Category: Technology

Monolithic Vs. Microservices Architecture: Guide to Custom Web Development Company Services

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Today we are introducing Oleksandr Volynets, who will help you understand some of the custom web development company services a little better. Oleksandr made a brilliant presentation on modern web application design during our IT Crowd event in Vinnytsia. However, we couldn’t hope to put such a vast amount of information into a single article. So, today you’ll learn about the differences between monolithic and microservices server architectures.

Oleksandr is a true expert in the field of application design. He has been a developer for about a decade and during that time he managed to become a Solution Architect and now the Head of the Back-End Development Department at Devtorium. He holds MS: Programming in HTML5 with JavaScript and CSS3 and MCPS: Microsoft Certified Professional certifications.

Throughout his career, Oleksandr worked on numerous projects ranging from eCommerce to messaging and travel apps. However, for all of his extensive experience in development, he says that his dream is to colonize Mars as a first step to Multiverse domination. We wish him luck at that and hope that Devtorium solutions will be the first apps launched on our neighbor planet. 

We also hope that Oleksandr will share more of his developer experience and insights through articles and guides in the future.

Monolithic Vs. Microservices Architecture: What to Choose When Hiring a Custom Web Development Company

Monolithic and Microservices architecture: guide to custom web development company services

As the name implies, a monolithic application is a single app. This architecture is solid and straightforward, just like a monolith. It’s also an excellent choice for specific types of applications. So, you shouldn’t think that microservices are better than monolithic apps by default.

The monolithic architecture consists of a database, client-side UI, and server-side app. All of it is a single logical unit that can run with extreme efficiency and be very secure. Most importantly, these apps are easy to develop. So the cost of such an application will be lower. With this system, you also get a chance to minimize network latency issues.

Monolithic Architecture from a Professional Web Development Company: Pros & Cons

  • Simple to develop.
    Due to its single-unit design, monolithic architecture is simpler to develop and manage. So, creating this kind of app won’t require a big team of experts. All developer tools and IDEs are completely focused on creating one app.
  • Easy to change the app radically.
    If you need to revamp a monolithic application, it would be easier because you can change the code and the database schema, build and deploy.
  • Straightforward to test.
    Due to the straightforward layout of the architecture, the apps are easier to test. So, the entire QA process becomes easier and therefore, more effective.
  • Straightforward to deploy.
    Like building and testing, deploying a monolithic app is also easier because fewer things could go wrong. A developer just needs to install a single file on a server.
  • Simple flow to scale.
    The flow itself is simple to scale because it’s so straightforward. However, it must be noted that scaling an existing monolithic architecture can be difficult if you want to expand its functionality while doing so.

A major problem with a monolith application is that it’s too complex. It’s too large for any developer to understand fully. While it’s easy to make bigger, you don’t get much flexibility in changing it over time. Also, when it grows too extensive, it becomes hard to manage. The deployment time will grow exponentially when the application is big. There is also a risk that one bug or issue will bring down the whole construct in a unified system like this.

Monolith architecture example: guide to custom web development company services

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Microservices Architecture: Flexibility and Scalability

On the other hand, microservices architectures tend to grow highly complex but also extremely flexible. This type of system consists of multiple microservices that work together and communicate using protocols like HTTP, gRPC, async queues, etc. Therefore, the layout of microservices architectures can differ greatly, and more services can be added or removed quickly if needed.

Also, note that each service has its own database in a microservices architecture. That’s part of the reason why these apps can be extremely complex. If you hire a custom web development company to create a microservices-based app, you’ll need to choose wisely. Such systems require a team of professionals to design, build and maintain over time. Also, don’t forget testers who must continuously make sure that every piece runs smoothly with all the others.

Microservices Architecture from a Professional Web Development Company: Pros & Cons

    • Enables continuous delivery and deployment.
      Microservices architecture is particularly well-suited for large and complex applications because it makes it easier to upgrade them. Such a system minimizes deployment time and resources.
    • Services are small and easily maintained.
      While an extensive system of services requires skill and time to manage, single services are effortless to maintain. It facilitates overall system maintenance.
    • Services are independently deployable and scalable.
      Each of the microservices can be deployed individually. Therefore, it can also be improved and scaled to help scale up the system as needed.
    • Enables team autonomy.
      Teams that build and manage microservices architectures can be autonomous. It’s essential for enterprise-level businesses who prefer to outsource custom web development company services at least in part.
    • Allows easy experimentation and adoption of new technologies.
      New technologies are easy to integrate into the system to see how they perform. Therefore, you can continuously test and improve the system once the new tech is released. Most importantly, the process is fast, so you’ll be able to integrate results without disrupting business workflow.
    • Better fault isolation.
      Once a bug or a problem is spotted, it can be effectively isolated. So, your systems as a whole can continue running while the problem is solved. However, it might run at a reduced capacity.
    • Easier to understand and maintain.
      Microservices architecture appears a lot more complex. But it’s actually relatively easy to understand if you look at services individually. From this point of view, maintaining such a system can also be somewhat easier as you don’t have to take down and deploy the entire thing every time.

