The Essential Software Development Services Guide In 2024

Software Development Services has long been the popular choice of many firms as they not only save time for a specific project or task but also allow companies to access more professionals as well as experts at a reasonable cost than in-house development. And in the world where mostly everyone has to work remotely from home, Software Development Services has never been more appealing.

Find out more about Savvycom Software Development Services

1. What is Software Development?

“Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process” Wikipedia

If you like the short explanation, here is what you should first have in mind. Software development services is a complicated process to design an application or software in order to meet a particular business or personal objective, goal or process. This process consists of various stages: Planning, Analysis, Product Design, Development & Implementation, Testing, Maintenance.

2. Software Development Processes

Software Development is an intriguing yet very complex thing which would normally go through a lot of processes. Each step should not be taken lightly since the success of a project depends on them. Here we will take you through the 7 Software Development Processes that Savvycom follows:

2.1 Analysis and Planning

At the first stage, stakeholders, end users and the project team often gather and discuss in order to determine what exactly the requirements are. Then, the project team has to lay out how future software is designed and which programming languages are going to be used. Below are a few key point of this first and also important step:

• Alignment: How does this project connect to your company’s larger mission and goals?
• Resource availability and allocation: Do you have the people and tools you need to take this on?
• Project scheduling: How does this project fit within your company’s goals and other tasks?
• Cost estimation: How much is it going to cost?

2.2 Requirements

The next step is to understand the technical requirements of this project. Every aspect of the  software whether it’s an app, website redesign, or simply new feature, needs to solve customer’s problems. 

As you move on from the planning phase and continue to fill out the statement of work, ask questions around this project, such as:

• What problem does this solve?
• Who’s going to use it and why?
• What sort of data input/output is needed?
• Will you need to integrate with other tools or APIs?
• How will you handle security/privacy?

Once your development team gets the answers to these questions or once you have finished discussing with the outsourcing team, They can start to identify technical requirements, testing terms, and decide on a technology stack. This is also when you might start sprint planning (if you’re using an Agile software development process) or break down large tasks into more actionable steps.

2.3 Designing and Prototyping

With the requirements in place, it’s time to start designing what this software will look like and how it will function. Functionality and flow should be at most important from the start.

Depending on the software development process you’re following, this step might mean you create simple wireframes to show how interactions will work in the software, or make more full-fledged prototypes in order to test with users. Alternatively, you might decide you need more user feedback and do a design sprint to quickly get a feature or idea in front of your users.

2.4 Software Development & Implementation

This stage is also known as “Programming” or “Coding”, at which computer programmers write program code in the suitable programming language. Then programmers conduct trials in order to detect errors and fix them until they’re error-free. This is the part when you would want to keep in touch with the development team as much as possible to ensure the pace of your project.

2.5 Testing

After the software is completely coded, it should be sent to the testing team before deployment, who gives feedback after using it. Although programmers should make sure there are not any errors existing, issues might not be obvious to them. Therefore, the testing team will use various test cases to have the software debug to ensure optimal functioning.

2.6 Deployment

With everything out of the way, it’s finally time to launch your software to all of your users. What we’re talking about here is pushing your code into production. A smart deployment plan plus an error free product will more than likely ensure the success of a project.

2.7 Operation and Maintenance

The Software Development Process isn’t over once your software is launched. It’s a “Software Development Lifecycle”, after all. The ending of one phase is just the beginning of another, and that goes for post-launch as well.

Requirements and customer needs are always on the run. And as people begin to use your software, they’ll undoubtedly find bugs, request new features to be added, and ask for more or different functionality. Not to mention the basic upkeep and maintenance of your software to ensure uptime and customer satisfaction.

Finally, after the software is installed on the clients’ systems or devices. The programmers will carry out periodic maintenance in order to ensure programs can run smoothly and keep up with other apps of the same use overtime.

3. Types of Software Development Companies

Software development companies all come in different shapes and sizes. However, it’s possible to broadly classify them into two distinct types: service-based companies and product-based companies.

3.1 Product-based company

These are businesses that work on their own products and deliver them to end-users, which can be both businesses and individual customers. Such companies invest time and money into developing the out-of-the-box solutions which they can later configure and implement on the client’s side. They create software which can be later used by other companies to solve different business problems.

Google or Microsoft are excellent examples of product-based companies. They both offer a broad range of out-of-the-box solutions that can be customized and configured to match specific business needs. However, out-of-the-box solutions have their limitations, and licensing is often quite expensive, especially if your company doesn’t end up using all of the included components (which is a very common case).

Businesses that want to build a tailor-made solution that addresses their unique requirements usually turn to providers of custom software development services: the service-based companies. Read more at Fixthephoto.com about Top App Development Companies In 2021.

3.2 Service-based company

Such companies work directly for businesses and provide them with a wide range of services – for example, development of custom software projects or delivery of technical expertise in the form of team extension/argumentation, dedicated teams, or project teams.

