Did You Know?

According to Forbes, a web application is more useful than in the past, and apps will be a dominant factor in people’s lives in the coming decade.

So, do you want to launch an application and stay ahead?

Web Application Development: A Detailed Guide for 2024

What is a Web Application?

A decade ago, web pages were mostly static, with a few images and videos scattered around. In 2005, thanks to Ajax, it made it possible to create better, faster, and more interactive web applications.

A web application, also known as a web app, is nothing but a computer program that uses a web browser to perform a specific function. A web application is a client-server program that comprises a client-side and a server-side. The user enters data through the client-side (front-end), while the server-side (back-end) of the application stores and processes the information. For example, shopping carts, content management systems, and online forms are typical web applications.

Both enterprises and individuals develop web applications to fulfill different purposes. Web apps help integrate the tailored experience of native apps with easy access on a website browser from any device. For example, LinkedIn, Basecamp, MailChimp, or even Facebook, have web apps that provide immersive and tailored experiences like the native apps directly from the browser. Hence, web application development is gaining a lot of popularity in almost all industries, including banking, eCommerce, education, healthcare, and more.

How does a Web Application Work?

Web applications are accessed over a network and need not be downloaded. Instead, users can access web applications through browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Safari.
A web application is built around three components- a Web Server, an Application Server, and a Database. The web server manages requests from the client, the application server processes requests, and the database stores the information.

A typical web application workflow looks like this:

Web apps are generally coded using JavaScript, HTML5, or Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for the client-side programming (front-end). ASP.NET, PHP, Java, and Ruby are commonly used for server-side programming.

What is Web Application Development?

Web application development refers to the process of using client-side and server-side programming to develop an application that is accessible over the web browser.
The web application development process begins by; first, the developer trying to find a solution to a specific problem, then designing the web app by choosing the appropriate development framework. Next, the developer tests the solution and finally deploys the web app.

Types of Web Applications

Now that we’ve covered the various aspects of web applications let’s deep dive into the different categories of web applications. Web apps are classified based on their functionalities, tools, and technologies.

Web App vs. Websites

Web applications are indeed websites. Users can access both via web browsers, and both require access to the internet. It may seem that there’s no difference between them. However, the lines between a website and a web app are blurred. Web application development differs substantially from website development. Here’s a simplified rundown on the differences between a website and a web application.

Web Application

  • A web application is dynamic and is designed for user engagement.
  • A web application is interactive and responds to user input.
  • Web applications mostly require authentication.
  • The functions in a web application are quite higher and more complex.
  • The web application needs precompilation before deployment.
  • Integration with other software for web applications is complex.

Website

  • A website basically contains static content.
  • A website is a one-way informational feed and does not allow user interaction.
  • Authentication is not obligatory for informational websites.
  • The functions of a website are relatively simple.
  • A website does not need not be pre-compiled.
  • Integration is hassle-free for websites.

Web Apps vs. Mobile Apps

While web apps and mobile apps are similar in many ways, both are different in many ways. Mobile apps are made exclusively for mobile gadgets and are suitable for Android, iOS, and cross-platform operating systems. Usually, mobile apps are mobile-first, meaning they work effectively on smartphones, tablets, or other handheld mobile devices. Most mobile apps work offline too. Examples include Google Maps, Amazon Kindle, Uber, etc.
On the other hand, web apps function only with internet connectivity. A web app functions in real-time in a web browser with CPU resources. With adequate internal storage, mobile apps can be downloaded from the app store or play store.

Benefits of Web Application Development

Web application comes along with an array of benefits for businesses and users.

Speed and cost

Web application development is faster and more economical than building native apps. Therefore, if the primary goal is to accelerate time-to-market, web application development is the best choice for businesses.

Cross-platform capabilities

Web applications are programmed to run on any operating system. Due to their cross-platform capabilities, web applications can adapt well to Android, iOS, Mac OS, and Windows phones. In addition, the device responsiveness of web applications helps to get rid of OS dependencies.

Browser compatibility

A web application runs on the device’s browser using an accessible URL. Modern web applications are compatible with all browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Bing. Hence, software compatibility challenges are never roadblocks.

Reduced operating costs

Web application development is a great way to cut down operating costs. It drives to eliminate unnecessary expenses such as hardware purchases, frequent device updates, and maintenance of numerous systems.

Easy to update

Updating web applications is easy, as only the server(s) would require upgrades.

Customization

Custom web application development offers several benefits, such as tailored features for the users. These applications are easily accessible via browsers with a stable internet connection. Custom web apps help cut unnecessary expenses and save time as only required features need to be developed. A custom web app can significantly improve your business traction brand awareness, communicate your brand ideology and help you gain a competitive edge in the chosen target market.

Expanded Security

Web applications are typically deployed on dedicated servers, constantly monitored, and managed by experienced server administrators. This is more effective than monitoring hundreds or even thousands of client computers, as with desktop applications. In addition, it ensures tighter security and identifies any potential breaches that could slip off.

Zero downloads

Web apps don’t need to be downloaded from app stores such as Apple’s App Store or Google Play. This helps save money since having a direct link through a web app is free.

Technology Stack for Web Application Development

The following web development technologies enable the creation of high-performing, fast, and advanced web applications.

Web Application Development Process

Whether you decide to develop your web application in-house team or outsource to a company like Fingent, your project will be more successful if you understand the process involved in web application development in advance.

The number of steps in the web application development process can vary.

Conceptualize

The first step is to define the problem you want to solve with a web application and collect all the relevant information needed for app development. A well-defined problem will give an excellent head-start to the project and help you identify the best solution. Next, clarify the purpose and the end goals of the application.

During the planning phase, the developers will take a run to answer the following questions.

  • What app do you want to build?
  • What features and functions should it include?
  • What is the audience of your product?
Prototype & Development

The development phase involves creating a wireframe or prototype to communicate the solution to target users.

First, the developers will lay out the design elements to provide a delightful user experience to the target audience. The wireframe is then presented to potential users, considers their feedback, and iterates until they're satisfied.

Post-design, the next step is to build the application. The following steps will happen in this phase.

  • To create a database for storage, the developers need to determine what data and data types are required for the application to perform well.
  • Based on the elements approved by the users during the wireframing process, developers will create the front-end application. The developers need to identify the best frameworks for front-end development.
  • Developers will create interaction between the user and the server.
  • Developers either code from scratch or use front-end and back-end frameworks to develop the web app.
  • Based on the application type, that is, client-side/ server-side/ single-page, programming is done.
Test and Implement

Whether an automated or manual web application, testing for the web application is an ongoing process throughout the software development lifecycle. Testing is an inevitable part of the software development process.

The Testing (QA) team will test the app for usability, compatibility, functionality, security, and performance to eliminate bugs and ensure that the application works without any glitches.Testing also helps identify any possible improvements and upgrades to make in the future.Once the testing is complete, you can finally implement the application in your company or your customer's side.

When using it for your company, you will have to train your employees to use the app productively (if the app requires training). In addition, you will have to create a communication strategy for customers and decide on the appropriate timing to launch the application in the market.

At Fingent, we help you perform all the mandatory software and usability testing to ensure that your web app functions seamlessly. We also provide training and support to use the apps effectively.

Hosting and Maintenance

You must buy a domain and choose a hosting provider to create a server location for the app. We help you choose shared hosting, dedicated hosting, or cloud hosting based on your requirements. Be it a simple website or complex web application, and every digital product needs routine checks and enhancements. Maintenance of the application or website includes:

  • Ongoing QA testing
  • Bug fixes and improvements
  • Addressing changes and adding features based on user feedback
  • Providing regular updates and technical support

Web Application Development Validation And Deployment

Once your web app is developed and ready to be launched, it is critical to perform testing to ensure that the application functions correctly before its deployment. Bug fixing alone is not sufficient. Therefore, testing is vital to web application development.
A standard web application undergoes the following testing,
After completing the quality assurance process, your web app is ready for launch. You can use GitHub, Beanstalk App, and Bitbucket App to deploy the web app to your servers. Any new features, changes, and improvements to the deployed application are implemented according to the user’s feedback.

Web Development Trends for 2023

Web development has progressed over the years and is progressing with the emergence of newer technologies. A website is the face of a business rather than mere codes. More than one-third of visitors prefer to hold on to websites with attractive content and a clean layout. In 2023, companies are more than ready to apply the latest web development trends to improve conversions and develop engaging websites without having to code. If you want to stay ahead, it is vital to focus on the latest trends, updates, techniques, and web development approaches. Why developers should bring out more innovative web development approaches- the fact is it boosts business growth rather exponentially and globally.

Apps For Multiple Domains With .NET Core

.NET Core gives you consistency across all architectures by running your code with the same behavior. Be it gaming, IoT, mobile, or AI – we can help you develop high-performing, secure, cost-effective, and flexible applications in any domain with .NET Core. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Building Exceptional Apps With C#

C# is a highly versatile programming language commonly used for developing websites, Windows applications, and games. With its foundation deep-rooted in the Microsoft platform, C# is one of the most-cherished and reliable languages to build robust applications. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Enterprise Web Applications With ASP.NET

ASP.NET is a framework for building web apps and services with .NET and C#. ASP.NET allows you to build large and complex applications by reducing the amount of code required. This, in turn, reduces the application development time and costs involved. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Microsoft Azure Cloud Services

Take advantage of the cloud through hybrid cloud-based solutions with Microsoft Azure. We can help you migrate your solution to the cloud, enabling you with on-demand and secure resources of Azure. Scale according to your needs and improve your business agility. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Enhance Collaboration With SharePoint Development

Fingent’s Microsoft team can help you develop robust SharePoint solutions that empower your organization with efficient collaboration and communication. We can help you build intuitive interfaces and simple navigation features for effective document management. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Streamline Processes With PowerApps

Microsoft Power Apps enables you to build low-code, professional-grade apps that can modernize your business processes and drive innovation across your organization. Infuse your enterprise apps with AI and automation, powered by PowerApps. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Business Analytics Service Using Power BI

Leveraging Microsoft Power BI, we enable businesses to develop interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities through simple and intuitive interfaces. Enrich your business as well as end-users with custom reports and dashboards powered by insightful data. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Universal Windows Platform (UWP)

By leveraging UWP API, we help you create universal apps that run on Windows 10 compatible devices without the need to be re-written for each. As the name suggests, the Universal Windows Platform allows you to create apps that run on multiple types of devices. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)

Using WPF, we incorporate visually stunning user experiences into your Windows desktop applications that include features like rich user interface, media, complex business models, animation, effects, styles, templates, controls, data binding, and so on. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Business Intelligence With SQL Server

Our expertise with Microsoft data platforms can empower you with real-time data for improved decision-making. Our Microsoft capabilities can help in uniting several disparate information sources and create reports from across varied systems and databases. Let’s Discuss Your Project

Highly Responsive Applications With Cosmos DB

We help you develop highly responsive and highly available applications on Cosmos DB using the popular open source software APIs. Experience low latency, high throughput, real-time responses, and tunable consistency with this multi-model, NoSQL database service. Let’s Discuss Your Project

The Future of Web Application Development

The web development industry is in flux and is constantly evolving. Therefore, it is paramount for us always to look ahead and learn about what's coming up or any risk being left in the web development dust. Web development is defined through the upcoming trends and changes in the digital world. Businesses around the globe are in a quest to build outstanding websites to up their online presence with all-new frameworks, tools, and advancements. If you want your business to stay ahead of the race, the smartest thing u can do is to try out innovative and experimental things like Augmented Reality (AR) or Artificial Intelligence. Here's a quick glance at some of the exciting developments likely to happen in the near future.