That said, in a distributed microservices system, communication issues can cause a significant breakdown. Moreover, these apps are more expensive and less secure due to the inherent vulnerabilities of complex design.

Microservices architecture example: guide to custom web development company services

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What Architecture Is Best When Hiring a Custom Web Development Company?

To answer that question, you must clearly see the customer’s goals. It would be incorrect for a custom web development company to proclaim one type of architecture as superior. The choice of what to use best in what situation is determined by the situation.

And remember, you shouldn’t create a microservices app just because it’s trendy now. As Oleksandr likes to remind us, one must first make sure there is an actual need to choose this architecture type before designing a project.

So, anyone looking to launch an app should first look for a professional web development company that can understand their needs and come up with the best solution tailored to the business plan, like us 😉

For more posts from Devtorium experts, see:

ISO/IEC 27001:2013 Certification for Outsourced Software Product Development Company Morebis (Devtorium Group)

Posted on by mkoftielieva

We are proud to announce that the outsourcing company Morebis Inc. (morebis.net), which is part of the Devtorium group of companies, received the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certificate in the ISMS field. We celebrate this as one of the crucial steps in our growth as an outsourced software product development company and an achievement for the entire Devtorium group.

The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification indicates that the accredited company maintains the high international information security standard, which is set by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission. To prove the right to hold this certification, Morebis Inc. underwent a thorough audit during which the company confirmed:

  • Its ability to implement and maintain an Information Security Management System (ISMS) compliant with the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard.
  • Its readiness to monitor for and protect from threats.
  • Its understanding of the risks and preparedness to comply with all the necessary security obligations.
  • Its skill in managing the team that can successfully build a compliant ISMS.
  • Its ability to support continued information security improvements to the ISMS.

Understanding how to set up and maintain such a high-standard ISMS is a valuable asset of our information security division. Also, we are happy that we can share this knowledge with our customers and help them improve their security with our aid.

While proud of this accomplishment, we would also like to say that we do not believe that this certification is the end. One of our main goals as an outsourced software product development company is to increase our level of security. We also aim to show our customers that their data is completely safe with us. And raising this level of safety is a process we are working on relentlessly even now.

The process is led by our Chief Security Officer, Nataliia Kashuba.

Nataliia Kashuba on the Future of Outsourced Software Product Development Company Morebis and Devtorium Group

Nataliia Kashuba joined the Devtorium group of companies in September 2021 during the merger between Morebis and Devtorium. At the time, she has already been hard at work obtaining the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification.

Nataliia has been working in the information security sector for 15 years. She holds multiple certifications, including the ISO/IEC 27001 Senior Lead Auditor and Data Protection Officer (DPO).

She considers building the company’s ISMS from scratch as one of her most notable accomplishments to date. However, Nataliia believes that one must never stop in their growth. Therefore, she already has multiple plans and goals to improve the Information Security Department in the Devtorium group of companies.

Here’s what she thinks about this milestone:

Q: What does receiving the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certificate mean for Morebis as an outsourced software product development company?

A: It means we’ve moved up a notch in the outsourcing business. We will have more business opportunities on the global market with this certification.  Moreover, as we have two ISO/IEC certified auditors on staff, we can offer security audits as part of our services. So we can help any business identify vulnerabilities in their systems and avoid disastrous consequences of data breaches.

Q: What new opportunities do Morebis and the Devtorium group of companies have now, after achieving this level?

A: The ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certificate opens many doors for us because many businesses today only agree to work with developers that hold trustworthy security certifications. So we now have a chance to participate in both state and private tenders and seek higher-level clients for development.

Q: What is the next goal for the company’s growth from the point of view of the Chief Security Officer?

A: Oooh, we have so much to work on. We must constantly improve. The security world does not stand still, and we must strive to be one step ahead of threats. That’s why our team of pentesters and security professionals is constantly working to investigate vulnerabilities and build effective strategies for strengthening security systems. The goal is always to minimize risks and prevent attacks. We must also remember that we will undergo multiple auditions for the next few years to prove that our improvement is sufficient to maintain this certification.

Q: What are the biggest information security threats now, and how can the company help its customers protect against them?