Here are a few benefits of working with service-based companies:

• Software agencies hire skilled and experienced software developers, but they also invest a lot in their professional growth.
• When teaming up with a specialized software development agency, you get access to top talent and can leverage the company’s internal expertise acquired through the delivery of many projects.
• Such companies have extensive experience in building custom software and can assist you in many different areas – from product development and UX/UI design to software architecture and QA processes. 

The advantage of working with such companies is that you don’t need to worry about any overhead costs such as salaries, workstations, hardware, or software. It’s pretty much the same as setting up an Offshore Development Center.

4. What to expect from Software Development Service Company

4.1 Building software solutions

This is the primary area of focus for every software development service company. Such companies usually specialize in a few areas and types of software – for example, web development, mobile development, or fintech. 

Software development service companies often specialize in specific technologies like machine learning or blockchain. They build IT solutions for small businesses and large enterprises in various industries.

4.2 Delivering Business Intelligence tools

Many software development vendors offer expertise in building data science solutions. Data is valuable resource organizations have, but make the most of it they need specialized software able to unlock insights from large data sets. This is where software development service companies come in. They built data science solutions such as analytical reports, dashboards, and Business Intelligence tools that help their clients implement data-driven decision-making.

4.3 IT consultancy

Many software development service agencies provide their clients with advice for managing their software systems and architectures, building custom solutions, or driving innovation. The primary aim of consultancy services is taking the business to the next level by optimizing analytics, processes, and workflows with specialized software solutions.

4.4 Developing web applications and corporate systems

Outsourced IT providers also design and develop advanced websites and corporate systems used by enterprises to automate tasks and provide access to resources on the go thanks to the cloud technologies. Such corporate web-based systems help organizations increase productivity, facilitate workflow management, and boost their bottom line.

5. Software Services provided by a Software Development Service Company

5.1 Custom Application Development Services

We rely on our technological expertise and specialized industry experience to develop any type of web, mobile, desktop, and hybrid app per your business requirements.

5.2 QA and Software Testing Services

Comprehensive quality assurance is built into our custom software service model, but we can also provide on-demand QA and a suite of functional and usability software tests upon request.

5.3 App Maintenance Services

Our application maintenance and modernization services are designed to ensure the scalability, performance, and sustainability of your entire software infrastructure as your business grows.

5.4 API Integration Services

We build and implement custom APIs for all breeds of applications, helping to add functionality to your software systems and facilitate communication between your apps and others.

5.5 IT Security Services

Our thorough threat audits, coupled with cutting-edge Financial Risk Management Software, help us identify your software infrastructure’s most pressing vulnerabilities. This approach enables us to integrate the necessary encryptions, security services, and access protocols you require for a comprehensive and robust cybersecurity strategy.

5.6 Data Backup and Recovery Services

Data Backup and Recovery have become some of the top priorities when it come to lockdown and social distancing due to the negative impact of Covid-19. We implement robust data backup and recovery strategies for cloud-based, on-premises and hybrid servers, designed to ensure the integrity of your data and the continuity of your business.

5.7 Software Deployment Services

Our implementation specialists will work with your IT team to establish detailed software deployment objectives and timelines, covering configuration, testing, project governance, troubleshooting and more.

5.8 Infrastructure Support Services

We provide holistic IT Infrastructure support, including help desk management, custom messaging and collaboration, network management and system administration services.

5.9 Software Migration Services

We perform cloud-based migrations, system upgrades and other vital software modernization services prioritizing system uptime and data integrity throughout an often daunting IT transition.

5.10 System Integration Services

Integrating your applications is not just about making sure your various systems work together; it’s about doing so in a way that’s specific to your workflows, your departments and your business.

5.11 PLM Services

Our agile, end-to-end Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) model covers everything from conceptualization, concurrent front- and back-end coding, deployment, QA and more.

5.12 IT Services SLA

As software development service providers with 20 years of experience, you can trust us to put together a service level agreement that lays out expectations for costs, timelines and system functionality.

6. Cutting-edge technologies in software development services

6.1 Internet of Things (IoT)

Nowadays, you may be so familiar with the word “smart” such as a smart house, smart car, smart TV, smartphone, etc. These amazing things are all products of IoT technology, which enables everything and everyone to connect with each other. It has been making our life easier and helping us with collecting any data that can be collected.

As for software development, there are more and more projects carried out in order to help people in communication and data analysis or to remotely control not only household devices, but also bulkier systems such as manufacturing lines and so on.

6.2 Augmented Intelligence (AI)

Traditional software development service involves a series of successive stages including manually writing code, preparing requirements, designing software, and testing to establish that the final product meets specifications. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) disrupts this process by creating scalable and efficient workflows to drive productivity and reduce time-to-market. The use of AI in software development services is growing steadily, as according to the market research firm Tractica, the revenue from the application of AI tools worldwide is expected to reach $119B by 2025.