Smarter Apps with Data Science

Data Science is impacting web development positively. Data science helps extract significant user information on a large scale using statistics, analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Using the extraction of meaningful information, web development is now guided into a more fruitful system to impact the business's bottom line. With data science and machine learning, you can target the right customers with personalized content at the right time within your application.

Augmented Reality

Product visualization is the most sought-after requirement among today's customers. Augmented reality has the potential to change the shopping game. Most online shoppers prefer shopping sites to integrate some form of augmented reality for a personalized experience. AR experiences in different ways are the key for customers to become more engaged in various platforms and the digital world overall. The future is not too far, where AR experiences will move into the mainstream and cease to be viewed as a niche technology.

Pageless Websites

Pageless website is a new-age concept that takes an alternative choice on web design. The entire contents of a website are displayed on a single page with an endless scroll instead of having multiple pages. With responsive elements, guided narrative, and intuitive scrolling, users can surf the entire contents of the website with ease.

Metaverse

The Metaverse is the new kid on the block that seeks to bring together many different technologies to offer users a new web experience. Today, users view content on the web. But on the Metaverse, users will be immersed in the content. Thanks to technologies like Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Machine Learning, and other forms of Artificial Intelligence. Metaverse is the next iteration of the internet where users can navigate through a virtual space instead of the current two-dimensional screen.

Cost of Web Application Development

The cost of a complicated and custom web application development process would again differ from pre-defined, packaged, and general-purpose applications. For example, suppose the app requires developing APIs and plugins or complex technical stacks, separate UX/UI elements, brand identity development, etc. In that case, the pricing will go up as the advantages are humongous.

Numerous factors influences the cost of web application development. As no two apps are the same, the price will vary, based on:
  • Features and functionality of the web application
  • Complexity of the application
  • Phase-wise development plan
  • Development team size
  • Platforms selected to develop the app
  • Technology stacks selected
  • Estimated project timelines
Features
Functionality
Team Size
Technology
Level of complexity
Time

Top 5 Web Apps that Revolutionized the World

A polished web app is almost a mandate for successful digital businesses today. Many apps have changed the public's perception of what they can expect and what is possible. It includes everything a typical user might look for in an app regarding design, usability, reliability, and security. Here's a rundown on five apps that has made a difference to the world.

Facebook

Facebook is a free social networking website that allows people to connect with others online. It lets users share photographs, post comments, post links to interesting content on the web, live chat, and watch videos. Facebook's success is attributed to its ability to appeal to both people and businesses and its ability to interact with websites around the web by providing a single login that works across multiple sites.

Whatsapp

WhatsApp is a free, multi-platform messaging app that lets users make video and voice calls, send text messages, share their status, and make payments, all with just an internet connection. The most appealing feature of this app is that it works on various phones and computer operating systems, which bestows uninterrupted conversations anytime, anywhere. WhatsApp serves more than 2 billion people in over 180 countries, with over a billion daily active users.

Uber

Uber is a transportation company that has developed an app to allow passengers to hail a ride, and drivers get paid. The app integrates with Google maps for tracking locations, routes and directing people to their destination. Uber uses smartphone app technology to connect passengers and drivers via a car-for-hire method. Most people love the simplicity of opening the app, telling where they want to go, and then seeing an Uber driver show up in a matter of minutes.

Instagram

Instagram is a free, popular photo-sharing app that Facebook acquired in 2012. It allows users to edit and upload photos and short videos through a mobile app. Like other social networking platforms, Instagram users can like, comment, share and bookmark others' posts. It also includes a feature of private chats and video conferencing with friends.

Tiktok

TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to create and share short videos. A young crowd commonly uses the app as an outlet to express themselves through singing, dancing, comics, and lip-syncing, making fun videos and sharing them across a community. In addition, users can follow other users, like, and comment on other users' videos. TikTok app quickly soared to popularity and amassed over 500 million monthly active users, the US being the most popular country where it is downloaded over 80 million times.

What Can A Web Application Do for Your Business?

With the internet being commonplace for most modern-day businesses, web applications are a quintessential tool for better growth in their market share. If you need to bring your company or business before the right users, the secret is to be found online with a creative and engaging web application. Web applications are of paramount importance than official websites when it comes to winning business goals and generating profits. Let’s explain the different areas a web application can help your business.
First Point of Engagement

A web application is the first point of access to your business and brand for your customers. Your app is the place that reflects what you do, your services, products, and your reputation. You can stand out from your competitors by having a web application that looks interesting and clearly communicates quality information to your customers. Therefore, hiring a professional web application development company is judicious to understand your vision and shape the application accordingly.

A company or business without a web app or website may question the legitimacy of the business. So, having an app is an opportunity to build a great first impression and give people assurance that you’re a genuine business.

Boost Online Brand Visibility

Web applications play a crucial role in the branding process of a business. Showcasing your brand to your prospective customers is the key to positioning your business in the market. A web application is an underlying framework for branding your products or services because branding acts as the bridge to maintain a proper communication channel between potential customers and your business.

Clearly conveying to the customers who you are, what you provide, and what your brand represents raises your business popularity coupled with building a customer base. A web application is your brand's voice that reaches out to the world through multiple social media platforms.

Improve Customer Loyalty

Your app is one of the most powerful assets for helping business owners improve customer relationships and increase efficiency. In addition to showcasing your offering or describing who you are, your application is one of the key tools for connecting with your existing customers and keeping them engaged. In order to create customer loyalty, you need to give your customers a reason to return.

Web applications come in handy with a lot of scopes to build customer loyalty programs to win customers’ hearts. Even simple changes to your app can go a long way toward building your brand and encouraging more customers to use your app frequently. Your application can be the key to increasing customer loyalty, a critical piece of the puzzle.

Easily Customizable and Scalable

As your business expands, your web applications need upgrades. Off-the-shelf applications are neither flexible nor scalable, limiting their capabilities. Custom web applications are developed specifically to suit your business requirements. It is completely scalable and flexible, harmonizing with your business growth and demands. Custom applications grow with your business without any hassles of switching to new applications or extra license purchases. Moreover, the advent of cloud-native apps further enhances the flexibility and scalability of applications by adding more value to the business.

Enhanced Customer Support

The prompt and user-friendly customer support offered by web applications becomes more approachable and less intimidating for customers. So, the users of the app feel more comfortable with the company and are likely to stick on for a long time.

Web apps help to create an engaging space for customers to interact with brands and provide a dedicated space to track and manage all the customer support queries. The beauty of web applications is that they can be accessed at any time from any location. Hence, providing any customer assistance is never an obstacle.

Why develop your Web Application with Fingent?

Web application development is a mandate for your organization to lead the digital space and reach out to more customers in the future. Fingent provides a wide array of software development services from software customization to building Web, Mobile, Enterprise, and Cloud applications across various industries.

Fingent is a high-end custom software development company that has been helping businesses -small and large- across the globe with innovative solutions. We help build your brand, increase your brand identity, promote your products and services to help you gain a competitive advantage.

Explore our range of services.

Our web application development services are specifically designed to help you meet your goals, considering your business infrastructure and key facets of your industry.

18+

Years of Experience

8

Centers of Excellence (CoE)

800+

Completed Projects

Transparent Project Management

500+

Qualified Professionals

Dedicated QA Practices

Most Common Q&As on Web Development

What is better: Multi-page Website or Single-page Website?

While both are good at their place, most people prefer the single-page website. This is because a single-page website offers ease of interaction and access compared to a Multi-page website.

If your business has a lot to do with queries and solutions or customer interactions, it is recommended you get a chat window.

For quality web application development, you should include both to help you avail more benefits. A combination of frameworks and pure codes will work as it will take less time and ensure quality development.

Some of the renowned web app development technologies are:

  • Models:
      HTML, XSL, XML
  • Animation:   AJAX, Flash, jQuery UI, ActionScript, JavaScript
  • Databases:   MS SQL, MySQL, Microsoft Access, SQLite, Oracle, PostgreSQL
  • CMS:   WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Kentico, Sitecore, Sitefinity, Sanity
  • Programming:   C#, PHP, ASP, ASP.NET, ASP.NET+MVC, Python, Ruby, Django, Go
  • Payment Systems:   PayPal, Assist, MoneyBookers, SMS, OSMP

The choice to outsource or hire in-house solely depends on your specific business situation.

Hiring an in-house developer will ensure that you have complete control over the entire development process, which is definitely great for some businesses. But it also calls for long preparation time and extra expenses. On the contrary, outsourcing cuts down costs and avoids hiring new employees altogether – which can be very useful if you are short of time or money.

If your outsourcing partner is a reputable and experienced agency, you can rest assured that they will care for all your web development needs without sacrificing quality.

Get Latest Insights on Web Application Development



Top Technologies Used to Develop Mobile App

 



Progressive Web App Development: 10 Benefits – Fingent

 



How Mobile and Web Apps Increase Customer Engagement

 

Stay up to date on what's new

    About the Author

    ...
    Vedavyas Shenoy

    Talk To Our Experts

      Software as a service (SaaS) is a fast-growing IT segment that commands the highest adoption rate among public cloud services, such as PaaS, IaaS, BPaaS, and others. In 2020, the worldwide end-user spending on Cloud Application Services (SaaS) accounted for USD 102,798, which shot up to a massive USD 122,633 at the end of 2021. Gartner examines that the adoption of scalable, on-demand cloud models enabled businesses to achieve cost efficiency and business continuity in a pandemic-afflicted economy. The rise in the adoption of public cloud services is giving an impetus for organizations to accelerate their digital transformation plans.

      Understanding more about SaaS app development is significant because it:

      • Helps optimize IT costs and conserve cash,
      • Aids and secures remote work, and
      • Ensures business resiliency.

      Watch video: Advantages of moving your key workloads to cloud

      SaaS solutions are inevitable in building and sustaining a collaborative, agile, mobile, and hybrid work environment. This post sums up the nitty-gritty you need to know about SaaS application development.

      What is SaaS application development?

