient than rebuilding a new solution from the ground up.

Opting for the more labor-intensive choice of modernizing by replacing legacy systems may provide more substantial long-term benefits altogether, especially if the landscape of your industry has changed significantly since you installed your current technology suite. Proper planning will control how the migration to a new system occurs and to what extent a legacy system needs to be operational during the transition.

In order to determine which approach is most appropriate for your business, you should first consider whether your current application effectively meets your company’s needs. If it doesn’t, you will need to either repurpose or replace your technology, but if it does, a simple rehosting might be the most practical option.

Why You Need It, Especially Today

Application modernization is a core component of digital transformation. If your company’s current applications do not effectively meet its needs or promote efficiency, you will never be able to meet your digital transformation goals. In a 2019 IBM-Forrester survey, 40% of developers reported being more productive when on the cloud in a digital transformation.

Instead, you will always be working from a disadvantage, which could allow your competitors to encroach on your market share within your respective industry.

App modernization will not only enable you to fulfill your digital transformation goals, but it will also empower your business to operate more efficiently, enhancing the customer experience, paving the way for future growth, and boosting revenue.

Read more: Why Top Companies Are Investing in Application Modernization

What to Consider Before App Modernization

You cannot approach app modernization haphazardly, or you could experience significant and potentially prolonged disruptions to your company’s operations.

Remember, app modernization efforts will impact the functionality and performance of your company’s core software solutions, such as your customer relationship management platform and accounting software, so with that in mind, you must gauge the costs of an app modernization initiative.

Identify what goals you want to achieve, plan how long it will take to achieve those objectives, and seek the support of a third-party technology firm that will be able to provide an objective perspective and help you determine which approach to pursue when you start your journey toward app modernization.

Read more: The secrets to a successful app modernization journey.

Knowing Your Options in App Modernization

To decide which of these approaches is most suitable for your business, you must take an objective look at the state of your technology stack. Is the version of all elements of the stack up-to-date? Are frameworks and languages still “main stream?”  If your current solutions impede business growth, it is likely time to replace them or, at minimum, rewrite them.

Rehosting can be incorporated into your app modernization strategies in two ways. If you have an application that meets your needs, you can simply migrate the app from a native architecture to a cloud-based one. Additionally, you can incorporate rehosting into your rip-and-replace or rewrite app modernization process, as transitioning to the cloud will improve the performance of any application.

Steps to Kickstart Your App Modernization Journey

The entire process can feel daunting and overwhelming when you are at the precipice of your app modernization journey. Still, you can jump-start your digital transformation and app modernization efforts through the following techniques:

1. Finding Your Why

First off, outline why you want to modernize your applications. Defining your “why” will help you and your team stay focused once your modernization journey is underway.

2. Assess Your Talent

Take an objective look at your in-house team and its capabilities. Are they going to be able to oversee your app modernization effectively? If not, it might be time to bring in some outside resources.

3. Decide Whether You Want to Move to the Cloud

Suppose you have invested heavily in on-premises resources in the past; in that case, it might be tough to move on from these assets and transition to the cloud. But making the switch will benefit your business both now and in the long run, so you should at least consider the notion.

4. Assess Risk and Act

Finally, you need to assess the risks associated with each app modernization option. Outline the benefits of rewriting your current applications, replacing them altogether, and migrating to the cloud. Once you have calculated the costs of app modernization, choose the option that best aligns with your needs and take action.

How Fingent Can Help in Successful App Modernization

Leveraging app modernization to enhance the efficacy of your digital transformation effort is a huge undertaking. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate this process alone, as you can partner with a talented software development team like that of Fingent.

Fingent’s team of experts can help you apply the latest technologies to your business, including cloud-native solutions, artificial intelligence tools, and machine learning software.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist with your app modernization efforts.

The right software can serve as a growth catalyst for your business. A robust software solution can empower your team to work more efficiently, better serve your clients, and optimize business performance.

But when searching for these software solutions for your business, you’ll have to make many different decisions along the way. One of the very first choices you’ll encounter is whether you want to buy off-the-shelf software or build a custom solution.

Either route can help your organization modernize its processes, improve efficiency, and scale effectively. Which approach will produce optimal results for your organization in the short and long term is still a question.

Because your decision will significantly impact your business for years to come, it’s critical that you get it right.

With that in mind, join us as we crack the code to smart software selection decision-making by exploring the pros and cons of building and buying software.

Read more: Why Should Your Business Invest In An End-to-End Software Solution?

The Build or Buy Conundrum

The buy option is relatively straightforward: You select software that aligns with your organization’s needs, purchase a license, and deploy the technology. When evaluating your options, you will encounter purpose-built solutions for your industry and more generalized options, like basic accounting software.

Conversely, custom-built software for your organization will include specific tools you need — without superfluous features that distract users and get in the way of critical business functions. It’s important to understand that you won’t be building the software unless you have an in-house team of highly experienced software engineers. Instead, you will need to partner with a talented software development firm.

Pros and Cons of Buying Software

Before providing a decision-making roadmap, it’s crucial to outline the pros and cons of each option.