6.3 Augmented Reality (AR)/Virtual Reality (VR)

Augmented and virtual reality are perfect blends of the digital world and the physical elements to create an artificial environment. Apps which are developed using AR technology for mobile or desktop to blend digital components into the real world. 

While both of them have the remarkable ability to alter our perception of the world, VR is more immersive, while AR provides more freedom for the user because it does not need to be a head-mounted display to operate (AR is often used via the phone camera). 

Integrating AR and VR into software development helps make the product more realistic, therefore enhancing customer experience and earning brand love.

6.4 Blockchain

Put simply, Blockchain is a system of recording information in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to change, hack, or cheat the system.

Technically speaking, blockchain is essentially a digital ledger of transactions that is duplicated and distributed across the entire network of computer systems on the blockchain. Each block in the chain contains a number of transactions, and every time a new transaction occurs on the blockchain, a record of that transaction is added to every participant’s ledger. The decentralised database managed by multiple participants is known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT).

Due to its high security nature, Blockchain is often used for FinTech and Supply Chain software development services. The space for development of Blockchain is huge, as according to a report, the global blockchain market size is expected to grow from USD 3.0 billion in 2020 to USD 39.7 billion by 2025, at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 67.3% during 2020–2025.

7. Selecting the right software development service company

7.1 Define your objectives and goals

A decision without clear, relevant and actionable objectives may create ambiguity and hinder your future success. Therefore, here are some questions that would help you organise your thoughts and produce a SMART goal:

• What are your business priorities: is it cost-saving, scalability, time-to-market, competencies, vendor diversification, or something else?
• How will you align an outsourcing development services model with your current business strategy?
• What services do you expect a vendor to provide?
• What will be outsourced and what will be kept in-house?
• Time-frame: When will you start the first project? What does the overall timeline and delivery plan look like? What are the milestones that need to keep up with?

7.2 Vietnam – The Ideal Outsourcing Destination

In today’s context where outsourcing software development services has become one of the familiar patterns, many countries are upsurging as a destination for good services. In 2020 Vietnam is among if not the best country in preventing Covid-19 from spreading. In the report Spotlight on Vietnam, PwC forecasts that software development service outsourcing will be one of the most attractive sectors for foreign investment. In addition, prominent tech companies such as Intel, IBM, and Microsoft have been actively and continuingly endowing Vietnam. The trend is becoming more and more popular in Vietnam.

Also, the outstanding features of software development services in Vietnam is the cost efficiency in relation to low cost and lucrative preferential corporate income tax. Another aspects being Vietnam’s young population (45% of population are under 35 years of age), low attrition rate (6-8% in comparison with 20% in India), convenient location and the rising competency of engineers – meaning businesses could now outsource with a reasonable cost without having to settle for low quality. 

Salaries: According to Payscale, the average software developer engineer in ITO companies Vietnam is about $12,000 to $48,000.

7.3 Collect a list of companies

Creating a list of potential software development service companies gives you the autonomy of selection and a glimpse of how software development service companies are performing, therefore, benchmarking to set suitable criteria for your outsourced IT company. There are 4 main sources you can exploit:

Recommendations from your network

If your friends, your family, your colleagues or your partners have experienced the services on-hand, you had better ask them for reviews or suggestions. People having actual experiences in outsourcing software development services are definitely a good source of reference for genuine insights.

Using search engines

Google has long been the go-to destination for accessing information on IT services for small companies and large enterprises. Some of the best-rated sources are Clutch, Crunchbase, Goodfirms. Savvycom, a software development service provider in Vietnam, has been listed in many of Clutch’s roll of honours.

We were once named as the “Top 30 Global App Developer” and arrived at no.6 in B2B Leading IT Companies in Asia. The company is currently standing at no.1 Top App Developers in Vietnam by Clutch’s Leader Matrix.

Industry awards and ranking

In case you don’t trust any word-of-mouth or subjective reviews, companies that are widely accepted and certified by awards and rankings as voted by critics, tech experts, or independent analysis firms may be the best fit. Many companies in Vietnam have received prestigious awards and honours as evidence for their relentless effort to strive for excellence.

One of them is Savvycom, a Vietnamese software development service company that has stood strong on the IT market for 10 years and have been awarded with Vietnam’s 50 Leading IT Companies Award for 4 consecutive years, Emerging IT Outsourcing Enterprise honour by Vietnam ITO Alliance (VNITO), Sao Khue Award for “Software Outsourcing Service 2017”, etc. Starting from the bottom, til’ today Savvycom has risen to be a tech start-up with a more-than-100-employee scale and leaves our marks on the technology map.

Reports from research and consulting firms

This source is likely to be the most detailed and insightful. Many research and consulting agencies conduct surveys throughout the technology landscape and generate key take-aways that are well-confirmed by industry analysts and experts. 

Every year, these kinds of companies produce reports and surveys in order to help you understand not only the market dynamics but also the capacity and competency of the notable players. Some of the most reliable firms are McKinsey & Company, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, KPMG, Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young.