      Ever since the launch of the internet, Application Service Providers (ASPs) that deliver software to users over the internet on a subscription basis have been popular. ASPs allowed users to subscribe to the applications and associated functionalities by following a usage-based transaction pricing model. While it was a major breakthrough, ASPs weren’t fully successful in reducing IT costs and simplifying deployments and upgrades. Thanks to cloud computing; the rise of SaaS applications has lowered the development time, cost, and effort for enterprises. Businesses of all sizes are now expanding their investments in SaaS development.

      Software as a service (SaaS) is a software licensing and distribution model in which the application is centrally hosted on the cloud and is maintained and updated by the SaaS developer. Along with Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and Platform as a service (PaaS), SaaS is one of the key cloud computing models that’s widely marketed to both business (B2B) and individual (B2C) users. Netflix, Office 365 suite, Google Workspace, Cisco WebEx, etc. are the common SaaS products that we use every day.

      Read more: Top business drivers that power legacy cloud migration

      Cloud migration

      Why are businesses investing in SaaS app development?

      SaaS was an extremely profitable business segment in 2020. According to a 2018-2023 forecast, companies running on SaaS will rise from 51% to 86% in a span of five years. SaaS-based solutions have enabled several business sectors, including virtual collaboration, e-commerce, FinTech, supply chain automation, and healthcare to thrive despite the large-scale disruptions inflicted by the global pandemic. Here are a few factors that make SaaS a hot choice in the investor’s market.

      1. Manage costs

      SaaS applications require minimal upfront investments. The Pay-as-you-go model allows you to start with a small capital and expand later when you anticipate better business growth and profitability. SaaS application deployment takes less time and money when compared to a traditional on-premise system setup. Most SaaS providers offer dedicated application maintenance and support which saves you from hiring and managing expensive in-house IT teams.

      2. Reduce IT dependencies

      Your SaaS application development services provider will take care of hardware maintenance, system failures, and downtimes, software updates, routine maintenance, and backups, etc. Based on your business requirements and the services subscribed to, the SaaS provider will help you customize the application, upgrade the software to its latest version, and offer training to your staff. This helps you focus on the core business activities.

      3. Seamless integration with other systems

      SaaS-based applications can be integrated easily with your legacy systems or any other third-party software that you use. By developing custom APIs and plugins, SaaS providers like Fingent will help integrate your CRM with ERP or HRM with Payroll software. The SaaS application can work as an extension of your current software, adding value to your daily operations. Cloud infrastructure and on-demand computing model empower you to scale up and meet the surging demands.

      4. Mitigate security risks

      SaaS software providers are responsible for securing the application, operating system, platform, network, and physical infrastructure. Along with these security options, the SaaS provider will help secure your customer data and user access by applying a few techniques such as Identity and Access Management (IAM), cloud data encryption, Data Loss Prevention Software (DLP), compliance solutions, real-time threat intelligence, behavioral analytics, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) solutions, etc.

      Read more: Why is cloud security important? What are the best practices to ensure cloud security? 

      cloud security

      Points to consider before starting your SaaS app development project 

      There are a few technical and business factors to consider while developing a SaaS product.

      Technical considerations in SaaS development

      • Database design: Choose a flexible and secure database(s) based on the data type, scalability, anticipated load, budget, programming languages used, read-to-write actions involved, and other specific business purposes.
      • Technology stack: Right technology stack helps build the right SaaS product. By partnering with a SaaS provider like Fingent, you can leverage the latest and the best tech stack to incorporate all the required features into your SaaS application.
      • Third-party services integration: Businesses that use SaaS products may want to integrate their applications with third-party services such as payment providers, chat and email service providers, customer-answering bots, etc. Ensure that the chosen third-party services are budget-friendly, scalable with your growth plans, credible, and offer excellent community support.
      • Regular patches and updates: Your SaaS application should be up-to-date and scalable to match your clients’ growing demands. Software updates must be scheduled, and new functionalities and changes to existing features (feature enhancements) should be tested thoroughly.

      Non-technical considerations in SaaS development

      • Conduct market research: Prior to starting your SaaS project, it’s important to analyze the market, understand what users are looking for, study competitors, and then visualize your SaaS solution. The market analysis leads to better project planning with realistic goals in mind.
      • Make the software user-friendly: The end-user of your SaaS product is not necessarily a techie. The software should appeal to the audience for which it’s built. Market it to the right audience by applying a fair pricing and subscription policy. Devise marketing strategies to improve client adoption.
      • Ensure software compliance: Security risk is a major barrier to SaaS adoption. Before publishing your SaaS software, ensure that it has robust data protection and sharing policies, user access policies, regular software maintenance, and 100% compliance with standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
      • SaaS pricing model: SaaS software market offers a variety of pricing models such as usage-based pricing, per-feature pricing, flat-rate pricing, tiered pricing, and so on. Determining the right pricing model depends on factors such as how much your customers are willing to pay, how far your product is capable of solving their problems, and how your competitors are charging for a similar suite of products. Ensure that the pricing model doesn’t stagnate your product.

      SaaS app development best practices

      Here are a few best practices to ensure the performance, productivity, and acceptance of your SaaS application.

      1. Focus on MVP creation as the first step

      Many SaaS developers use MVP (Minimum Viable Product) as the initial step for building a successful SaaS application. An MVP is a fully functional and quickly developed miniature version of an application built to test the SaaS product’s viability. Developing an MVP will help you understand the feasibility of your business idea and the changes to be accommodated based on user feedback. It helps reduce your development cost and effort.

      2. Multi-tenancy architecture

      A SaaS application isn’t made for a single user. It should be flexible enough to serve thousands or even millions of customers. Multi-tenancy is crucial in cloud computing as it allows multiple tenants (users) with different roles and access privileges to be hosted in the same environment. Each user will have a separate and secured space within the server to store their data. Multi-tenant architecture improves your ROI and helps update and maintain your SaaS application.

      3. Personalize your SaaS product

      As remote and hybrid workspaces go mainstream, and BYOD becomes common, users seek personalized SaaS products that don’t require extensive admin support. Users demand high-level personalization with your SaaS app. For example, changing the UI’s appearance, integration of Single Sign On (SSO) feature, configuring the dashboard to track the metrics quickly, and so on. They may want the SaaS app to be available in both web and mobile and any other portable devices that they use. Make your SaaS app safe and compatible to address such personalization requirements.

      4. Prioritize and optimize features

      Adding too many features as well as avoiding important features are equally wrong. Consider the reach and impact of a feature addition, such as how many users will be affected or how many customers are looking for the new feature. Track the SaaS app’s usage patterns by leveraging analytics or run a survey to understand user preferences. If more than 50% of them like an existing feature, optimize it. If only 5% of your users are interested in a new feature, eschew it.

      Read more: A comprehensive guide to modern cloud application development

      Cloud application development

      How Fingent helps develop exceptional SaaS applications within your budget 

      With Fingent, you are just a few steps away from building and managing your own SaaS application development team. Right from developing an MVP to actual product launch and post-launch support, our team handholds customers through every stage of development.

      InfinCE, the world’s first digital workplace orchestration platform, stands as a testament to our SaaS development capabilities. So are ReachOut Suite FSM and Skill Lake LMS. Our goal is to help businesses solve challenges through technology. We help legacy companies migrate their software solutions to the cloud as well as develop cutting-edge SaaS solutions that empower them to thrive in the new normal.

      Read more: What makes Fingent your best technology partner 

      Tech Partnership

      If you have an idea or a requirement, discuss it with us asap. We will set up a discovery call with you and get back with a ballpark estimate. This is followed by a detailed proposal, including mockups, demo videos, and visualizations. Our communication method is simple enough to answer your queries related to software app development. We do business with organizations of all sizes – small and large – to help them transform lives through technology. Ready to watch us in action? Talk to our SaaS expert now.

      Stay up to date on what's new

        About the Author

        ...
        Vinod Saratchandran

        Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

        Talk To Our Experts

          The impact of the pandemic on consumers across the globe has dramatically changed their demands, needs, and behavior. Many of these changes have critical implications for businesses in most sectors. To succeed in the next normal, businesses must respond proactively.

          COVID-19 jolted consumer demand in a way that sets it apart from past disruptions. As a result, customer loyalty took a hard hit. Executing the four Ps of marketing (optimization of product, price, place, and promotion) became more complex than ever. Businesses must redouble and broaden their efforts toward meeting ever-changing customer demands and behavior.

          As with everything else, it is important for an organization to know and understand its customers. If your company is at crossroads with today’s Ecommerce customers’ needs, this article will help you understand how technology can help satisfy these uprising demands quickly and effectively. So then, let’s first understand how customer behavior, needs, and demands change.

          Read more: What are 3D Web Configurators? How do they Boost Ecommerce Sales and Drive Customer Satisfaction?

          3D web configurators

          Ecommerce Customers’ Behavior, Demands, and Needs

          Customers are like the moving targets. The key to success is to understand their behavior trends and use technology to help satisfy these uprising needs and demands. Linnworks research pointed to five such trends:

          • Convenience is the need of the hour: 76% of consumers feel that convenience is the top priority in choosing a retailer. 90% of shoppers focus on using a trouble-free online store.
          • The frictionless shopping experience is most valued: It was noted that 58% of consumers abandoned an online store altogether because they were difficult to use.
          • Omnichannel shopping is gaining traction: One in three consumers has purchased an item while on social media. 71% of consumers prefer to complete a purchase on a social site without having to exit to the retailer’s site.
          • Consumers demand flexible payment options: Four in five shoppers expect the “buy now, pay later” payment option.
          • Delivery convenience: 95% of consumers say that fast and reliable delivery methods play a crucial role in their decision-making.

          How Can Technology Help Satisfy these Uprising Needs and Demands of Today’s Consumers?

          1. Allow your consumers to experience products before they buy

          The biggest roadblock facing Ecommerce businesses has been the inability of consumers to experience products before they buy. Everyone likes to try on clothes they like to buy or see how is their new couch looks in their living room.

          This is where AR (Augmented Reality) can help your business. AR can help your consumers try on clothes or closely inspect the components of a mobile device. AR market is expected to reach 2.54 billion by 2023.  Online retailers who fail to take full advantage of this technology may likely experience business disruption.

          2. Bring your product to life with virtual shopping

          Virtual reality shopping can bring your products to life. It helps your customers to have an in-store-like experience, without actually being there. VR technology allows you to tag products so your customers can purchase on the spot. It can instantly connect buyers with customer service executives.

          VR can make product recommendations based on customer metrics. It can also cater to both desktop and mobile users. Thus, it provides a better customer experience attracting more customers to your online store.

          3. Be omnichannel ready

          Todays’ Ecommerce customers like to cross-channel research and purchase. So, they expect smooth interactions across these channels and devices. Technology can help you to provide your customers with what they want, when they want it, and where they want it to. Some of these technologies include video chat, screen sharing, document interaction, e-signature, and more.

          Co-browsing is an effective visual engagement system. It can bring your sales executives and customers together on the same page, at the same time. This allows your executive to guide your customers through the complex procedures making their customer journey as smooth as it can be.