A: Alas, but People are the biggest threat 🙂 We can find vulnerabilities and help minimize losses. Information is the most valuable asset. Therefore, many are interested in making money by stealing it. Every piece of information has its price. And we can help save the valuable assets of the company by finding where the weaknesses are and building a strategy of effective defense.

Data is indeed the most valuable asset any business has. From a beauty salon’s customer database to a payment processing system’s financial information, stealing any bit of data can ruin a business entirely. As a software product development company, we work to protect our customers’ data in the best way possible. And we are sure that our Information Security division led by Nataliia can achieve this.

If you are interested in obtaining IT security services from an ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified business, contact us!

How Enterprise Software Development Company Services Differ from Consumer Apps

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Did you know that hiring an enterprise software development company is very different from hiring developers for a consumer app? Not only is the scale of an enterprise project greater. But the development process itself must follow a separate route starting from the project planning stage.

Understanding how enterprise software compares to consumer solutions is a must if you want to create a product that will bring maximum value to your business.

Enterprise Software Development Company Services Vs. Consumer Software Development

In order to hire the best enterprise software development company, you need to understand what sets enterprise solutions apart. It will enable you to evaluate your options better and understand the services you should focus on.

Enterprise Custom Software Development Solutions

The easiest way to explain what enterprise software is and how it differs from consumer apps is to say that enterprise solutions are aimed at businesses. So, these are apps that serve several goals for an entire community of users. Therefore, the solution’s whole design, objectives, features, and even pricing are developed from a different perspective.

Let’s take a closer look at the crucial issues that an enterprise software development company must tackle in projects:

  • Serving a community of users.
    An enterprise-level solution must solve the business needs for a community, be they enterprise employees or customers. Therefore, these products must manage and connect multiple tasks efficiently. As a result, this software is complex and often not user-friendly. Also, it’s crucial for the app to be custom-tailored to the enterprise structure and its unique business model.
  • Constant improvements based on processed customer feedback.
    When you hire an enterprise software development company, you’re in for the long haul. This type of solution should constantly evolve along with the business. Therefore, the app must collect customer feedback that developers can process to improve the product.
  • Features and prices depend on the requirements.
    Many factors affect the cost of software development. However, when defining the price of enterprise software development services, the customer (business owner) is the deciding factor. They choose what to include in the package, which dictates the development costs. Note that future updates will often add new features to enterprise software.
  • The customer dictates the requirements to developers.
    Of course, there is a lot of input from the enterprise software development company in the project. However, the customer greatly affects the development process by dictating requirements for these solutions.

Consumer Software Development Solutions

The vast majority of consumer apps only focus on a single feature. However, even if they have several, there is usually one core functionality and a few supporting features. Therefore, custom software development solutions directed at consumers are less complex. They are also geared towards satisfying one end-user needs. Therefore, they differ from enterprise software in the scope of functionality and application design.

  • Serves a single end-user’s needs.
    Consumer applications are always designed from the point of view of benefitting one user at a time. Therefore, connecting users into a sophisticated system isn’t necessary, which makes the software design a lot simpler. Of course, these apps can be complex as well. However, they are still geared toward one person, even if millions of people end up using them.
  • Applications must be flawless from the start.
    While custom software development solutions today are often released at the alpha or beta testing stage, most apps must launch ready-to-use. It’s because consumers are more likely to dump the app and install an alternative from a competitor than report bugs and wait for them to be fixed. So, consumer apps must be at their best at launch instead of waiting to gather user feedback and improve.
  • Pricing is determined by consumer spending power.
    Unlike an enterprise software development company, consumer app developers don’t have the luxury of negotiating product requirements to up the price of their product. Instead, they must consider the end-user’s spending capacity before designing the software. So, being affordable for an average individual from the target audience is one of the major requirements that govern consumer software development.
  • Developers are in charge.
    End-users do not influence the consumer software development process directly. Instead, the company that creates the solution is entirely in charge of requirements.

What to Look for in an Enterprise Software Development Company

When looking for a provider of custom software development solutions for an enterprise, you need to consider the company’s experience, case studies, and developer profiles. As you’ve just seen, enterprise solutions are very different from consumer apps. Therefore, it’s essential to look for a development company that has experience with projects similar to yours.

However, it’s even more essential to find a developer that can overcome inherent enterprise software weaknesses. In particular, one of the main things to consider when choosing an enterprise software development company is the devs’ ability to create great user experience. According to statistics published on TechRepublic, about 28% of users rank enterprise software user experience as somewhat worse and 16% as majorly worse.

For the majority of enterprise-level businesses, the customer itself is not the end-user. Instead, it’s the people that work within or with the enterprise who are end-users. And they have a consumer mentality when using any applications. Therefore, their satisfaction with the user experience will affect their satisfaction level with the enterprise as a whole. As a result, it can affect the business’ sales or even employee retention.