The primary benefit of buying pre-built software is that it is already deployment-ready. As such, you can easily purchase the software and begin implementing it almost immediately. You’ll also be able to demo the product before you buy, giving you an idea of precisely what to expect. This expedited timetable is particularly appealing if your business’ current technology suite cannot keep up with your present needs.

However, some notable drawbacks exist to buying software instead of taking the custom route. First and foremost, off-the-shelf software is less likely to align perfectly with your company’s needs. After all, off-the-shelf software is designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, and naturally, it will include some features you don’t need. Evaluating software can be time-consuming, and applications of any complexity may be impossible to assess fully in a reasonable amount of time.

In addition, pre-built software typically has recurring license and maintenance costs that need to be considered and may change over time. There is also the risk that vendors of pre-built software may stop offering that edition or software or go out of business entirely. Pre-built software may depend upon older technologies that are no longer “leading edge,” which can lead to long-term viability concerns.

For some software categories, you may only be able even to consider a few contenders, or what you find may lack some tools or capabilities your business is looking for.

Read more: Choosing between Custom Software Solution and Commercial Off-the-Shelf Product!

Advantages and Drawbacks of Building Custom Software

Custom software is tailored to help your business meet its organizational goals and overcome its most significant growth hurdles. Every feature, tool, and capability of custom software is purpose-built for your business. As such, it can significantly impact your business more than an off-the-shelf alternative.

The two potential downsides to custom software are cost and the deployment timetable. When there is an off-the-shelf alternative, building custom software will typically require a larger upfront investment, but you will have more control over the software. That means you can change your schedule without being tied to the vendor’s schedule or priorities. If the custom software meets important business requirements, you can expect a strong return on investment.

It’s important to remember that developing and deploying a custom-built software solution will take slightly longer. Fortunately, you can streamline the build process by partnering with a highly experienced software development firm.

How to Determine Which Option Fits Best for Your Business

As you prepare to weigh your best opportunities with each approach, you can streamline your decision-making process with a refined approach.

1. List Your Organizational Goals and Needs

When choosing to buy or build, the most critical question you need to ask yourself is: What do you hope to accomplish with your new technology?

Create a list of goals, objectives, and needs. In addition to providing more internal clarity, you can use this list to compare products during your search. If no single off-the-shelf solution meets your needs, it may be more pragmatic to build custom software. However, if you need the solution sooner rather than later.

2. Analyze the Current Ecosystem

Once you have created your list of goals and objectives, you can start analyzing the current ecosystem. Businesses operating in specific sectors — such as the healthcare industry — will have dozens of options when searching for off-the-shelf software solutions. As such, it is much more likely that a healthcare organization will be able to find a readily available solution that meets its needs when compared to a more niche sector.

Even if you are already leaning toward building a custom solution, you should consider what options are available for your industry. Explore all known choices to see how these solutions align with your needs and goals. This tactic can also provide you with ideas to put on a must-have list for your custom software partner.

3. Calculate the Potential ROI of Each Option

While you must regard the upfront costs associated with buying vs. building software, calculating the potential long-term ROI of each option will be more useful for guiding your decision-making process. Start calculating ROI by assessing the likely cost-savings and additional profits that can be expected once the new software is in place. While this impact can often be difficult to predict fully, it may be easier to consider how large the impact would need to be to recover the cost of the investment — the break-even point.

Building a custom solution will cost more on the front end, but this higher initial investment can yield a significant return over the software’s lifecycle. Conversely, going with a cheaper option could solve today’s business challenges, but you may quickly outgrow that software’s capabilities and find yourself looking to upgrade again in the near future.

Read more: When does your Business need Custom Software Solution – Evaluate Now!

Making Your Final Decision 

Whether you buy a readily available option or want to leverage the power of custom-built software, you will need an experienced technology partner to oversee your deployment. Fingent is that partner.

Our team of technology experts specializes in building dynamic, custom software solutions for our diverse array of clients. We can also assist with deploying solutions from Microsoft, SAP, and other leading technology development companies.

To learn more about our deployment and development services, contact Fingent today.

To build or to buy has been a million-dollar question most businesses seek an answer for. This can become more daunting when you consider the numerous factors influencing the decision. To make it less overwhelming, we will discuss factors and tips to help business leaders make informed decisions. This blog also explains the right process to follow once the decision is made.

Build Or Buy: Should You Buy Software or Build It?

Several factors must be analyzed when deciding to buy or build software internally. Here is an analysis of four key points that can help business leaders to make an informed decision that will impact their business growth:

• What is the scope of the problem that you are attempting to solve?
• How complex does the software solution need to fit your business?
• Can the organization leverage exist experts, or will you need to hire more?
• How quickly does the organization need the software?

It is good to remember that there are no one-size-fits for all in this regard. Analyzing these questions will help businesses zero in on one of the two options. Please read on to find out top tips to help companies identify which of these two is most suitable for their business.