          Read more: Custom Retail Software Solutions: Everything You Need to Know!

          retail software solutions

          4. Enhance customer communication with chatbots and AI

          Artificial Intelligence has a major impact on how we live and work. Voice shopping is expected to jump to $40 billion by 2022, rising from $2 billion today. And 45% of millennials have already been shopping using voice assistants.

          Chatbots and AI improve customer experience and boost brand image. These chatbots can be personalized to order food, get recommendations for almost anything, receive details regarding payment or order status, and more.

          5. Hassle-free checkout process

          Inefficient checkout processes can raise the chances of cart abandonment. However, this problem can be avoided by embracing technology that provides quick and efficient checkout solutions.

          Technology enables speedy mobile payment solutions, allows your customers to save card details for repeat purchases. Above all, it proves one-page hassle-free checkouts and offers a range of payment options. All these can alleviate any potential difficulties your customers may face at checkout.

          6. Enable m-commerce to enhance Ecommerce

          Today many shoppers shop on the go. Hence, mobile platforms have gained greater importance. So much so that m-commerce is emerging as a concept. Given that, providing a mobile-oriented shopping experience will certainly help you win potential customers, maximizing your chances of future success.

          Ecommerce mobile apps offer continuous engagement with your brand. It can help them familiarize with new and relevant purchasing opportunities. These apps also allow you to market products relevant to the specific geographical location of your customers.

          Read more: 5 Reasons to Integrate Your E-commerce Application with Odoo ERP

          Odoo ERP

          How Can Fingent Help Deploy These Evolving Technologies For Ecommerce Businesses?

          It is one thing to understand your consumer behavior but another thing entirely to implement technology to satisfy their demands and needs. Fingent is here to help you implement these technologies efficiently. We can help you move the needle and dominate your niche in the Ecommerce industry.

          Fingent top software development company, can help you implement those that make sense and put the rest on the back burner. We can aid in the success of your Ecommerce venture by implementing cutting-edge technologies. Our development experts will help you promote your products in new and innovative ways.

          Choosing Fingent can help you save a lot of time and money and avoid unnecessary complexity as we can provide all the needed components. Our platforms are easy to manage yet robust enough to house thousands of products. We can handle unique order processes and payment terms for your Ecommerce sales. Let’s get talking.

           

          Stay up to date on what's new

            About the Author

            ...
            Tony Joseph

            Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

            Talk To Our Experts

              Low code/No code is becoming a fierce upcoming contender in today’s digital landscape. For one, its unique capabilities enable collaboration between business stakeholders and IT teams. And it allows for an unprecedented speed of innovation.

              Before the pandemic, companies looked to a Low code/No code platform for its unique benefits. Today though, the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of low code in remote development.

              This article will explain what is Low code/No code development with SAP BTP, and will also discuss how it is changing the future of enterprise resilience.

              Read more: Rise with SAP – How Fingent Can Help Explore Business Transformation as a Service (BTaaS)

              BTaaS

              What is Low Code/No Code Development with SAP BTP

              Studies confirm the that market landscape for  Low code/No code development technologies will remain on a strong trajectory into the future. We can be confident that more organizations will turn to low code platforms to support innovation and digital transformation.

              Low code/No code is a software development approach. It enables the delivery of applications faster with little or no coding. Low code/No code platforms are a collection of tools. They enable the visual development of applications via modeling and graphical interface instead of extensive coding languages.

              The term “Low code/No code” is a modern alternative for RAD tools (Rapid Application Development). Today, Low code/No code is especially advantageous for enterprises that are looking for ways to streamline all organizational operations such as procurement, production scheduling, customer data, and order processing without the complication of hand-coding.

              These tools empower developers to speed up the process of getting an application to production. All without hand coding! These platforms are a fast and easy alternative to traditional software development. Both professional and non-professional developers (citizen developers) can use Low code/No code platforms to develop apps of varying complexities.

              Low code/No code development with SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) empowers non-IT professionals to develop and launch apps with little or no input from IT. This reduces the IT talent gap. It enables transformation in the development and expansion of organizational capabilities.

              Low code/No code platforms are built on Platform-as-a-Service cloud environments. This means it employs visual programming interfaces to solve business problems faster. The best part of it is that it does not require deep technical knowledge as it has a simple drag and drop interface.

              However, Low code/No code is not just about the user interface. SAP considered this fact while shaping a part of the SAP BTP strategy. Developers and business experts are no longer limited as they are now empowered with integrated Low code/No code automation tools such as SAP Intelligent Robotic Process Automation SAP Business Application studio and more. These tools enable developers to build Intelligent Enterprises.

              Read more: A Complete Guide On Software Product Development Stages And Life Cycle

              How Low Code/No Code Is Turning The Future Of Enterprise Resilience

              The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the adoption of digital technologies. The goal of these technologies is to allocate human resources wisely to empower the end-user. Low code/No code is faster and more efficient. It frees up professional developers’ or citizen developers’ time for more complex activities.

              Most importantly, Low code/No code builds systemic resiliency and responsiveness into the daily functioning of an enterprise. As enterprises aim to become more future-proof, they see Low code/No code as an immediate and effective opportunity.

              According to Gartner’s prediction, by the end of 2025, half of all new Low code clients will come from business buyers that are outside IT organizations. Commenting on pricing, Mr. Biscotti said, “Low code capabilities that support remote work function, such as digital forms and workflow automation, will be offered with more elastic pricing since they will be required to keep the lights running.” Given the benefits and the affordability, the Low code/No code market will see commensurate growth.

              How does SAP’s Low code development become the future of enterprise resilience? Please consider the following:

              1. SAP offers the necessary sophistication to address complex business processes

              SAP users often manage processes that involve a large number of applications linked to a single business process. Plus, a business may need an app that can handle complex tasks such as creating work orders offline for field crews. Low code/No code with SAP gives developers the ability to extend their functionality and solve any business problems.

              2. Helps in streamlining work and allow employees to work more efficiently

              Low code/No code development with SAP is much easier. Hence, it allows developers to manage repetitive tasks and focus on complex activities. Also, it enables them to focus on best practices across their organization to optimize processes and innovate. Thus, it streamlines work, allowing employees to work more efficiently regardless of their location.

              3. SAP Low code reduces technical debt

              Most organizations that are adopting digital transformation are discovering that they have large amounts of technical debt. This stands in the way of modernization and optimal user experience. Unfortunately, in some cases, the cost of legacy code exceeds its value-creating a debt.

              On the other hand, Low code/No code platforms are designed to avoid technical debt. SAP Low code platform enables your team to discover customizations, estimate the cost of modernizing them and then transform them into custom objects on the Low code/No code platform. Furthermore, the right Low code/No code platform will make it simpler to maintain and simplify future upgrades and migrations.

              Read more: Answering the Critical Questions Asked by Business Leaders Today on Digital Transformation!

              Digital transformation

              4. SAP Low code can help your business scale

              One of the most important aspects of resilience is the ability to scale as needed. While it is true that hand-coding development will lock in and not allow your business to scale, it isn’t so with SAP Low code.

              Because Low code/No code development solutions use open-source standards, they allow you to export your raw source code and adapt it as required. Additionally, cloud-based platforms provide virtually unlimited scalability.

              Look To A Resilient Future With Low Code/No Code

              SAP BTP is in a unique position to assist many organizations to implement digital transformation. It can help businesses achieve significant productivity gains and improve forecast planning. Looking to the future, the digital landscape is changing.

              Enterprises must continue to evolve on their mission for greater speed and agility. SAP Low code/No code platform creates a unified, business-centric, open platform for an Intelligent Enterprise. You can count on SAP for future-proofed resilience. As an SAP Silver partner, Fingent top custom software development company is uniquely positioned to open up all the benefits of its features in a way that is tailored for your business. Give us a call and let’s get talking.

              Stay up to date on what's new

                About the Author

                ...
                Ashok Kumar

                Ashok leads Fingent’s SAP Consulting practice for ANZ, SE Asia, The Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and other global clients. More specifically, he helps companies improve operational efficiency by enhancing their digital cores and improving their application integration. Ashok has amassed over 20 years of leadership and consulting experience having worked with Global giants like SAP, IBM Consulting, Capgemini, & Oracle in his previous assignments. Connect with Ashok via LinkedIn and learn how your business can excel with recent SAP trends.

                Talk To Our Experts

                  2020 has proved beyond doubt that technology partnership is an essential element in the creation of a successful business. Sticking to a DIY strategy may sound good in the wake of economic upheaval. But honestly, no business wants to “just survive.” Every business in every sector wants to thrive and stay relevant despite the challenges.

                  In recent times, technology keeps changing far too quickly. Missing the first door of opportunity may mean greatly diminished market potential. On the contrary, partnering with a technology company offers the quickest way to ensure an impactful presence in your market segment.

                  Do you own a business? Or are you an entrepreneur with multiple companies? Is the concept of a “technology partner” too abstract for you? If so, we are here to help you understand why partnering with a reliable tech company is the need of the hour. Here’s also highlighting the benefits of such a partnership.

                  Read more: Technology Investments: How to gain maximum value?

                  tech investments

                  Why is Partnering with Tech Companies the Need of the Hour?

                  Most businesses around the world are recovering from pandemic-related economic hardship. Although this has scared many, it is clear that businesses need to become more ‘upheaval-ready.’ Partnering with a tech company can make your business ‘upheaval-ready’ while elevating your business. Let’s now consider specific reasons.

                  1. Apprehensive about future challenges?

                  During the pandemic, you may have had to adapt to new ways of doing business. There is a high probability that this change may not end here. The next few years may experience aftershocks due to health and safety standards and economic fallouts.

                  Thankfully, new technologies and new ways of using old technologies can help you meet your current and future business needs. What do you implement though and how in the world will you go about doing that? This is where partnering with a tech company can be a boon.

                  2. You need specific talent

                  Consider this scenario: you have new projects that require a specific skill set that your current team does not possess. On the other hand, it is also not the right time to hire. Plus, you do not have the time or resources to look for such talent.

                  Additionally, bringing in new talent that would require extensive training can be way more exhausting than it may seem. What is your best option? A tech partner! Your partner will be able to provide the needed skillset. This may prove to be more cost-effective and less exhausting than hiring and training a new candidate.

                  3. New technology seems painfully elusive

                  Do you feel that your competitors are pushing ahead with the latest technology while you can’t even begin to wrap your head around it? Are you anxious that your business will suffer if you do not adopt digital transformation immediately?

                  If so, worry no more! A partnership with a technology company is exactly what you need to give your business that edge that seems so elusive.

                  Read more: Why Software Development Outsourcing is a Smart Move Now?