Taking all this into account, you should always look for an enterprise software development company that can make sophisticated software that remains easy to use. Devtorium is one such company. Contact us today and we’ll find a way to create a top-grade custom software solution for you!

How to Use an AI SaaS Platform for Business?

Posted on by mkoftielieva

An AI SaaS platform is a way for businesses and developers to access artificial intelligence without huge risks and investments. Also referred to as AIaaS, this type of software as a service enables businesses to achieve various goals using the immense power of AI.

Combining custom SaaS development services with an AI-powered platform opens an infinite number of opportunities for a company. You can reduce costs, boost your marketing, improve various processes and workflows, and automate multiple tasks. And the best thing is that as AI grows, the same happens to its capabilities. So, the more you use an AIaaS platform, the more this technology would be able to do for you.

How to Use an AI SaaS Platform in Real Life

Chatbots & Virtual Assistants

The most popular type of an AI SaaS platform is chatbots. Nowadays, they are used in nearly every area of customer service. Businesses also often create chatbots for communication and education within the company. Bots that run on NLP algorithms and machine learning are an area of AI that’s developing extremely fast. So, they grow more sophisticated every day. Therefore, the extent of the services they can provide keeps increasing.

This technology is also used to create virtual assistants that can perform multiple jobs. Their applications range from providing basic health consultations to personalized education.

API (Application Programming Interfaces)

Cognitive computing application programming interfaces enable developers to include various features in their apps. The important benefit of APIs is that the developer doesn’t need to actually write out the entire code. As such, APIs have a big impact on AI-driven software development services and cut costs for customers by saving developers time.

APIs are most often used for:

ML Frameworks

ML, or machine learning, frameworks enable the use of an AI SaaS platform for making personalized AIs. This particular AI will learn by processing the business’ data over time. Therefore, it would be perfectly suited for handling custom tasks within the company.

It’s a way for a business to use the power of AI without relying on Big Data. It’s also an opportunity to make the most out of custom SaaS development services for a business. So, if you consider making an AIaaS platform of your own, this is where you might wish to start.

Benefits of using an AI SaaS platform for business

Benefits of Using an AI SaaS Platform

Applications of an AI SaaS platform vary greatly. However, no matter how you use it exactly, it would bring some important boons to your business.

  • Low-cost access to AI capabilities.
    AI technology is insanely powerful but also very costly. An average SME has no chance of building a top-grade AI platform from scratch. However, a ready-to-use AIaaS allows you to enjoy all the benefits of an AI-powered platform for a fraction of a cost. So, even a small business can increase its growth opportunities by using AI tech creatively.
  • Easy scalability.
    AI SaaS development services are flexible in a way that means that you can get more power/features/bandwidth immediately when needed. It means that as your business starts growing with the help of AIaaS, it will scale along with you to constantly provide greater benefits.
  • Flexible costs.
    With an AI SaaS platform, you pay exactly for what you use. Therefore, a business can regulate its costs exactly to get the highest value for money. It also means that you have a chance to increase your capabilities fast as an opportunity presents itself. Note that some AIaaS platforms will even allow you to use processing power for short periods of time on an ad hoc basis.
  • Higher usability compared to open-source AI.
    There are open-source AI available, so you might wonder why pay more for an AI SaaS platform. The answer is that the platform is an out-of-the-box solution you can use for your intended purposes right away. On the other hand, using open-source AI will require you to hire a team of developers to create a solution that actually does what you need. Therefore, an AIaaS is more cost-efficient in the long run.

In Conclusion: When You Should Use AI SaaS Development Services

There can be no doubt that using an AI SaaS platform can benefit a business. However, you also need to understand that this technology has some inherent weaknesses. First of all, there is a security risk because you are giving third-party software access to your data.

In addition, you can’t expect transparency when working with AIaaS. You only get to see the input and output of the information. So, you won’t be able to know and even understand how that information is processed, etc.

Furthermore, some industry standards might prohibit you from using an AI SaaS platform altogether because of data security regulations. You’ll have to research all requirements for your industry in detail, especially if your business deals with sensitive information.

All things considered, custom AI SaaS development services might be the only choice for some types of businesses. Therefore, in order to get the highest value from AIaaS technology, you need to find out how to implement it in your business. Then, learn what options are available to you and how to use them with maximum efficiency. Contact us anytime and learn more about creating AI SaaS solutions perfectly tailored to your business needs!

Best Books for Programmers and Other IT Pros by Andrii Bohatyr

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Today we are sharing insights and recommendations for IT pros from our current Head of Development Andrii Bohatyr, who introduces his personal list of the best books for programmers and other IT pros.