Read more: Choosing the right Software Development Vendor

Top Considerations for Companies to Help Recognize Build vs Buy

Deciding to buy or build custom software is not as easy as flipping a coin. Here are the top considerations that will increase the odds of making the right decision:

• Problem – Businesses must give thought to the problem at hand. Is it attempting to solve a common problem or specific to the company alone?
• Funds – Can the company have dedicated funds to host and maintain the software solution, including upfront costs?
• Time – Consider how time-intensive the problem at hand is. Is it just a nagging annoyance or a serious health threat to the company’s survival?
• Strengths and Weaknesses – Analyzing a business’s strengths and weaknesses will help companies choose whether to build or buy. Can the business withstand the risks that may surface with technical debts, quality concerns, opportunity costs, and more?
• Quality – Consider if you can fully focus business efforts on solving this problem without compromising quality.
• Surface-Level Risks – Before buying or in the future with a trial, demo, or quote, reviewing the surface-level risks of buying versus building software is important.
• Data – For certain companies, their data is vital to their competitive advantage. In such cases, it is crucial to consider how the third party may your proprietary data. Consider if there is the possibility of losing access or oversight to customer data or other critical business insights.
• Security – Ensure the company’s accounts are not compromised by finding out if the third party can be trusted and if they use cybersecurity best practices.
• Vendor Reliability – Consider if the third-party vendor is reliable. Does it have the ability to weather a market downturn or other external factors that may impact the business?

Read more: When Does Your Business Need Custom Software Development Solution – Evaluate Now!

If a company decides to build custom software after all these considerations, it is vital that they follow the right process for the successful development of software.

What is The Right Process If You Decide to Build?

Building custom software might be the perfect solution for your business and building it the right way is key to its success. Usually, it is developed by a third party or in-house developers. Custom solutions ensure features and functionality with the company’s needs in mind. As a result, businesses enjoy increased productivity and growth.

To get started, here is the right process companies can follow:

1. Define your organizational needs

First, determine the current business process, expectations, and verifiable success. Talking to experts, finding out why the changes are necessary, and sketching out the workflows will help ensure a smooth project management process.

2. Resist the temptation to keep everything in-house

It may be tempting to handle all processes in-house to save money. However, working with your own IT team could cause a slowdown in the company operations as they already have their daily work. Here, outsourcing certain tasks makes the most sense. Consider working with a vendor with a verifiable track record in building custom software for other companies.

3. Be practical

To keep the project on track, create a realistic plan together with all involved in the project. This will allow companies to set specific deadlines. Knowing the timeline will help in allocating funds when required.

4. Test and test

Before implementing the new custom software, it must go through two levels of test. One is technical testing by IT professionals and developers to ensure all elements are working. The second is user testing to see if the software works as intended.

5. Document each stage

Documentation must include the team members’ details, roles and responsibilities, deadlines, and expectations for the project. It must also include a test plan, checklist, scope statement, training plan, implementation plans, and detailed user documentation.

Top 5 Trends in Custom Software Development Today to Look Out For

The custom software market is growing exponentially. Some software development trends stand out. These trends are influenced by the need for businesses to leverage advancing technology.

• Cloud technology: The pandemic shut the door on data on-site and opened the door to cloud technology. Developing cloud-native applications will likely continue as many companies still use remote work setups.

• Internet of Behavior: The Internet of Behavior, or IoB, studies customer behavior through the data gathered from various devices. This data allows businesses to understand how to improve the quality of their products and services.

• Blockchain: Blockchain is used in businesses to track records without worrying about discrepancies.

• Low-code and No-code development tools: Workers can create programs and sites even if they lack coding knowledge. According to research, by 2024, 65% of software projects will be done through low-code or no-code development.

• Software integration: Software integration can provide a seamless user experience. Additionally, it helps the company save time and increase productivity.

Read more: Low Code/No Code Development with SAP BTP: How It Is Turning the Future of Enterprise Resilience

Build For the Future

Building custom software allows organizations to use technology that addresses their unique needs. Following the right process can ensure they are implemented in a way that supports and advances business growth.

Custom software development is our forte, and we have been able to help many clients get exactly what they need from their software.

Give us a call, and let’s discuss what we can do for your business.

Frameworks are the backbone of mobile app development. They are essential to building dependable apps quickly. When choosing a framework, you can choose between native or cross-platform applications. Though both approaches have advantages, cross-platform applications work on multiple devices regardless of their operating system.

Different companies use different technologies to build and design great apps. Various company requirements have led to the emergence of four major frameworks in the market – React Native, Flutter, Ionic, and Xamarin.

If you are considering building a cross-platform application, you must understand the basics of the available frameworks and their unique strengths and features. Doing so will help you choose one that is most relevant to you. That is why we have put together this comparison. We will help you understand the key differences between Flutter, React Native, Ionic, and Xamarin.

Top 4 Characteristics to Consider While Choosing A Mobile App Framework Of 2022

The six most significant reasons to choose a cross-platform mobile development app are:

• Decreased development process
• Cost efficient
• Improved user experience
• Improved performance
• Improved quality
• Increased reach

You can determine the best mobile app framework based on the characteristics on which we can compare the four tools. Let us begin with features.