                  Benefits Of Partnering with Technology Company

                  Collaboration is key to creativity Walter Isaacson

                  Collaboration that brings in creativity and spearheads agility is what you need right now. Here are some direct and indirect benefits of tech partnership:

                  1. Provides a new set of eyes backed with experience

                  Does your business require multiple levels of testing and repeated proofreading and fact-checking stages? Do you occasionally require external evaluation to identify issues you cannot see immediately? Your tech partner can do all of these for you. Also, they may be able to provide unique solutions for your specific needs.

                  Allowing a tech partner to take care of these needs can free your time and resources to stay focused on what you do best.

                  2. Offers skillset and solutions as and when you need

                  Business suffers when problems go unidentified and unsolved. Partnering with the right tech company can help you identify and solve such issues before they snowball.

                  The best part of this partnership is that you can hire them on your terms. It can either be short-term or something that you do yearly.

                  3. Cost and labor savings

                  Cost and labor are major points of consideration in running a profitable business. Not all businesses can afford the latest tech advancements. There is no arguing however that organizations need the latest technology to run their business efficiently and cost-effectively.

                  A tech partner can help in managing communication and resource organization by eliminating manual processes. It can reset repetitive and simple data entry tasks that can consume precious time. Time saved is money saved!

                  4. Reduce risks

                  No business can afford a technology failure as it can pose a huge risk. A tech partner can insulate your organization from those risks.

                  5. Increased employee performance

                  Technology helps employees do their jobs more efficiently. You cannot afford to miss important compatibility and workflow improvement opportunities in this age. Your tech partner can help integrate your network to improve employee performance. This automatically leads to improved business performance.

                  6. Opportunity to expand your tech expertise

                  Not all businesses can afford technical expert knowledge in-house. Partnering with a tech company allows you to complement and broaden your organization’s existing technical expertise.

                  7. The partnership is more cost-effective

                  Paying employees 24/7, 365 days for IT support is expensive. It is cost-effective to outsource the IT support team. Partnering with a tech company can give you greater access to experienced tech support when you need it.

                  Read more: Understanding Managed Services for IT: Why it Matters?

                  Managed Services for IT

                  Why Fingent Can Be Your Ideal Tech Partner

                  Fingent brings a wealth of technical expertise coupled with business experience to our partners. We draw on decades of engineering expertise to develop unique solutions for each of our clients.

                  At Fingent we maximize the potential of your business with tech expertise backed by sound business sense. We can empower you with the benefits that technology can offer to compete in a global arena.

                  Fingent has both the necessary certifications and experience you need. Our staff is diversified with specific tasks but is kept informed about each level of the project. We stay abreast of all technological advances.

                  We have worked with a wide range of clients and have the skills needed to partner with new industries. We believe that technology can enhance and enrich all walks of human existence.

                  Visionaries at Fingent, top custom software development company can help you reimagine the way you work. We can help kickstart your digital transformation journey to bring you into the future – a thriving and stable future. We are confident that you will appreciate all the strategies we create to help you. Give us a call and find out for yourself.

                  Stay up to date on what's new

                    About the Author

                    ...
                    Tony Joseph

                    Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                    Talk To Our Experts

                      DevOps is a fusion of development and operations that come together to form a technology that spreads rapidly throughout the technical community. The main objective of DevOps is to decrease the amount of time the company takes to deploy a program.

                      Before DevOps, most companies leveraged Agile methodology. However, it did not take care of the operations aspects and so gave rise to DevOps. In combination with Agile methodology, DevOps gave importance to communication between the development and operations team during all stages of the development cycle while developing software. This blog will take you briefly through why you need to consider DevOps and what are the upcoming trends in this technology.

                      Objectives of DevOps

                      The main goal of DevOps is to improve the collaboration between teams to;

                      • Improve the frequency of deployment
                      • Reduce time to market (TTM)
                      • Minimize the failure rate of new releases or productions
                      • Reduce the lead time between fixes
                      • Improve mean time to recovery

                      Read more: Test Automation In DevOps For Expediting Software Development

                      Statistics and Market Changes That Prove the Effectiveness of DevOps

                      DevOps includes different cross-functional teams such as business analysts, developers, QA practitioners, operations personnel, security specialists, suppliers, and partners. It not only helps seize the market opportunities quickly but also reduces time to include customer feedback. It also helps change and advances the relationship by improving the communication and collaboration between different business units. Here’s a look at a few statistics on how enterprises are driving efficiency using DevOps.

                      • 2x as likely as lower performers to achieve the goals across financial and non-financial measures.
                      • 46x more software deployments than their competitors
                      • 96x quicker recovery from failures
                      • 440x faster lead time for changes
                      • 96x faster recovery from failures
                      • Better customer satisfaction and operational efficiency
                      • DevOps teams spend about 21% less time resolving issues compared to traditional IT ops teams
                      • DevOps teams spend 33% more time improving infrastructure than traditional teams
                      • DevOps teams require 60% fewer teams per week to manage support cases than traditional teams

                      From shopping to banking to entertainment, every organization and industry is shifting towards accurate, practical software deployment and involves low maintenance costs. Additionally, emerging trends of AI and MI are steadily gaining momentum. Both technologies can process a large amount of data and perform menial tasks, help the IT staff do more targeted work, and help learn patterns, anticipate problems, and develop solutions.

                      Further, the adoption of agile frameworks and cloud technologies and the digitization of enterprises are some of the factors driving the market’s growth across the globe.

                      That said, with the penetration of IoT, DevOps is more in demand owing to the co-dependence of the hardware and the embedded software that runs on it. Moreover, Global Market Insights reports the DevOps Market size exceeded $4 billion in 2019 and expects to grow at over 20% CAGR between 2020 and 2026. So, if you don’t upgrade to DevOps, you are more likely to lose out on several opportunities that can help drive business growth.

                      Read more: DevOps: Building A New Culture Of Software Development And Delivery

                      DevOps

                      DevOps Market Trends

                      1. Automation

                      The Puppet 2021 State of DevOps report revealed that highly evolved firms are more likely to have implemented extensive automation. The report also stated that 90% of respondents with highly developed DevOps practices reported that their teams had automated most repetitive tasks.

                      These initiatives will only continue to have more urgency in their adoption for enterprises that are yet to evolve fully. To make these initiatives work, teams will have to integrate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning alongside automation of the entire process. Incorporating machine learning into the delivery lifecycle helps enterprises to understand problems such as blockages or capacity issues. This information can be used to mitigate problems whenever they arise. In addition, the AI-based predictive analysis enables the DevOps pipeline to anticipate problems and provide potential solutions.

                      2. Application Performance Monitoring (APM) Software

                      APM software is essential as it helps provide rapid feedback to developers during deployments. It includes:

                      • Front-end monitoring- This helps observe the behavior and performance of user interactions.
                      • Application discovery, tracing, and diagnostics(ADTD) – This analyses the relation between the web and application servers, infrastructure, and microservices.
                      • AIOps-enabled analytics- This helps detect patterns, anomalies, and causality across the lifecycle.

                      APM plays a key role in minimizing the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and improving the user experience. APM capabilities help DevOps teams to understand the business processes better, provide insights into business operations, help with problem isolation and prioritization.

                      3. DevOps Security

                      Security is one of the most overlooked aspects of any organization. According to Gene Kim, DevOps researcher, for every 100 developers, there is only one security engineer.

                      However, with the pandemic changing many things and people working from home, more services are being run in the cloud, leading to more attacks. So, the way a developer writes the software and deploys it to its destination must be secure.

                      To get serious about prioritizing security for DevOps, you need to;

                      • Understand security goals
                      • Have proper cloud vulnerability scanners
                      • Secure the code with standard tests

                      4. Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) and DevOps

                      As per reports from Google Cloud’s 2021 Accelerate State of DevOps, SRE and DevOps will complement each other in years to come. SRE techniques such as service-level indicators will enhance the objectives of the DevOps team.

                      The report also indicates that teams who excel at modern practices are 1.4 times more likely to experience greater software delivery and operational performance than those who are less mature with operational practices. Such teams are also 1.8 times more likely to have better business outcomes.

                      5. The Rise of DevSecOps

                      As organizations embrace Kubernetes, serverless, and other cloud-based technologies, cloud-native security will become more critical. As a result, teams will need new tools and processes to protect assets making DevSecOps indispensable.

                      DevSecOps is a fusion of security and compliance testing into the development pipeline. It should:

                      • Integrate into the life cycle seamlessly
                      • Provide transparent results to the stakeholders
                      • Improve the agility of developers
                      • Help the teams to stay within their development environment
                      • Offer security protection at runtime

                      Read more: A Complete Guide On Software Product Development Stages And Life Cycle

                      Why Choose Fingent as Your DevOps Service Provider?

                      With robust DevOps services, Fingent top custom software development company, ensures rapid on-boarding of applications by automating the end-to-end delivery pipeline and facilitating continuous development and integration across leading cloud platforms. It provides faster time to market, increased efficiency, and reduced costs. Our DevOps solutions will help align your organization’s goals rapidly and reliably to ensure high-quality software-based products and services.

                      So, if you’re looking forward to deploying DevOps to improve your organization’s speed, agility, and gain a competitive advantage, then connect with our experts today!

                      Stay up to date on what's new

                        About the Author

                        ...
                        Sreejith

                        I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

                        Talk To Our Experts

                          The pandemic has derailed the global economy, impacting businesses across the world. If organizations wish to keep up with the lightning pace of app and platform improvements while staying cyber secure, they must rely on DevOps. DevOps is crucial to business success more than ever.

                          But before you start your journey with DevOps let’s take a look at what DevOps is. What are the advantages of DevOps? How can you maximize its potential for your business? Read on to find out.

                          What Is DevOps?

                          DevOps is a term derived from combining “development” and “operations.” According to Gartner, “DevOps represents a change in IT culture, focusing on rapid IT service delivery through the adoption of agile, lean practices in the context of a system-oriented approach.”

                          In simple terms, it is a coordination of best practices that automate and integrate the processes between software development and the IT teams. This cross-disciplinary practice enables enterprises to create and improve products faster than traditional software development methods.

                          Implementing DevOps allows enterprises to have a competitive edge in value and value management. It allows teams to adapt to the changing market and address their customers’ needs effectively.

                          Read more: DevOps: The Catalyst to Efficient Project Development and Delivery

                          Tangible Benefits of DevOps

                          1. Maximizes efficiency

                          DevOps ensures the quality of application updates. Armed with the logging and monitoring mechanism of DevOps, developers can now oversee the real-time performance of the products.

                          This will help them make any necessary changes or improvements ensuring the efficiency of the software. Continuous testing enhances the software quality. Plus, it will be more reliable to function consistently and seamlessly.

                          2. Better communication and cooperation

                          A DevOps software development culture contributes to happier and more productive teams as its primary focus is on performance. This team spirit helps in building trust that leads to unitedly working to innovate more effectively.

                          When teams work together with DevOps, they do not wait for a different team to solve problems. Instead, they work toward a common goal focusing on bringing the product to market or production.

