There Are Pros and Cons to Outsourcing Coding Globally

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of job opportunities in software development within the US is projected to increase 22% from 2020 to 2030 , much higher than the projected national average growth rate for all professions, which is eight percent over the same 10 years.

Coding software is a culture-agnostic skill that can be performed by individuals and teams located virtually anywhere. “Especially in highly developed markets, like the US and Europe, hiring software engineers has become extremely competitive and expensive,” says Ryan Desmond, CEO of CodingNomads, a global software engineering training company. “Engineers in these countries are well aware of their coveted skills and negotiation power and are accustomed to engaging in bidding wars and job hopping to go with the highest offer.”

The Benefits

Outsourcing coding promises to give adopters the resources necessary to maintain timely software development in a uniquely challenging employment market. For many enterprises, cost-savings is yet another key motivator. “Whether this is due to the lower cost of developers in some regions of the world, or the expedited development providing business benefits and products to market faster, the decision [to outsource] is typically financially motivated,” says Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at IT security software developer ESET.

Related:Why Sustainable Software Engineering Is a Win-Win

Kinjan Shah, a senior director in the engineering practice, at Apexon, a digital engineering professional services company, agrees that companies are looking on a global basis. He notes that software engineer availability is especially good in India, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. “Coding services companies are mature, and staff are generally experienced, so they produce high quality software code,” he says. “In that same vein, the outsourced companies understand the product development cycle. And, because of their long experience, they understand users and the needs of the western world.”

To find the right match, organizations contemplating an outsourcing initiative should look for a partner that has already established a set of best practices based on coder development and have strengthened their processes at every step to ensure superior code quality. “Ownership at every level – from product managers to programmers -- is very important for the success of any product development,” Shah says.

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