1. Features

Flutter

Flutter is the best UI toolkit that comes with fully customized widgets. Its layered architecture will ensure quick component rendering. Several popular organizations use Flutter.  Its features include:

• Built-in Cupertino widgets
• Supports iOS and Android platforms
• It is comprehensive and precise
• Visuals are both appealing and engaging
• Ability to develop high-performance apps
• Rich motion APIs

Xamarin

Xamarin allows code sharing on multiple platforms. It is known to offer a development ecosystem with a back-end, API, and components. Xamarin’s’ features include:

• Faster development time
• Lesser bugs
• Best backend infrastructure
• A component store that contains cross-platform libraries, third-party libraries, and UI controls.
• Allows application indexing and deep linking

Ionic

Ionic is useful if you want to build interactive hybrid mobile and progressive web apps with cross-platform applications. It also has another lightning and powerful version called Ionic Studio that provides an easy visual development environment. Ionic’s features include:

• Fast and powerful
• Allows complete control over app building
• Allows development of both native and progressive web applications
• Easy to handle
• Allows for a single code base app building

React Native

React Native is a widely used JavaScript library that helps to develop rich apps to give the best user experience. It allows developers to create platform-specific versions of various components. React Native’s features include:

• Single codebase across multiple platforms.
• Low-code requirement.
• Declarative API for predictive UI.
• Compatible with third-party plugins.
• Supports both iOS and Android.

2. Development ease

Development of the app should be easy and should offer smooth user engagement.

• Flutter is known to provide the best. It is extremely efficient and offers great performance.

• Xamarin can be used to develop the UI. Using Xamarin.Forms to develop apps can reduce time and simplify the process.

• Ionic does not apply native elements. Instead, it applies Cordova to offer a native look and feel.

• React Native works in tandem and offers a better user experience similar to native apps.

3. Performance

Performance is a crucial factor to consider as it shows how apps will perform when different frameworks are used.

• Flutter tops all of the other apps in performance. It offers amazing speed as it uses Darts.
• Xamarin can be used to develop apps similar to native apps. It is focused on business rationale. On the other hand, Xamarin. Forms work with the concept of broad code sharing. This may decrease the performance of the code in various operations.
• Ionic does not offer performance similar to native apps. Since Ionic tools use web technologies to render the app, it tends to reduce the speed.
• React Native can be leveraged to build apps similar to native apps. It allows developers to use native modules for scripting code for complex operations.

4. Top pros and cons

Each framework has its pro and cons. Please take a closer look at them:

Flutter

React Native

Ionic

Xamarin

Read more: Top Technologies Used to Develop Mobile App

Identifying What Suits Your Project

Every situation is unique. It might turn out that your technical requirements will lead to a solution. Still, this is how you can identify what suits your project:

• Flutter is a good option if the existing tech stack no longer satisfies your needs but it should be a very careful choice for startups.
• Xamarin usually fits most projects. It might be a little tricky to have everything you want, but in the long run, you will get it.
• Ionic excels in terms of performance. If you are a beginner in cross-platform development, Ionic may be the best option.
• React Native works wonders for MVPs and projects that need heavy interactivity. However, if your project is loaded with performance-hungry features, it may be best to skip it.

How Fingent Can Be Your Right Mobile App Development Partner

As a leading custom software development company, Fingent has years of experience in developing apps using various platforms for app development. Our app development team has hands-on experience in developing iOS and Android apps. No matter how complicated your app idea is, we can help you find the best solution. Let’s get talking.

Modernization is a desire to stay relevant and grow. App modernization does just that for businesses. It enables them to stay relevant and grow. In line with that, organizations worldwide are scrambling toward digital transformation. How does that benefit businesses?

App modernization or updating older software for newer computing approaches extends the lifespan of an organization’s applications while allowing it to take advantage of technical innovations. It is like renovating an old house to improve efficiency, safety, structural integrity, and more.

However, there have been occasions when the app modernization project has failed. This has been a concern to most business owners considering digital transformation. Are you one of them? If so, through this blog, you can learn why and how to avoid app modernization failure.

First things first. Does your company need app modernization? If so, why?

Why Your Company Needs App Modernization

Apart from what we discussed earlier in this blog, app modernization integrates new features to keep up with the latest business requirements. Even so, many business leaders wonder if their business needs app modernization. Here is a list of specific reasons for you to consider:

• It allows you to create new features and services that align with your current business needs and goals. In addition, you can personalize these features to ensure long-term value creation.
• Educating new and older employees becomes easier as app modernization can automate tedious and repetitive processes.
• App modernization helps you leverage the benefits of the cloud environment, allowing you to provide fast and efficient customer service.
• Cloud-native applications offer top-notch security features as compared to legacy applications.
• App modernization allows you to add newer features, services, and functions. These, in turn, increase customer satisfaction leading to increased revenue.

Why, then, does app modernization backfire at times? And how can you ensure the success of the project?

Read more: Why modernize your legacy systems? What’s the best approach to legacy systems modernization?