                          3. Faster Innovation

                          The success of an enterprise depends on its ability to innovate faster than its competitors. Since DevOps collaborates both development and operation efforts, the development cycle is shorter and the applications are ready faster.

                          4. Reduced implementation failure

                          Implementation failure can occur due to programming defects. Since DevOps promotes frequent code versions it is easy to detect defects early. This reduces the number of implementation failures. Additionally, recovery is much faster as the teams share ideas and together tackle the challenges of both teams.

                          5. Cost-effective

                          Automated testing and CI/CD aid in efficient bug-free codes. Hence, it eliminates the need to combat network downtime and avoid spending additional costs on other related issues.

                          DevOps automation accelerates the software release pipeline and cuts down on manual interventions. Thus, it minimizes software release costs. Moreover, early detection of defects saves consequent financial damages. Subsequently, DevOps increases profitability while reducing both direct and indirect costs.

                          Read more: Test Automation In DevOps For Expediting Software Development

                          6. Customer satisfaction

                          Customer satisfaction is crucial for businesses to thrive and profit. The constant flow of feedback mechanism of DevOps allows customers to rate the product and its updates. Their feedback will help developers to improve the product.

                          Besides, customers can keep tabs on the progress of the application with the help of loop feedback. This contributes to customer satisfaction as they now can see the agility in the software development process. As a result, your business can and will gain a competitive advantage in your sector.

                          Key Features Of DevOps

                          • Code: Everything in DevOps is version-controlled as code along with data.
                          • Continuous: Emphasis is on continuity of integration, deployment, and testing.
                          • Collaboration: Strong collaboration between the operations, development, and security teams is at the heart of DevOps.
                          • Fail fast: Robust automation, tooling, and processes in DevOps help in identifying problems faster preventing delays in the rollout of new features.
                          • Automated environment provisioning: This enables consistency across deployment ensuring reliable release.
                          • Security: This involves all security measures ranging from static security code analysis to vulnerability management.

                          DevOps Lifecycle

                          DevOps consists of multiple phases that collectively become the DevOps lifecycle. These phases ensure DevOps optimizes all development processes. Here is a phase-wise break-down of the DevOps lifecycle:

                          1. Continuous development

                          This is the first phase where planning and software coding takes place. The planning involves understanding the project and developers begin developing the code for the application. Though planning does not require any tools, maintaining code requires a number of tools.

                          2. Continuous integration

                          In the phase of continuous integration, new codes are built and integrated into the existing code. The source code is modified several times on a weekly or daily basis. The continuous integration of new code helps reflect the changes that the customers experience with the updated code.

                          3. Continuous testing

                          At this stage, the developed software is continuously tested for bugs with the help of automated tools. This phase can be repositioned around the continuous integration phase as well.

                          Testing helps developers save effort and time that is usually lost in manual testing. Plus, reports generated help them improve the test evaluation process. This ensures flawless functionality and inter-networking of the application.

                          4. Continuous feedback

                          Continuous feedback allows for further analysis of the improvements. The feedback from customers is assessed promptly enabling the developer to release new versions of the software application.

                          5. Continuous monitoring

                          This phase is of key importance for application developers as it sustains the availability of services in the application. Continuous monitoring helps determine the root causes of recurring system errors and helps resolve security issues and other problems.

                          6. Continuous deployment

                          Although continuous deployment takes place before continuous monitoring, developers ensure that this phase remains active throughout the DevOps lifecycle. Containerization tools are used to achieve continuous deployment. This nullifies all sorts of production failures and system errors.

                          7. Continuous operations

                          This is the shortest of all phases. The continuous operation allows developers to automate the process and accelerate the time-to-market for the application.

                          Use of DevOps in Different Industries

                          Manufacturing industries: The use of DevOps in car manufacturing can help manufacturers identify errors early on in the production process.

                          Online financial trading companies: DevOps reduces the overall process time and increases the customer base. DevOps contributes to a drastic reduction in regression testing time which in turn reduced the funding period.

                          Read more: Prepare for the Future of Digital Innovation with these 10 Services From Fingent

                          digital innovation

                          Get Faster, Bigger, and Better with DevOps

                          It is clear that the DevOps strategy benefits enterprise software development in many ways. DevOps take the legwork out of the software development process and has emerged to be a crucial component for the growth of a business. DevOps provides a wide range of benefits that are measurable and real in implementation.

                          DevOps can create an astounding long-term impact for internet-based businesses. All businesses need DevOps for faster testing and implementations.

                          If you are not adopting DevOps practices in your technology projects, then you are increasing the risk of delay on your technology projects and increasing technical debt. The longer you wait, the more effort is required to implement DevOps into your workflow. So, if you are considering implementing DevOps, act quickly! Call us today.

                          Stay up to date on what's new

                            About the Author

                            ...
                            Vinod Saratchandran

                            Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

                            Talk To Our Experts

                              Planning a software development project for your business? Here’s a detailed guide on the various stages and life-cycle of Software Product Development!

                               

                              Introduction

                              Behind all the conveniences that we use in our everyday life, there is complex software. Such ease of life is possible when complex software is implemented in various stages in definitive order. These models address the diverse circumstances of product owners and development vendors.

                              However, such a rich choice can be confusing. To fully benefit from the development process and successfully communicate with the development team, you must realize your needs and expectations from the product.

                              Here is a complete guide to help you understand and organize the complex process of Software Product Development – what each stage means and how you can drive a successful Software Product Development project.

                               

                              What Is Software Product Development?

                              Software Product Development is a combination of steps, tools, methodologies, and management techniques that bring the concept of a product from the ideation stage to implementation and eventually to the market.

                              The primary goal of Software Product Development is to provide high-level products within the set budget and timeline. Typically, the software development lifecycle includes product discovery, software development, testing, deployment, and so on.

                              Read more: Types of Application Software: A Detailed Guide for 2021

                              How To Gauge When Your Business Needs Software Product Development?

                              Every business in today’s fast-paced and volatile world needs Software Products. Software Products help your business gain momentum and a competitive advantage for your business. Here are some scenarios that indicate when your business needs Software Product Development.

                              1. When your company starts experiencing low efficiency and miscommunication-related issues.

                              Are your current methods of collecting data complicating the effective management of your company? Have you noticed miscommunication between your employees and managers resulting in missed deadlines? If these are restricting your business from reaching its potential growth, you need software development.

                              2. When your supply chain has many bottlenecks

                              A dissatisfied customer will quickly hop over to your competition. Bottlenecks created by miscommunication lead to loss of opportunities. When your company is dealing with a higher volume of complaints and low satisfaction rates, you need software development. It can optimize your supply chain management and guide all your decisions.

                              3. When your business is growing

                              Despite exponential business growth, the quality of your products and services should continue to be of the highest standard. Product development can help you comply with government regulations, evaluate the quality of the suppliers and the quality of your product.

                              4. When your customer base increases

                              When your customers increase, data increases. And that data has to be organized and maintained to help you make better understand your finances and use it to make strategic decisions. Product development can provide you visibility into all transactions contributing to the financial health of your company.

                              5. When your company is expanding to other locations

                              When your organization expands to other locations, you will need a fully visible information system that records all that happens at that exact location. Software Product Development equips you with the possibility to record all inventory movements in real-time.

                              Read more: Progressive Web Apps: New Cutting-Edge Trend in Web Development

                              How To Prepare For Software Product Development

                              All Software Product Development needs detailed documentation. This documentation must cover the business requirements and clarify product functionality. It can also serve as the basis to discuss essential issues between business owners and developers. Here is how you can prepare to start a successful Software Product Development:

                              • Do your homework: Even before searching for a vendor for Software Product Development, you need to conduct marketing research. Qualified marketing research will help you achieve your sales growth now and in the future.
                              • Develop precise product vision: Work out the “whys” in projects that are focused on the main product. You can eliminate mistakes by answering questions such as, “who is the product for?” and “why do they need the product?”
                              • Plan: Have a clear vision and communicate that vision to the development team. This will help them to create a software product that is aligned with your requirements.
                              • Timely execution: Have a written communication with designers and engineers to nudge them in the right direction. This will contribute to well-articulated timely execution.
                              • Make team members accountable: From day one, help your team members see their share of tasks that contribute to the development of the software product.
                              • Document everything: Keeping a record of everything from ideation to execution can help your team to access all the features that must be included in the product and the functions each of those features must perform.

                              Read more: Web Application Development: A Detailed Guide for 2021

                              5 Essential Stages Of Software Product Development

                              Stage 1: Product Discovery

                              The first stage in the Software Product Development lifecycle is where new ideas or concepts originate. A team is organized to study the idea, perform market analysis, and identify technical and market risks. This will help organizations to determine the need for Software Product Development.

                              Stage 2: Product definition

                              In this stage, the team creates the first comprehensive evaluation of the technology. Developers and managers evaluate the important points of differentiation of the new product. This will avoid misinterpretation of the needs of the market.

                              Stage 3: Product development

                              This is the most time-consuming stage. Software developers use the design document to write code for the components. The task is divided between team members according to their area of expertise. This includes front-end developers, database administrators, and software developers.

                              Stage 4: Product testing

                              Quality assurance team steps in this stage to ensure the software meets all the requirements for which it was built. It involves functional testing, performance testing, unit testing, security testing, and usability testing.

                              During this stage, software developers fix any bugs and retest as many times as required. This stage continues until the software is free of bugs and measures up to the potential capability.

                              Stage 5: Product deployment

                              Now, the software is sent into the market for user acceptance testing. Once again, the software team fixes any bugs based on the feedback from its first users. Then the final version is launched into the market. This stage also includes maintenance and strengthening of the software.

                              Perhaps now you feel you are ready to start Software Product Development. But, hold on! Selecting the right partner for Software Product Development will impact your company in the long term. So, read on to find a few tips that can help you define the right partner.

                              Read more: Software Development Outsourcing Guide for CEOs

                               

                              Tips To Select The Right Partners For Software Product Development

                              Selecting the right partners is an important decision that should not be treated lightly.  So, here are few tips:

                              1. Conduct a background check on the company

                              To validate the company’s experience and professional trajectory, contact some organizations that have worked with the vendor. This will help you know their experience and the final outcome of the product.

                              2. Check their ability

                              For your product to be of excellent quality, the vendor should have abilities and excellence in software development. To guarantee their excellence, find out if they have QAG (Quality Assurance Group) or GMO (Organizational Improvement Group).

                              3. Knowledge of different methodologies

                              Solid methodological training and experience in using various technologies are vital for product development.

                              4. Ability to support throughout the cycle

                              Ensure that the vendor does not abandon the project at any of the stages.

                              5. Ability to understand your business

                              All in the team should be able to understand your unique business requirements and help you find the best solution aligned with your objectives.

                              6. Capable testers 

                              Ensure the vendor in consideration has qualified testers who can guide you on how to perform your own tests.