Andrii has been working in development for over a decade. During this time he received multiple certifications, including AWS Certified Solutions Architect and SAFe. Although, when asked, he calls himself a ‘regular software engineer aspiring to become an Evil Galactic Emperor’.

The ability to see the best in any situation  and a fantastic sense of humor are highly valued Andrii’s qualities. And so is his focus on teamwork and helping junior developers to grow and realize their potential. It’s not a surprise that he managed to boost the productivity of the company’s development department by 30%.

Andrii always strives to get better at what he does. And today he is sharing some of his favorite sources that can help all developers, QAs, and other IT professionals to reach new heights in their professions.

Best Books for Programmers as Recommended by Andrii Bohatyr

Now’s the moment. You’re standing amidst the dusty bookshelves trying to pick out something robust and relevant. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Developer, young and eager to learn, a Project Manager with your eyes shining, or a QA Engineer with a never-ending itch to explore new horizons. Here you go! Below is a comprehensive compilation for any IT-related professional. I wish I could call it ultimate, but it is rather streamlined in the chaos of modern development hype and trends.

Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship – Robert C. Martin

This one may help you to differentiate “good” and “evil”. It helps you transform an ugly and smelly pile of code into shimmering gold. Naming conventions, formatting, proper commenting, exception handling, unit testing – it’s all there!
Amazon link

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction – Steve McConnell

This book emphasizes the construction of software, which is a large part of software development, fostering programmer’s productivity enormously. It covers major aspects of detailed design, coding, and debugging, as well as unit and integration testing. It’s one of the timeless pieces in the art of software development.

Amazon link

Clean Architecture: A Craftsman’s Guide to Software Structure and Design – Robert C. Martin

Uncle Bob writes simply, cleanly, and with enough examples. Also, he’s writing without delving into excessively complicated details. It is a cornerstone to understanding the architecture and building applications as a solid entity. It also explains what the good and bad patterns are. Martin describes some of the software projects from his personal experience and what he learned from them.

Amazon link

Test-Driven Development: By Example – Kent Beck

The book focuses on TDD practices, showcases, and the implementation of numerous programming tasks. It delivers the mindset and approach when applying test-driven development. The author highlights the Patterns for Test-Driven Development and helps to master TDD as a whole.

Amazon link

The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master – Andrew Hunt, David Thomas

This book is designed to make you think and challenge yourself and the way you currently do things. Andrew Hunt and David Thomas were kind enough to transform their years of experience and knowledge into a book with practical advice you can apply instantly. This is rather a conversation than a book, it’s easy and fun to read. Each chapter gives tips on multiple topics, such as estimating, testing, debugging, prototyping, effective communication, and much more.

Amazon link

The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering – Frederick P. Brooks Jr.

The Mythical Man-Month is essentially a collection of old-school articles. But those can still be considered one of the fundamental sources for software engineering. While reading this book it’s hard to deny that software architecture and the personality of an architect can influence the implementation. Some chapters stress that an architect should have their own idea of implementing things while accepting alternative approaches. It’s a must-read as an introduction to project management and leadership.

Amazon link

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams – Tom DeMarco

It’s one of the best books for programmers about the pitfalls and practices in software development. Its content revolves around managing human resources, having a decent work and office environment, and the “right” people and atmosphere in place. It fosters understanding and introducing a better alignment between team members and a culture of quality. Remember: people are not just resources. That’s what you’ll learn here.

Amazon link

More posts from the Devtorium crew members:

QA Software Testing: Types, Methods, Techniques

Posted on by mkoftielieva

You can’t launch a great app without extensive QA software testing. It’s simply impossible because testing is a crucial stage that weeds out the bugs. Of course, nothing is truly perfect in our world. But QA testing is the way to make sure your app comes as close to perfection as possible.

However, before you go looking for the best software testing services company, you need to know what tests you need. There are dozens of options that can work for your project. So keep reading to understand what will be the best choice for you.

Manual Vs. Automated QA Software Testing

First of all, it’s imperative to understand that QA software testing can be automated and manual. Moreover, you must know that you need to use both to achieve the best results. Also, manual testing is much more expensive because it requires highly-qualified professional labor. However, it’s the type that runs a higher risk of errors because of human involvement.

Automated tests are incredibly varied and robust. They can boost the speed and accuracy of testing as well as make it more affordable. However, it’s crucial to know that automated QA solutions are only as good as the test scripts they are based on. If the script can’t account for a complex series of events accurately, the result will be faulty. Therefore, quality is vital when choosing automated QA software testing automation services.