Why Some App Modernization Projects Fail

When an app modernization project fails, it may pose serious problems for your business, including wasted resources and time. Failed app modernization may hinder agility and keep your business from capitalizing on modern technology. It was noted that an alarming 79% of app modernization projects still fail. Why? Surprisingly, the failure is not due to the new system or methodology, nor caused by the modernization vendor. The reasons are much deeper. Here are the top 5 reasons why app modernization projects fail:

1. Ignoring the business process

Modernization efforts fail when the business process (accounting, inventory, finance) is poor, and a business tries to correct it with new systems. That will never work. Businesses must first understand what is slowing them down. Determining the problem is the right foundation for successful app modernization.

2. Implementing new systems without considering drastic business changes

When entirely new systems are implemented without considering the drastic business changes, the employees are forced to adapt quickly. In addition, such practice forces the business to evolve to fit the new software. Instead, the software must adapt to fit the current business process and requirements.

3. Businesses mistakenly assume that they are ready for a complete revamp

Most businesses believe that they are ready to replace the old system with new systems, and the business will run better. Now that is a huge mistake. Completely replacing all systems can send your business and your employees into shock. It may even change how customers interact with the business. A better approach is to modernize in calculated steps.

4. Failing to adopt an agile software

The pandemic helped us see that agility is king. Adopting inflexible applications can have disastrous consequences on your business. If you want to be future-ready, replace rigid applications with agile applications.

5. Failing to consult the end user

Modernization projects that do not involve the IT department and the end user fail as they do not consider how the new solution fits business needs.

Read more: Advancing Business Software Development With Cloud Native

The Secret to A Successful App Modernization Project Journey

Every business that embarks on a modernization project journey faces many challenges. The success of your app modernization efforts comes down to two key components: your IT team and your employees. As teams go through this journey, use these secrets to avoid failure and ensure success.

Secret 1.  Build a cross-functional team

When choosing a team or developing an innovation group, build a cross-functional team that can focus on developing the culture, process, and tools needed to improve the modernization process.

Secret 2.  Toss it, sort it, and commit to it

An effective business principle is to welcome all ideas and sort them, but when a decision is reached, you must commit to it and execute that above all else. Doing so will ensure the progress of the project.

Secret 3. Map out the development workflow

Mapping out a development workflow can help you when you encounter complexities in the project. It helps you look at every tool being used and identify dependencies.  

Secret 4.  Set milestones 

Projects may change. Setting small modernization goals will help you adjust your long-term plans and reduce engineering risk. Focus on many small steps when planning for a major milestone. Doing so will ensure smooth progress from one step to another.

Secret 5.  Prioritize data into categories

If you prioritize data into high, moderate, or low categories, you can decide what safeguards to have for each category.

Secret 6.  Do not sew a new cloth on an old cloak

Take a hard look at your development workflow and identify habits that could derail your app modernization process. Don’t just patch up old problems with a new tool. Remember, these problems can derail new tools, so don’t patch, fix.

Secret 7.  Keep your team in the loop

Your team may find it challenging to develop the knowledge they need to work on the new tools. Keeping them informed about the new tools and training them to navigate new workflows can ensure the success of application modernization.

Several aspects may factor into a successful modernization. That is why modernization endeavors are so challenging. However, implementing the above secrets can help the success of app modernization efforts.

Speaking to an expert can help you understand how to proceed with your app modernization needs. Why not reach out to us at Fingent and discuss your project with our software development experts?

‘There is success through many advisers.’ This ancient proverb has proved not just true but very effective and powerful in this digital age. This is precisely what Open-Source Software (OSS) accomplishes. It allows for collaborative development where the community can modify and enhance the source code.

Open-source systems can help businesses adapt quickly to changing circumstances and facilitates controlled upgrades. Integration and maintenance become less of a hurdle. With the wide range of OSS possibilities, businesses are wise to tap into this huge potential for building a robust, secure, and yet, cost-effective infrastructure.

This blog will help you gain an in-depth understanding of how open-source can power your digital transformation journey!

How Open-Source Software Powers Digital Transformation

Vendors today provide various software solutions indispensable to a business’s software strategy. But finding the right software solution that caters closely to an organization’s needs has always been challenging! Meanwhile, OSS helps businesses build and maintain their IT ecosystem and enables sourcing highly creative developers with hard-to-locate skills. Engaging with domain experts and making their contribution to the OSS bank helps developers find satisfaction and boosts creativity. Judicious use of OSS can be of great benefit to any business.

Most IT leaders believe that OSS is either “very important” or “extremely important” to the enterprise software strategy. How do we know that? In 2021, developers downloaded over 2.2 trillion open-source packages. That is a 73% increase.

Read more: How to Ensure Safe Use of Open Source Libraries

Here are more reasons to justify this statement!

1. OSS Can Serve as A Ramp to The Future

Irrespective of whether you are a small business with limited resources or an established enterprise with an established IT ecosystem, open-source software’s ability to supply code that can be easily changed and customized to your specific needs is invaluable. Many businesses are turning to AI and blockchain to better understand customer needs and work towards fulfilling them. Open-source code can not only hasten the process but also ensure efficiency.