                               

                              Healthier, Better Business With Software Product Development

                              It may be time for you to start thinking about Software Product Development that helps you run a healthier business. True, it requires an investment of time and money. However, in the long run, you will realize that you have saved time and money by enhancing customer satisfaction and improving employee retention. We at fingent, top custom software development company ensure a streamlined product development process that simplifies both deployment and transition. Call us to see how you can get this started for you right away.

                              Stay up to date on what's new

                                About the Author

                                ...
                                Sreejith

                                I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

                                Talk To Our Experts

                                  A comprehensive guide to web application development in 2021

                                   

                                   

                                  Introduction

                                  A decade ago, web pages were mostly static, with a few images and videos thrown in here and there. In 2005, however, thanks to Ajax, it made it possible to create better, faster, and more interactive web applications.

                                  In 2021, though web application development has reached its peak of fame, web apps have become so common that they often go unnoticed. With a reputed web application development partner like Fingent, you can develop intuitive and custom web applications that simplify your day-to-day operations.

                                  Read more: Fingent Ranked as India’s Top Software Developer for 2021  

                                  top software developer

                                  Web apps help integrate the tailored experience of native apps with easy access on a website browser from any device. LinkedIn, Basecamp, MailChimp, or even Facebook, all have web apps that provide immersive and tailored experiences like the native apps directly from the browser. That is why web application development is gaining a lot of popularity in almost all industries, including banking, eCommerce, education, healthcare, and more.

                                  What is a Web Application?

                                  Also known as a web app, a web application is nothing but a computer program that uses a web browser to perform a specific function. Contact forms, for example, are web apps present on many websites.

                                  As a web application is a client-server program, it has a client-side and a server-side. Here, the client refers to the program the individual uses to run the application. It is a part of the client-server environment where many computers share data. A typical example of a web application is the database. Here, the user enters data through the client-side (front-end), while the server-side (back-end) of the application stores and processes the information.

                                  Both enterprises and individuals develop web applications to fulfill different purposes.

                                   

                                  Case Study: How we built Ambit AI, a light-touch AI-powered web application for processing workers’ compensation claims. Download Now!

                                   

                                  What is Web Application Development?

                                  Web application development refers to the process of using client-side and server-side programming to develop an application that is made accessible over the web browser.

                                  In the initial phase of the web application development process, the developer tries to find a solution to a specific problem and then designs the web app by choosing the appropriate development framework. Later, the developer tests and deploys the web app.

                                  Read more: The 101 Guide to Web Application Development 

                                  Web Apps vs. Mobile Apps

                                  While web apps and mobile apps are similar in many ways, both are different in many ways.

                                  Mobile apps are made exclusively for mobile gadgets and are suitable for Android, iOS, and Cross-platform operating systems. Usually, mobile apps are mobile-first, meaning they work effectively on smartphones, tablets, or other handheld mobile devices. Most mobile apps work offline too. Examples include Google Maps, Amazon Kindle, Uber, etc. On the other hand, web apps function only when you have internet connectivity. A web app functions in real-time in a web browser with CPU resources. As long as you have adequate internal storage, you can download a mobile app from an app store or play store.

                                  Read more: How are Mobile Apps Different from Websites  

                                  web app Blog cover

                                  Types of Web Applications

                                  Typically, web applications are classified into three categories based on the tools and technologies it uses.

                                  1. Client-side web application

                                  Client-side refers to everything the user sees at the end-user side, such as text, images, videos, forms, and the other UI. Client-side web applications are written using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and they work in a web browser. Angular js, Vue js, Ember js, Backbone js, Node js, etc., are some of the popular JavaScript libraries used for front-end development.

                                  You can consider client-side web app building when you don’t need to preserve the user information for more than one session. It is perfect for easy games or image editors. Google Earth is a leading example of a client-side web application.

                                  2. Server-side web application

                                  These are web apps that can be coded in several programming languages such as Python, C+, Ruby, PHP, etc. If you develop an app with just the server-side, then the outcome of any changes in the form submission, sections, and data updates will create a new HTML file and cause the web page to reload.

                                  Server-side programming is beneficial if you want your web application to deliver information tailored for individual users. For instance, e-commerce applications like Amazon use server-side programming to create product search results, offer product suggestions based on past buying habits, enhance user experience, and simplify the purchasing process.

                                  3. Single-page web application

                                  Single-page applications are designed to work in a browser and do not require reloading while in use. Most of our daily apps, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Drive, Gmail, etc., are single-page apps. Single-page web applications offer an unmatched user experience as the user doesn’t have to wait for page reloads. Single-page applications are highly responsive to user queries as they do not depend heavily on client-server communication.

                                  Read more: A Detailed Guide to Types of Software Applications  

                                  types of software

                                  Technology Stacks for Web Application Development

                                  The following web development technologies enable you to create a high-performing, fast, and advanced web application.

                                  1. Database technologies

                                  Due to its simplicity and multifunctionality, MySQL is one of the most preferred databases utilized for web application development. Other popular database technologies include Oracle Database, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, MongoDB, and RavenDB.

                                  2. Front-end technologies

                                  To develop the client-side of an app that the users interact with, you can choose highly efficient front-end JavaScript frameworks such as:

                                  • React JS: This is a robust and most widely used JS framework for developing large-scale and complex dynamic web apps.
                                  • Angular JS: A popular front-end framework by Google, Angular JS is suitable for building dynamic web apps, using HTML for static web pages.
                                  • Vue JS: Fairly new, this JS framework does wonders for applications. Vue JS provides an ecosystem of assisting libraries and an accessible primary library for applying huge complex page apps.
                                  • Backbone JS: This lightweight JS library has a RESTful JSON interface that follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) application design standard. Backbone JS helps develop and structure the client-side applications that run in a web browser.
                                  • Node JS: It is a cross-platform, open-source JS runtime that runs on the V8 engine and is designed to build scalable network applications.
                                  • Ember JS: It is an open-source JS framework ideal for developing single-page applications.

                                  The above list features only some of the leading JavaScript frameworks used for client-side programming.

                                  3. Backend Technology

                                  Frameworks such as Go, Ruby, Java, Django & Python are some of the most powerful back-end development technologies.

                                  • Ruby: Ruby is an open-source, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language used to build highly secure and fast web applications.
                                  • Java: A multi-purpose programming language, Java is leveraged for Android app development, desktop apps, and web app development. Java offers excellent security and stability.
                                  • Django & Python – Python is flexible, advanced, and has a low learning curve. This programming language covers back-end web development. Python, along with its framework Django, can meet back-end development tasks efficiently.
                                  • Go: Designed by Google’s developers, Go is an open-source programming language that is fast and statistically compiled. It helps build simple, reliable, and concurrent web applications.

                                  Read more: Top 6 Stacks That Reign Software Development in 2020  

                                  Benefits of Web Application Development

                                  • Speed and cost: Web application development is faster and more economical than building native apps. If your primary goal is to accelerate time-to-market, then web application development is the best choice.
                                  • Cross-platform capabilities: Web applications can be programmed to run on any operating system. Due to their cross-platform capabilities, web applications can adapt well to Android, iOS, Mac OS, and Windows phones. Device responsiveness of web applications helps you get rid of OS dependencies.
                                  • Browser compatibility: A web application runs on the device’s browser using an accessible URL. Modern web applications are compatible with all browsers, such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Bing. So, you don’t have to face software compatibility challenges.
                                  • No downloads needed: Web apps don’t need to be downloaded from app stores such as Apple’s App Store or Google Play. This helps save money since having a direct link through a web app is free.
                                  • Easy to update: Updating web applications is easy, as only the server(s) would require upgrades.
                                  • Cut operating costs: Web application development is a great way to cut operating costs. You can eliminate unnecessary expenses such as hardware purchases, frequent device updates, and maintenance of numerous systems.
                                  • Custom web applications: Custom web application development offers several benefits as you can tailor the features for the users. These applications are easily accessible via browsers with a stable internet connection. Custom web apps help cut unnecessary expenses and save time as you only need to develop the required features.

                                  Read more: Custom Software Development is The Ideal Way to Build Business Apps in 2021  

                                  Custom software

                                  A custom web app can significantly improve your business traction, brand awareness, communicate your brand ideology and help you gain a competitive edge in the chosen target market.

                                  Web Application Development Process

                                  Here is an overview of the steps we follow at Fingent for developing web applications.

                                  1. Conceptualize

                                  The first step is to define the problem you want to solve with a web application and collect all the relevant information needed for app development. A well-defined problem will give an excellent head-start to the project and help you identify the best solution. Next, clarify the purpose as well as the end goals of the application.

                                  Ask these questions during the planning phase:

                                  • What app do you want to build?
                                  • What features and functions should it include?
                                  • What is the audience of your product?

                                  2. Design and build

                                  The designing phase involves creating a wireframe for communicating the solution to target users. Then, the developers can consider designing elements that will provide an enjoyable user experience to the target audience.

                                  Post-design, the next step is to build (develop) the application. The following steps will happen in this phase.

                                  • To create a database for storage, the developers need to determine what data and data types are required for the application to perform well.
                                  • Based on the elements approved by the users during the wireframing process, developers will create the front-end application. For this, the developers need to identify the best frameworks for front-end development.
                                  • Developers will create interaction between the user and the server.
                                  • Developers can either code from scratch or use front-end and back-end frameworks to develop the web app.
                                  • Based on the application type, that is, client-side/ server-side/ single-page, programming is done.

                                  3. Test and implement

                                  Whether it is an automated or manual web application, testing for the web application is an ongoing process throughout the software development lifecycle.

                                  • The Testing (QA) team will have to test the app for usability, compatibility, functionality, security, and performance to eliminate bugs and ensure that the application works without any glitches.
                                  • Testing also helps identify any possible improvements and upgrades to make in the future.
                                  • Once the testing is completed, you can finally implement the application in your company or customers.
                                  • When using it for your company, you will have to train your employees to use the app productively (if the app requires training).
                                  • For customers, you will have to create a communication strategy and decide on the appropriate timing to launch the application in the market.

                                  At Fingent, we help you perform all the mandatory software and usability testing to ensure that your web app functions seamlessly. We also provide training and support to use the apps effectively.

                                  4. Hosting and Maintenance

                                  You must buy a domain and choose a hosting provider to create a server location for the app. We help you choose shared hosting, dedicated hosting, or cloud hosting based on your requirements.

                                  We also help you maintain the web application. Some of our application maintenance services include:

                                  • Ongoing QA testing
                                  • Bug fixes and improvements
                                  • Addressing changes and adding features based on user feedback
                                  • Providing regular updates and technical support

                                  Read more: Cloud Service Models SaaS, PaaS, IaaS: Choose the Right One for Your Business  

                                  Web Application Development Validation & Deployment

                                  Once your web app is developed and ready to be launched, remember it must be tested to ensure that the app functions correctly before its deployment. Bug fixing alone is not sufficient. Testing is vital to web application development.

