Outsourcing
Table of Contents
DevOps outsourcing can innovate your software development process, optimize it from the beginning to deployment, and boost automation. It connects development and operations teams for shorter development cycles and efficiency. Let's see why DevOps outsourcing is a winning strategy for business in 2024 and ahead.
Surprisingly, there is no single definition of DevOps. Some say it is a methodology, while others call it a workplace organization method. In essence, DevOps bridges Development and Operations, ensuring faster and more efficient software deployment through constant monitoring, automation, and testing.
When you need experienced engineers fast, DevOps outsourcing can cover this demand. In brief, it means hiring an external team or individual professionals from a third-party agency to work on your project. You can outsource DevOps all around the world without the need for the HR department, software licenses, hardware, employee benefits, and other overhead costs.
What's going on globally in the DevOps field? Let's glance at facts and figures and gain a better understanding.
DevOps engineers are engaged in various activities to provide stable, automated, and reliable software development infrastructure and frequent, seamless deployment. Let's examine the main ones.
Continuous integration and delivery/deployment streamline and accelerate the software development lifecycle. It is one of the DevOps practices aimed at frequently delivering new code from multiple developers into a single software project. At the CI phase, automated tests check new code reliability and readiness to be merged. Then, at the CD phase, the system deploys all code changes to a testing or production environment. Every change that passes all stages of the production pipeline is released to customers automatically.
DevOps uses infrastructure as a code to provide and manage software development infrastructure through code without relying on hardware configuration and manual network configuration. DevOps engineers automate infrastructure setup, implement CI/CD for infrastructure, and improve infrastructure configurations. IaC speeds up the development process, reduces discrepancies between environments, enhances collaboration, and reduces costs through scalability.
To ensure that software is bug-free and that new pieces of code do not disrupt the work of existing ones, DevOps applies continuous testing at all stages of development: before, during, and after the integration of new code/modules. A DevOps engineer enhances automation testing and suggests which parts of the testing workflow can be improved through automation, therefore reducing time and effort from the QA team.
DevOps integrates security early in the development lifecycle, starting with planning, coding, testing and finishing with deployment and post-deployment monitoring. It checks compliance requirements through automated testing and enforces compliance policies across all software modules. Engineers continuously perform security tests and checks and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities. They are also responsible for access control, security training, real-time monitoring, and response to security threats.
DevOps engineers evaluate the existing infrastructure, develop cloud migration plans, consider different cloud service providers and models, apply data migration strategies, and conduct migration. They automate the migration process and monitor apps and infrastructure performance after the migration. DevOps outsourcing provides you with professionals who ensure that both applications and infrastructure take full advantage of cloud capabilities while maintaining agility, security, and efficiency.
Through continuous monitoring, DevOps experts ensure that systems and apps perform securely and flawlessly after deployment. The process involves collecting, processing, analyzing, and visualizing real-time data about applications and infrastructure, making it easier to detect and address issues right when they emerge.
1. Want to improve the CI/CD pipeline
2. Strive to improve cybersecurity
3. Need to manage monitoring and alerting systems
4. Develop infrastructure
5. Introduce process automation
6. Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
7. Need to manage cloud resources and deployments
Now let’s look at DevOps undeniable advantages for any business.
DevOps outsourcing company already has a team of professionals ready to onboard your project in no time. In contrast with in-house hiring, which can last weeks and months, outsourcing several engineers or a dedicated team is fast and easy. And time is money, as everyone knows.
Although hiring DevOps offshore is more affordable due to lower hourly rates, the devops activities help companies save money through process automation and optimization. Additionally, you can choose a convenient engagement model with your DevOps outsourcing partner, which can also be beneficial for your project budget.
Companies outsource DevOps to get seasoned professionals with project-fit skills and achieve more flexibility during the software development process. You can select engineers with relevant experience, tech expertise, and seniority level and seamlessly augment or reduce your outsourced team. No hiring or administrative costs are applied. All outsourcing companies take care of their reputation today and do their best to deliver quality services.