AI, ML, and AR/VR could feel like the proverbial butterfly always out of reach, and more so if your business does not have a well-established IT team. OSS can then serve as your ramp to the future. Your vendor or coder could build on the resources available to ramp up your IT capabilities and reach your desired situation.

2. OSS Can Be a Beacon for Talent

OSS provides coders and developers with access to code written by experts or extremely creative pioneers. This would be an immersive learning exercise. At the same time, experienced engineers could interact with others in their community, freshening their skills while keeping up with the latest in the IT industry. This exposure would, in turn, influence their recruiting and training activities.

The OSS is also a repository of “glueware.” It allows software engineers to create things outside their immediate area of expertise. While it requires ingenuity and skill to glue parts together to make a whole system, OSS provides not just the individual parts and the “glue” required to fix them. It is a new method of looking at the design, resulting in greater satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

3. OSS Can Build Engineering Discipline

Open-source projects have very clear frameworks. There is structure and good practices such as separation of concerns, abstraction, and isolation. A business of any size would benefit from following the same discipline in setting up its systems.

Maintaining clear standards of operability ad interoperability is another advantage. Using OSS ensures that the same standards are followed. Businesses do not have to invent standards and frameworks but can build on the foundation provided by OSS.

4. OSS Can Improve Your “Ilities”

Scalability, availability, and reliability – are just a few of the many aspects that OSS can help improve. Utility to ensure efficiency and avoid duplicating work can also be added to the list. Developers or vendors would likely prefer importing sections from a tried and tested OSS repository than building from scratch.

Read more: Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning For Faster and Accurate Project Cost Estimation

Dimensions of Open-Source Software 

OSS boosts the digital transformation of businesses. It is good for businesses that lack the resources to meet the needs of IT development. OSS can yield different variations by its modularity. Consider a few pros and cons of OSS:

• Price: The price is very low to zero. However, one must consider the need for support, customization, and hosting while considering the cost of using OSS.
• Source Code: Full access to the source code helps developers evaluate the quality of the software and customize it to the needs of the business.
• Functionality: While individual systems from the OSS may be limited, they can be easily ramped up to serve all business needs.
• Modularity: OSS is modular. Hence it prompts the engagement of several experts in building a specific IT system.
• Development: OSS code is developed worldwide by motivated developers from a wide range of roles and functions.
• Distribution: OSS code is distributed over the internet, which is fast, efficient, and cost-effective.
• Licensing: A range of OSS licenses specify how the code can be used, modified, or redistributed. However, certain restrictive licenses only support the limited use of the OSS code.
• Monetization: Offering support services to help integrate the system, train users, and fix bugs is one way to monetize OSS. Offering to work out the deployment of OSS systems and taking care of backups, upgrades, and downtime is another way to monetize OSS.

Is Customization A Smarter Choice With Open Source?

Remember that OSS is another tool best suited for certain tasks and not so well suited for others. OSS might not be the best choice for your strategic activities or initiatives contrary to your cultural norms. Certain projects on OSS might have too high a level of uncertainty or too little support.

This does not mean that OSS should be put out of the picture. Do you need to adapt quickly to the fast-paced development in certain domains? Do you need greater effectiveness in attracting and retaining talent? Do you need a solution that requires utility, quality, and speed? OSS can help you in all these scenarios.

Read more: Odoo Migration: Why Is It Crucial and How to Do It Seamlessly!

How Can Fingent Help?

Fingent can leverage open-source technology to quickly develop your customized, dynamic business application. Our experts use PHP, AngularJS, jQuery, Magento, and several other open-source technologies to develop, implement and support a wide range of open-source technologies and resources. Our extensive experience working with open-source tools helps ensure that we can provide our clients with customized, innovative solutions quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality.

Intrigued to learn more about how we can help you develop and leverage the best business software solutions with open source. Connect with our experts now!

Technology is not a choice but a fundamental business strategy in the current world. Enterprises will need to accelerate their digital initiatives to support emerging technologies. To remain competitive in 2022 and beyond, businesses MUST invest in new technologies to ensure future innovation and growth. Business opportunities wait for those who successfully tackle their technology challenges. Efficiently dealing with these challenges can set a business apart from its competition.

This blog will assist you in facing the biggest technology challenges of 2022. It outlines how different technologies can help your business. And how you can ensure successful digital transformation.

How Technologies Help Businesses Achieve Success?

Digital transformation is one of the driving forces behind the growth and success of any business. It can enable better collaboration within and between organizations. Today’s business leaders must focus on projects that prepare their organizations for the future. Here are a few ways technologies help businesses stay ahead of the competition.

• Online collaboration: With a big upturn in remote working, it is fortunate that we no longer have to try to make do with cobbled-together services. Collaboration is key to efficiency and productivity. Remote workers need tools that can help them collaborate in real-time allowing them to go on with their projects rather than battling with those tools.