                                  We perform standard web application testing, such as:

                                  • Usability Testing
                                  • Performance Testing
                                  • Application Security Testing
                                  • Quality Assurance Testing and Bug Fixing
                                  • Browser Compatibility Testing
                                  • Responsiveness Testing (Responsive Web Design)

                                  After completing the quality assurance process, your web app is ready for launch. You can use GitHub, Beanstalk App, and Bitbucket App to deploy the web app to your servers. Any new features, changes, and improvements to the deployed application are implemented according to the user’s feedback.

                                  With over a decade of experience in web application development, Fingent helps you cover all these processes.

                                  Read more: Offshoring Software Development: Here’s All You Need to Know  

                                  Offshoring software development

                                  Stay up to date on what's new

                                    About the Author

                                    ...
                                    Vinod Saratchandran

                                    Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

                                    Talk To Our Experts

                                      Outsourcing Software Development
                                      In 2024: Ultimate Guide

                                      If you are required to develop software to run your daily business operations, you are probably left with three major choices – 1) develop your software in-house by hiring a team of software engineers, 2) adopt an off-the-shelf software solution, and 3) outsource software development to a third-party.
                                      Of all the three options, software development outsourcing offers a highly cost-effective, flexible, and valuable way to access the best of technology, skills, expertise, and development speed. Outsourcing software development allows your organization to decrease operating costs, increase speed-to-market, enhance core competencies, and get access to technology experts from any part of the world at half the cost of in-house development. New research reveals that outsourcing for software development is projected to increase by 70% between 2022 and 2023, as companies want to avoid development delays, reduce staffing costs, and scale quickly with new and improved business applications.
                                      $ 0 billion
                                      0 %
                                      0 %
                                      (Source: Technavio)
                                      As software outsourcing becomes one of the most-discussed business strategies today, it’s important to understand why software development outsourcing is relevant for your business, what kind of software development services you can outsource, different outsourcing models, and practical tips to efficiently outsource your software needs. This article presents an ultimate guide to outsourcing software development in 2022. Let’s dive in.

                                      What is Software Development Outsourcing?

                                      Software development outsourcing refers to an arrangement or a contract, in which an organization decides to engage a third-party software development company to effectively handle their software development project instead of utilizing their in-house team and resources. Organizations usually outsource some or all of their software development needs to a third-party with relevant knowledge and experience.

                                      Top Technology Outsourcing Trends in 2022

                                      What Kind of Software Development Services Can You Outsource?

                                      Here are some of the key software development services which you can outsource:

                                      Why Software Outsourcing is Good For Your Business?

                                      Working with an outsourcing company will help you mitigate the risks of running a project internally. Outsourcing compensates for the lack of in-house skills and ensures that your product is delivered on time. Here’s how outsourcing makes your business more efficient and smarter.

                                      Focused Business Development Strategy

                                      To win the technological race, you need to have a focused strategy. Every business needs to align its operational strategy with the changing people, process, and technology. When your software is developed by an outsourcing company, your business processes will be highly streamlined and optimized, allowing you to focus on the core activities that will take your business to the next level.

                                      Business Continuity Planning

                                      Outsourcing your IT necessities can be a boon in times of financial and natural adversities such as the COVID-19 crisis because outsourcing companies like Fingent implement business continuity planning and disaster recovery measures to fulfill obligations and deliver services without interruption.

                                      Manage Risks and Compliance Effectively

                                      Partnering with a software outsourcing company like Fingent enables you to mitigate the risks associated with handling your project. We follow a high-quality project management system that has been tried, tested and proven across our past as well as ongoing projects. We take care of all the legal compliance-related matters that have to be fulfilled while onboarding offshore resources as well as setting up contracts with our clients. This lets you focus on the things that matter.

                                      Gain An Edge Over Competitors

                                      Outsourcing software development services accelerate your time-to-market. With people working around the clock, your competitiveness improves greatly and gives you an edge over your competitors. Outsourcing software development companies do not necessarily demand you to make any upfront investments. The cost advantages make your development project more attractive and reduce your overall workload. With outsourcing, you will gain access to new and innovative perspectives and an opportunity to utilize strong and diverse technology expertise.

                                      Why Do Businesses Outsource Software Development?

                                      Software application development remains the most frequently outsourced function among all the different segments of IT. Statistics indicate that software outsourcing is expected to be on a 10-year growth roll through 2025. If 56% of companies outsourced at least part of their application development in 2020, the figure rose to 60% in 2021.

                                      Outsourcing Benefits Achieved by Businesses in 2021

                                      Here are some of the key benefits of outsourcing software development:

                                      Save Costs

                                      Outsourcing is the most viable option to reduce your overheads and increase profit margins. Offloading your software project to an offshore development partner allows you to get the same amount of work done, with the same quality at a much lesser cost. For instance, the average offshore software development rate in India is $30 per hour, whereas in the USA, the hourly developer rate will cost around $100. Software development outsourcing saves you from investing heavily in infrastructure, licensing and subscription charges, and other training costs. It’s more feasible than keeping full-time employees on your payroll.

                                      Gain More Flexibility

                                      When you outsource, you only pay for the skills and expertise required to execute your project. Software outsourcing gives you the flexibility to scale up or down the size of your team based on your requirements. Outsourcing empowers your business to address the changing market needs easily and stop worrying about the rising cost of hiring and other technology investments. It improves your team’s focus on the mission-critical activities essential to run your business successfully.

                                      Access to World-Class Technology

                                      When you team up with a strategic and trusted offshore software developer possessing a proven track record, you will gain an upper hand in technology. Access to cutting-edge technology without any hefty investment gives you a competitive advantage over your peers. Software development outsourcing ensures innovation and sustainability by helping your business stay ahead with technology.

                                      Reduce Time-To-Market

                                      Outsourcing software development relieves you from the mammoth task of searching for new developers and preparing them to work on your project. When you have a dedicated offshore team working on your product in different time zones, you are all set to make progress 24/7. A competent software outsourcing partner understands your project’s ideas precisely and helps reduce your time to market significantly. Outsourcing allows you to minimize the risks associated with software development as you work with a team that uses high-quality project management systems and established workflows.

                                      Reach a Wider Audience

                                      Software outsourcing companies come with diversified experience of tailoring their services to businesses across multiple verticals and geographies. They follow the latest industry standards and software development best practices to build high-performing modern apps that meet your customers’ expectations and expand your market reach.

                                      Five Major Software Outsourcing Models

                                      Companies choose a feasible outsourcing model based on the outsourcing partner’s location, relationship level, and terms of agreement. All these factors should align with your business objectives.
                                      Here are the top five software outsourcing models:
                                      In onshore outsourcing, an organization outsources their development project to a third-party software vendor located within the same country. Though onshore outsourcing is costlier than offshore and nearshore models, it offers the advantage of geographical proximity to your business location and eliminates cultural and linguistic barriers.

                                      Example: A business located in Chicago outsourcing their project to a third-party software vendor in Missouri.
                                      In offshore outsourcing, an organization outsources their development project to an external software development company located in another continent with a different time zone. Offshore outsourcing helps optimize your overall budget by letting you hire from a global pool of talented resources with hourly or monthly rates.

                                      Example: An American company outsourcing software development to an offshore development agency in India.
                                      Read more: Offshoring Software Development
                                      Nearshore outsourcing refers to the practice of hiring a software outsourcing company that is located in a neighboring country of the same time zone. This outsourcing model saves your travel time and eliminates the linguistic and cultural barriers that affect communication.

                                      Example: A New York-based company outsourcing their development needs to a software services provider in Georgia.
                                      Team augmentation model implies the process of hiring external workforce on a temporary basis to quickly respond to urgent business requirements. Through staff augmentation, you can scale your internal development team in minimal time. This outsourcing model is highly effective for businesses facing a tight project deadline and skill shortage.
                                      Managed IT services is an outsourcing model in which the IT services provider is responsible for ensuring the stable work of your IT environment by maintaining and anticipating your software and IT infrastructure requirements. It frees your internal team to do work that’s specific to your business.

                                      Fingent’s Software Outsourcing Success Stories

                                      At Fingent, we specialize as an offshore software development company. Our custom software solutions are game-changers and life-savers for many of our clients, including the ones below:

                                      1. Custom Property Management Software

                                      SimpleRent, the custom SaaS-based property management software developed by Fingent is helping its owner Ben Sealey and many other realtors to overcome day-to-day complexities in managing properties, tenants, payments, maintenance, and complaints.

                                      Challenges faced by property managers

                                      Solutions delivered by
                                      Fingent

                                      Benefits gained

                                      2. Customizable Course Mapping & Pivoting Application

                                      Educational establishments face challenges related to managing credit hours in a time-efficient way. We helped our client develop a pioneering approach for addressing compliance related to educational programs and also helped them render learning requirements in a simple and comprehensive manner.

                                      Challenges faced by educational institutions

                                      Solutions delivered by
                                      Fingent

                                      Benefits gained

                                      3. AI Application to Manage Workers’ Compensation Claims

                                      Sapra & Navarra, a leading Californian attorney, wanted to develop a software that will help reduce the average case settlement time and cost taken to process employee compensation claims. Fingent helped them enhance and accelerate the activities involved in processing workers’ compensation claims.

                                      Challenges faced by the
                                      legal attorney

                                      Solutions delivered by
                                      Fingent

                                      Benefits gained

                                      Does Your Business Require Software Outsourcing?

                                      Hiring a software development outsourcing partner takes the load off your shoulders. Here are a few scenarios where software outsourcing can help your business:
                                      trillion
                                      $ 0

                                      “By the end of 2023, the global value of the IT outsourcing market is expected to exceed $1.3 trillion as companies increase their search for digital transformation experts.”

                                      Source: Findstack

                                      Best Practices to Follow While Outsourcing Software Development

                                      Here are a few points to consider while outsourcing your software development project:
                                      Are you planning to build a mobile app for your business?
                                      Explore our template and share your requirements with us. We will get back to you with a ballpark estimate.

                                      Outsource Your Software Requirements to Fingent

                                      Since 2003, Fingent has been a reliable and capable offshore software development partner for leading global brands, including several Fortune 500 companies. With an impeccable track record as an offshore development team, Fingent has helped improve cash flow and increase business efficiency for many clients. We help your organization to scale up its size without the need to hire or fire any team member.
                                      Our diverse offshore talent pool includes experienced developers and tech professionals who leverage the latest software development trends, such as automation, data analytics and visualization, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), 3D Web Configurator, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), mobile application development (hybrid and native), Microsoft, SAP, and Odoo solutions, and digital experience platforms among others.
                                      Want to know how software outsourcing can add value to your business and improve your customer experience? Contact us to get an extended consultation.

                                      Stay up to date on what's new

                                        About the Author

                                        ...
                                        Tony Joseph

                                        Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                                        Talk To Our Experts

                                          ×