In addition, you need to know that software testing can be functional, which tests the system’s operability, and non-functional. Non-functional QA testing covers all other types of tests. For example, use it to assure the quality of the system’s UI/UX interface, response speed, etc.

QA Software Testing: Types of Tests

Unit Tests

The lowest, simplest, and most easily-automated type of QA software testing is unit tests. These are the tests that analyze individual functions and methods of the classes as well as modules and components. They test the lowest level elements of the software solution.

Integration Tests

Your application isn’t going to be a single element. Therefore, you need to rely on integration testing to assess how all services and modules go together. All integrations within the application must be tested, so this type of service is much more complex and expensive. Moreover, you need to have most of the solution up and running to perform this testing.

Functional Tests

As mentioned above, functional testing assesses the system’s essential functions. Simply put, it determines if the app meets its business goals. Similar to integration testing, functional tests are complex because they must assess multiple components and their relationships. However, note that these tests only assess the system’s output. Therefore, they do not focus on the process itself and might not ascertain where precisely the issue is in the chain that leads to a bad result. Also, unlike integration testing, functional tests don’t check the ability to send a query to the database. Instead, they determine if the database sends the correct answer based on the set product requirements.

End-to-End Tests

End-to-end QA software testing can be rather complex. It’s a type of test that verifies an entire process from end to end. It can be a simple process, like logging in, or something more complicated, like email verification. Depending on the scenario, these tests can be rather hard to automate and maintain in that environment. Therefore, it’s usually best to run them periodically and instead focus on simpler integration unit tests to find weaknesses.

Performance Tests

Performance testing assesses the system under an increased workload. It’s an expensive but necessary test, especially in preparation for an expansion or a “hot” season. For example, eCommerce platforms would want to run a performance test before holiday sales. Note that it’s a non-functional test. So, it can be delayed for a while, depending on your system and objectives.

Acceptance Tests

Acceptance testing is performed when the entire application is up and running. At this time, the test will determine if it meets the business objectives set by the owner. The tester will replicate user behaviors in-app to assess every feature. They can go as far as measuring the entire system’s performance. Acceptance tests can be used to evaluate and approve/reject changes in the existing system.

Smoke Tests

Smoke testing is a quick and straightforward way to ascertain your app’s basic functionality. Your software testing services company is likely to run them right after deployment to see if the application is running as it should. In addition, these tests will help determine which more expensive QA services you will need further.

QA software testing process step by step.

QA Software Testing Methodologies

Waterfall Model

The waterfall model is straightforward. That’s its defining quality because all processes within it move sequentially (logically following each other). Note that a new phase can begin only when the previous one ends in this model. QA software testing in the waterfall model will start at the requirements phase, where all project requirements are outlined. The testing will also follow the development phases.

This QA software testing method is simple to manage. However, there is no way to speed up the process or effectively deal with unplanned events.

Iterative Development

Interestingly, the iterative development methodology is based on the waterfall model. However, unlike the original, the iterative model comprises multiple components. Each of those components is made up of numerous iterations of the waterfall model. So, the testing process can start after every single iteration is complete.

This method allows more flexibility. However, the process might become unduly complicated because testing feedback must be provided and processed at the end of every iteration.

Agile Methodology

The agile software development methodology is prevalent today due to its high efficiency. In this model, the requirements don’t remain constant throughout the development process. Therefore, the agile method can accommodate many factors and even change the project drastically over time. As a result, the development runs in short fast cycles. The model focuses on the communication between developers and customers instead of tools.

QA software testing approach for this development method is also incremental. It means that the project goes through extensive testing after every release. This approach dramatically reduces the number of bugs left at the final release.

On the one hand, the agile method allows minimizing risks and losses. On the other hand, as it relies a lot on constant communication with the customer, the pressure and added time requirements can mess with the development process.

Extreme Programming

Extreme programming is, in fact, a type of agile software development. Development cycles in this model are short, so developers constantly present short batches of code to the customer. Then, once the review passes, they start on the next piece.

In essence, extreme programming is a test-driven development approach. The product is tested multiple times before and after any new feature is added.

This method is excellent for projects where the customer isn’t sure of the final product’s features. But this process can also take a long time due to communication and brainstorming.

Bottom Line: Do You Need to Hire a Software Testing Services Company?

In a word, yes! If you are looking for custom software development services, QA software testing must be a part of the process. A good development company will have its own QA team to ensure that you get the best result within the shortest amount of time.

Contact us if you want to create top-quality software fast!

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Introduction

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Employing cloud migration consulting services is a move that can save your business a lot of money in the long run. That’s because moving to the cloud is a way to boost cost-efficiency as a whole. And when planned and carried out by experts, the process can be quick and painless.