• Automated inventory system: The biggest benefit of an inventory system is automation. It can automate manual tasks and increase efficiency and productivity. It can also reduce overhead costs and increase customer satisfaction.

• Mobile apps: Mobile apps or customer-facing business apps improve how a business interacts with its customers. 

• Digital data storage: Digital data storage has reduced common data management tasks to mere seconds. It can store or retrieve data at any time from almost anywhere.

• Project management software: This software enables project managers to assign specific tasks to their employees. Also, it enables them to monitor the workflow to see if employees can accomplish their tasks on time. 

Watch more: Should your business invest in custom-built software or off-the-shelf software?

Biggest Technology Challenges Companies Face In 2022 

Businesses can benefit more from emerging technologies when they successfully tackle technology challenges. Here are some of those challenges:

1. Data security

Data security threats are causing havoc in organizations. Attackers constantly develop new techniques and vulnerabilities. Some of the most significant information security challenges include:

• Surface attack vulnerabilities
• Cloud threats
• Misuse of credentials
•  Digital supply chain risk
• Vertical specialized threats
• Conventional attacks

Preparedness is the key to stopping attacks before they stop you. Security leaders must look beyond traditional approaches to monitor, detect, and respond to manage a wider set of risks. In the case of supply chain risk, security leaders need to partner with other departments to prioritize digital supply chain risk. Businesses often choose to hire outsourced cybersecurity firms to help them strengthen their security and ward off any data security threats.

2. Automation

Automation has become a necessity in the digital world. Effective automation can boost productivity. It is an overall system quality enhancer in the long run. With proper automation, businesses can reduce maintenance costs. Manufacturers can also use automation to reduce manufacturing costs and increase the speed of time to market. 

But, finding the right automation tools and introducing them into the business workflow can create complications. Hence, a business must prepare for all the hurdles and mitigate the risk of automation failure. The success of automation largely depends on the execution of the test strategy. 

3. Remote work support or hybrid workforce

2022 is an important year for the hybrid workforce model. Integration between cloud-based solutions and mobile apps is crucial to ensure consistent hybrid or remote work engagement. The key is finding the best way to care for the needs of each user and department. Plus, an enterprise must find ways to optimize its IT support to assist remote employees with their computer problems.

4. Digital transformation

Digital transformation paves the way towards more efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability. However, implementing these technologies into business is a challenging process. These challenges are:

• Talent shortage
• Employee pushback
• Limited funds 
• Challenge of agile transformation

Enterprises with limited resources can assign projects to third-party organizations. A business can reduce pushback when implementing high-code or no-code solutions based on employees’ requirements. Taking a more mindful approach to digital transformation is crucial for ensuring a smooth transition. 

5. Focus on mobility

The usage of mobile apps worldwide has greatly increased in the past decade. Business owners use mobile apps to deliver services and goods to their customers. They also use these apps to boost their Return on Investment. These apps allow employers to give their employees tools that help them collaborate efficiently even when they work remotely.

However, providing a consistent mobile app experience can be challenging. 

6. Integrations

There are three major integration challenges enterprises face today.

• First challenge: Enterprises may have mission-critical systems and applications that they wish to transform and modernize to future-proof their business. 
• Second challenge: Connecting information from mission-critical systems to new applications. How to integrate information from point A to point B to bring everything together.
• Third challenge: Providing low code and no code tools to combat the shortage of skill and labor.

An effective IT management plan can help minimize or even cut the risk factors associated with integration.

Watch more: How Fingent helped a leading Real Estate firm in the US to streamline their operations and gain efficiency through seamless integration!

7. AI & ML

Businesses are often pursuing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for their business problems. Another major focus of enterprises is learning how to complete specific tasks without human intervention.

Each company is different, so it takes a unique algorithm for a particular business process. Finding the right AI and ML algorithm can be challenging.

Connect With Future Technologies and Stay Ahead

There is no end to the ever-changing trends businesses must adapt to, to thrive in this highly competitive market. Hence, businesses must forge ahead to connect with future technologies, or they may find competing with other businesses in their sector harder. Whereas businesses that adapt to digital transformation are much more successful in the market. However, analyzing tech opportunities or deciding which technology best fits your business operations is not always easy. That is why Fingent top custom software development company helps companies realize tech capabilities and build, implement and adapt to the right digital tools.

It is the best time to move the digital transformation from your priority checklist to the “right now” list. Connect with our experts to know how we can help your company transform digitally!

It is getting more competitive than ever before for businesses today! Every company wants to lead in the market as quickly as possible. How can you get there first?

Software development can be your answer. But can outsourcing software development make a difference?

Outsourcing has been one of the most talked-about digital transformation strategies, especially if you want to launch your products quickly into the market. Outsourcing software development nurtures your business goals by saving time and cost. You ensure effective and innovative product delivery when you allow top professionals to work on your project. The benefits are not just limited to that.

This blog will explain the pros and cons of outsourcing software development and how you can select the right company so that you are well prepared the next time you plan to outsource your software development!

Why Outsource Software Development?

