Over the past years, the IT market has undergone global changes. The need for thorough risk assessments, compliance, and continuous testing checks before full-scale deployment is inevitable. The future of software requires companies to balance innovation and reliability.
Outsourcing development has become a major trend nowadays. Businesses of all sizes are turning to offshore teams to build and maintain their technology needs. In 2024, there are some of the key trends shaping the landscape of IT augmentation services.
Below we will explore the top 5 trends based on insights from industry experts.
1. The Rise of Agile Outsourcing
Companies are increasingly adopting agile methodologies, and outsourcing partners have taken notice. It means that software development service providers work with clients in an iterative collaborative way. Instead of rigid contracts and fixed requirements, it involves flexibility, constant feedback, and continuous refinement of goals.
This kind of process benefits both customers and providers. For clients, it means that the product is better suited to their needs, as well as the ability to realign in response to changes in the market or customer feedback. For the supplier, it fosters a closer working relationship with the customer and reduces the likelihood of wasted effort.
2. Increased Use of Microservices Architecture
Microservices have revolutionized outsource software development services in recent years. This architecture breaks down large monolithic apps into a collection of small, independent facilities. Each service focuses on one function.
For companies looking to scale their teams quickly, microservices are ideal. Multiple teams can work on different services simultaneously without stepping on each other's toes. This also makes it easy to reuse services in other applications.
Microservices are built for the cloud and take full advantage of cloud capabilities like scalability and resiliency.
3. Focus on Security and Compliance
These days, security and compliance are top priorities for any software development project. As technology becomes more advanced, so do the threats against it.
Sensitive data like personal information, health records, or financial data require the highest security. Outsourcing partners must have strong data protection measures in place, like encryption, access control, and secure data storage. They need to comply with data protection laws like HIPAA or GDPR.
4. Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing
In the previous few years, business operations, including outsourcing, and environmental and social impact have gained more understanding. In 2024, it is sustainability and ethics that take center stage in software development outsourcing. Companies are increasingly looking for partners that meet sustainable criteria, like decreasing carbon emissions, refusing waste stream decrease, and fair labor treatment. Vendors who are transparent about their sustainability efforts and ethical sourcing are preferred by companies that have ecology and social inclusiveness in their list of priorities.
5. Rise of AI and Automation
Companies are leveraging AI-driven tools and platforms to streamline various stages of the development lifecycle, from code generation and testing to deployment and maintenance. This trend not only accelerates the development process but also enhances the quality and reliability of the software delivered by partners.
While the software industry continues to evolve, focusing on the human element of these relationships will be key. Companies that invest in strong connections and communication with their partners, while leveraging technology to enable collaboration, will see the most success. Though approaches like agile development or crowdsourcing developers are hot now, they're only as good as the people behind them. By keeping the focus on people, companies can build outsourcing relationships that stand the test of time no matter how the trends change.