Keep reading to learn what cloud migration consulting services can do for you and how to use them to achieve your business growth goals.

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Benefits for Business

Moving to the cloud is not merely a progressive step to take to be in step with today’s digital society. It’s a decision that can greatly benefit multiple businesses. An on-premises infrastructure offers a substantial level of autonomy. However, in the connected world of today, it’s hardly relevant compared to the opportunities provided by the cloud.

  • Cost-efficiency.
    The first thing any cloud migration consulting services provider will tell you is that moving to the cloud reduces your expenses. It’s a move that enables you to cut spending on many tech services as the cloud provider would take them over. Therefore, the business can dedicate more resources to innovation and development.
  • Scalability.
    One of the greatest benefits of cloud migration is easy scalability. You won’t have to worry about delays as your business starts to grow. Also, you will be able to reduce costs compared to buying and installing physical servers and other equipment on site.
  • Accessibility.
    All your team members can access the cloud from anywhere. Therefore, it’s the best solution for any business working with remote employees or freelancers. In addition, cloud migration consulting services can help you understand how to use this technology to improve the user experience for your customers.
  • Performance.
    In many cases, the end-user experience can improve due to cloud migration because of a boost in performance. Cloud hosting allows to scale up when necessary to serve a bigger number of users without losing output quality. In addition, cloud services can run on servers near the user’s location. It means that the network latency can be significantly lowered for global businesses. It’s a fantastic expansion opportunity for smaller companies that cannot serve multiple locations worldwide.

Benefits of using cloud migration consulting services for business.

Essential Steps of the Cloud Migration Process

  1. Planning.
    The first step to success is developing a plan. When planning your cloud migration, you must first define your goals. For example, do you want to move all the business’ workload to the cloud? Or do you plan to use it for emergency disaster recovery? Also, you might consider using some hybrid models suited to your company’s needs. Defining your goals clearly will enable your cloud migration consulting service provider to help you select the best tools.
  2. Building a business case.
    The next stage is to build a business case. It means that you need to evaluate cloud migration from the point of view of cost savings, operational benefits, and architectural improvements. Doing this will enable you to calculate the Total Cost of Ownership, both current and expected, on the cloud. Note that you must be realistic in your estimates in order to make sound business decisions. You can use various cloud calculators to facilitate this task.
  3. Data migration.
    With the cloud migration plan ready, you will move on to executing this plan. Data migration is a process that must be carried out with minimal disruption to your business processes. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose the timing well. Also, bear in mind that it’s necessary to ensure the operability of every element before the next element is moved.
  4. Consistent maintenance.
    The actual process of migration is complete once you’ve moved your data to the cloud. However, the upkeep of it is ongoing. Therefore, you need to factor into your plan that you’ll have to set up a system to monitor the performance in real-time. Cloud operations also need regular maintenance to keep up-to-date and meet the availability benchmarks aligned with your business objectives.

Cloud migration consulting services: the process explained.

Cloud Migration Consulting Services: Common Migration Types

The cloud migration process might appear to be straightforward. However, as it’s tailored to the business requirements, no two processes are exactly the same.

That said, there are five specific types of migrating to the cloud:

  • Rehosting.
    This method is indeed straightforward. Basically, you just take the system as is and completely move it to the cloud. As this process doesn’t involve making any changes to the existing systems, it can be completed fast. However, this method also doesn’t allow you to use beneficial cloud-native features, such as self-healing and automated recovery.
  • Repurchase.
    This type of cloud migration involves either dropping your current proprietary platform or letting the license expire. Meanwhile, you are purchasing a cloud-based alternative. Such a transition can help boost business efficiency. In addition, it’s a great way to move on from legacy solutions.
  • Refactoring.
    Refactoring is a highly complex process because it may involve a complete overhaul of all your applications. The cloud migration consulting services provider you work with should guide you through planning this process. And it needs lots of planning because it might be necessary to rework the logic of your system and apps. Such migration should be an option for companies willing to enact a complete digital transformation.
  • Replatforming.
    When replatforming, you move to the cloud similarly to rehosting. However, your migration service also helps optimize some of the system’s parts in order to take advantage of cloud technology. But it won’t be a complete system overhaul, like refactoring.
  • Retain (hybrid).
    The hybrid method is used by organizations that want to combine their on-premises systems with the cloud. This type of migration must be highly customized to the organization’s needs. Such a solution is often used to have the cloud as a backup.

Challenges or Why You Need Cloud Migration Consulting Services

Moving to the cloud is a way to boost your business performance in many ways. However, it’s not a process that can be taken lightly. Hence, the need to employ expert cloud migration consulting services.