Organizations outsource software development to save costs and resources, nourish business growth, remain competitive in their sector, and more. By outsourcing, businesses enable their in-house team to focus on their expertise rather than be jack-of-all-trades. This kind of freedom allows your team to improve their performance in their field instead of doing routine tasks that consume precious time. Here are some more benefits:

1. Control business expenditure

The biggest driver of outsourcing software development is cost reduction. This frees up more funds to channel into other crucial business areas.

The question is, how does it reduce cost?

When you outsource software development, you are only paying for their services. You save common expenses associated with in-house staff like hardware and software, rent, training, etc. Besides, it is much easier and cheaper to outsource as you can find software development teams within a few clicks.

2. Gain access to the world’s best outsourcing specialists

Outsourcing software development goes beyond physical boundaries, empowering you to connect with the world’s best talent. The best part is that this collaboration could be for all projects or just a one-off project with no further obligation.

3. Saves time on onboarding specialized talent

Looking for a software developer with a diverse skill set is a complicated and time-consuming process. Plus, training a developer incurs more delays and costs. Conversely, outsourcing software development is far simpler while saving time, effort, and money.

4. Flexibility and speed 

Outsourcing software development gives you the simplicity of scaling your project. An outsourcing company allows you to choose the right cooperation model that matches your business needs.  This allows you to respond to changes as they occur and take action to address them with a quick turnaround.

5. Forge ahead with the latest technology

A good software outsourcing company uses the latest languages and development tools to build effective and innovative products at minimum cost. You can benefit from this and trust that the best tools will be used for your requirements.

6. Get exceptional support

Since the outsourcing firm may already have experts with immense knowledge in their field, they become your business partners. If you face any crisis, you can count on them to solve your problem as soon as possible.

Now that you understand why you should outsource software development let us clarify the difference between offshore and nearshore outsourcing.

Read more: Why Software Development Outsourcing Is A Smart Move Now?

Offshore Vs Nearshore Outsourcing

Offshore outsourcing is sourcing company operations outside your country in a different time zone. Nearshore outsourcing is sourcing company operations within your country.

Benefits of offshore outsourcing include cost savings, access to specialized expertise, and 24/7 support. Benefits of nearshore outsourcing include shared time zones, similarities in cultural background, better control, and better security.

Software development doesn’t need an in-house team, so you can choose either near or far outsourcing companies to build your ideal dedicated team.

Pros And Cons of Outsourcing

As for any solution, there are always pros and cons. Let us look at both, so you can make an informed decision for your business.

Pros of Outsourcing

1. Timing: While every business needs to go through a procurement phase, that time will be much reduced if you don’t have to spend onboarding the right talent. Besides, if your idea is still in the formative stage, you will not be able to attract the right talent. This makes outsourcing the best option.

2. Business goal: If validating your idea is your primary business goal, the earlier you begin to do this, the better. Outsourcing frees you to concentrate on business goals and build the foundation of your business viability.

3. Access to proven workflows: Because the outsourcing firm likely worked with many organizations similar to your business, you can be confident that it will implement proven workflows and processes.

4. Speed to market: Speed to market increases as the outsourcing firm can manage and optimize workflows.

5. Access to a larger talent pool: Outsourcing companies can access industry experts who can be reached whenever you need to consult them for a solution.

Cons Of Outsourcing

1. Risk of failure: Business failure is risky if you cannot manage your outsourcing company effectively.

2. Communication challenges: Some offshore firms with different cultures may pose communication challenges.

3. Lack of motivation: An outsourcing firm may not share your motivation to see a project through to successful completion.

4. Limited control: If the outsourcing firm uses freelancers, the hiring company may have only limited control over the actual work.

Digital transformation is an investment that has to be made to stay relevant. However, whether to hire in-house or outsource will ultimately make the business more successful and profitable.

Read more: A Detailed Software Development Outsourcing Guide For CEOs!

How To Select the Right Outsourcing Company?

Once you have decided to outsource your software development, evaluating and selecting the right vendor to complete the work that meets the best standards is crucial.

Here are some tips that can help you find the right outsourcing company:

• Research and list all potential partners who can provide the required services. Also, find out from others to see if they have any recommendations.
• Good communication is of utmost importance. Request a meeting to help you understand their communication style.
• Ask for references, read their case studies, and do your research to determine whether they have the needed experience and expertise to see your project through.
• Be cautious about any outsourcing company that offers cheap rates. Instead, enquire about their success in the past.
• Verify a vendor’s security policies, certifications, and accreditation.
• Ensure the vendor has professional liability insurance.
• Find out if the vendor can support all of the programming languages you need for your software development projects.

We at Fingent would love for you to come and test us out. Meanwhile, here is a look at what our clients have to say, some of our case studies, and a look at what we excel in!

Are You Ready to Outsource Your Software Development?

The choice is entirely yours. Make sure you consider all the pros and cons and make an informed decision. First, look at your business needs. Then, find out if the vendor is compatible culturally and financially. This will ensure a higher probability of success. We would be happy to discuss your needs and help you decide. Please feel free to reach out to our experts.