In general, outsourced DevOps have more experience with different projects, tools, and approaches than in-house professionals. They can offer innovative solutions and apply best practices to improve the development pipeline. Moreover, it is easier to select engineers from a wide pool of engineers all over the world as you are not limited to your location. So be sure you'll find what you need.
Curious fact: In 2023, Docker will become one of the most in-demand tools in the devops stack, accounting for 43% of demand from the companies.
According to Stats N Data, the DevOps Certification service market reached $1.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow, driven by increasing cloud and automation implementation. But sometimes, it is hard to find local experts with the proper certifications like AWS, CKA, DCA, Microsoft Azure, or Terraform, to name a few. That is where devops outsourcing can help you. Get access to certified specialists, no matter cloud infrastructure you choose or container orchestration tools you use.
For example, you need AWS devops outsourcing, as there is a lack of professionals in your local market. You can look for an outsourcing agency and find certified experts in Latin America, Eastern Europe, or Southeast Asia. All you need to do is choose the ones that fit you most.
DevOps experts optimize the software development process, improving code quality with continuous testing and monitoring. Pipeline automation makes it possible to introduce various code contributions per day from several developers. All these approaches can shorten development cycles and enhance product quality.
Along with the benefits come concerns about relying on third-party vendors and their employees. But there are no pitfalls that cannot be avoided. Let's see the main DevOps outsourcing cons and figure out the solutions for each of them.
Often, outsourced employees work remotely, far away from their clients and in-house team. Issues may arise when the communication channels have not been discussed beforehand or when hired engineers lack sufficient language proficiency. The best way to avoid them is to set proper communication tools, means, and schedules to contact your remote team. You can also check your English proficiency in advance.
As an outsourced DevOps team works directly with your software development infrastructure, security concerns may emerge when it gains access to sensitive data. Ensure that the outsourcing partner adheres to stringent security standards, monitors their activity, and signs legally binding NDAs and other documentation to avoid data leaks.
The DevOps team must work closely with your in-house development team, which may cause some resistance from the latter, as they need to restructure their work model and change established ways of working. Strong leadership and in-house team training can help to overcome this challenge. By raising awareness about the benefits that DevOps implementation can bring, you can mitigate the team's skepticism and empower the two teams to work together.
Differences in work culture can impact the effectiveness of the collaboration. DevOps relies heavily on a culture of continuous improvement and rapid iteration, which might not be as strongly emphasized in some outsourcing companies. While choosing your DevOps outsourcing partner, ask questions about work culture, work ethics, and values. This will give a clear vision of whether the agency will be a good fit for you. The good point is to look for outsourcing partners in countries with similar work cultures and values, such as Eastern Europe.
While the scope of work, terms, and responsibilities are set up in the contract (which may be open-scope or close-scope type), some hidden costs related to setup, transition, and ongoing communication may accumulate. Moreover, rectifying issues can lead to further expenditures if the outsourcing does not meet your expectations. While this issue cannot be fully predicted, you can secure yourself through detailed contracting, clear communication and reporting, and risk management planning.
There is a well-defined checklist for selecting your DevOps outsourcing company without hassle. The key point is to conduct thorough preliminary research and prepare questions you want to discuss with the potential partner from the start. What else should you check?
DevOps outsourcing may be a rewarding endeavor when you want to optimize and automate your current software development pipeline, move it to the cloud, apply best cybersecurity practices, or do everything at once. Optimization leads to cost savings, and outsourced DevOps engineers bring expertise to your project, making the situation a win-win.
Consider outsourcing the DevOps team today! NEKLO will select the best experts for your project based on their required experience, tech stack, and certifications. Book a call and get free and non-binding project estimations.
US-based and operating globally, NEKLO spearheads digital transformation initiatives for businesses worldwide. We deliver software solutions complying with your market and legislation.
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