When moving to the cloud, the main challenges you’ll face come from the lack of strategy, compliance, data security issues, or incorrect cost planning. You can avoid all of those by entrusting this process to qualified professionals. Contact us if you want to ensure a seamless, affordable, and quick move to the cloud.

What’s in the Future of AI-Driven Software Development?

Posted on by mkoftielieva

AI-driven software development is revolutionizing every area of the world. We, users, hardly notice it, just enjoying the benefits that technology brings to our lives. But, it’s quite a bit different for developers.

Already over 80%of enterprises invest in AI. And Gartner says the artificial intelligence industry will create a value of about $2.9 trillion in 2021. The capabilities of AI are fantastic, which you can see from the rise of technologies like computer vision.

Writing code seems like it could be one of the tasks AI excels in, and in some ways, it is. However, AI-based software development isn’t about replacing developers with machines. Instead, it’s about creating a world where people augment their skills with technology.

How AI-Driven Software Development Will Reshape the Programmers

First of all, it’s crucial to note that AI-based software development isn’t going to replace the traditional development we have now. Human experts are the ones who drive and will continue driving this industry.

In the age of rising AI, developers will need to shift their priorities and expand their skills. Therefore, developers should focus on products that enhance automation and data processing when creating AI solutions for business. In essence, the primary purpose of AI-driven software development is to provide businesses with opportunities to:

  • Become leaner.
    AI’s superior data analytics and forecasting capabilities should help businesses make better cost planning and risk assessment decisions. As a result, companies can become leaner and more efficient, increasing their revenue due to accessing better data.
  • Conduct market analysis.
    Market Analytics is a very expensive service, so SMBs can’t hope to afford it. But AI-based software development can create solutions that will automate market analysis and make it more affordable. Therefore, small businesses will get a chance to become more competitive.
  • Getting intelligent assistance.
    AI-based assistance can help people handle various tasks, from accounting to providing automated customer support. Therefore, businesses can use it in multiple ways to benefit themselves and their customers.

All in all, a developer of the future will need to focus on more creative aspects of the job. Routine and mind-numbing tasks like going over the code to make minute fixes and improvements can be assigned to an AI. Meanwhile, developers must work on tasks that can’t be automated as easily, like designing and creating custom solutions.

Benefits of AI-driven software development for developers.

AI-Based Software Development: Top Benefits for Coders

The main reason software developers should appreciate artificial intelligence is that it can help resolve many challenges they face. Moreover, AI-driven software development can automate quite a few tedious menial tasks that take a lot of time. Therefore, it enables developers to focus on what’s important and allows exercising their talents to the fullest.

Security assessment improvements

Maintaining the highest level of security is crucial for software developers. Involving AI in this process can be a great help. Artificial Intelligence can analyze the data coming from the system itself and network sensors. Then, use it to identify any abnormalities extremely fast.

In essence, AI can automate code defense. Subsequently, it will significantly reduce the time and effort human developers need to spend on ensuring security.

In addition, AI-based software development quality assessment reduces the time it takes to complete a project.

DevOps automation

Making multiple changes and upgrades to the software is essential for SaaS development services. However, as any developer knows, frequent deployments can be taxing. Also, there is a risk of making a mistake at some step of the process. AI can be a great assistant during the deployment, reducing room for errors and automating many processes.

Meanwhile, machine learning algorithms will study the deployment process and analyze it. Then, the AI can use the data to offer insights on improvements and increase its response time based on learned patterns.

QA automation

Software quality testing and assurance are vitally important parts of development. So, one of the main benefits of AI-driven software development is that AI can automate these processes running them continuously.

As a result, the product quality grows and developers get real-time data on whether their ideas work.

Software design assistance

Software design is a complicated task, to say the least. It’s also one where human developers are sure to prevail over artificial intelligence. However, AI-driven software development can be implemented here as well.

It can be used to create AI assistants to help designers better communicate with clients and understand their needs. The software can allow clients to select options that will enable the designer to see their preferences more clearly. AI will generate the most likely combinations of elements. Then, a designer can use them to create a highly custom-tailored project.

Bottom Line: AI-Driven Software Development Making the World a Better Place for Developers

Any artificial intelligence software development company is a power to be reckoned with today. And the relevance of AI will only grow. AI-based software development can augment the work of human professionals freeing up their time and resources.

Developers can use AI powers for:

  • Providing accurate estimates
  • Automating code refactoring
  • Automating testing for abnormalities and errors
  • Assisting in handling errors
  • Speeding up the creation of prototypes

But most of all, AI-driven software development can help with strategic decision-making. Using the insights provided by AI and time saved by the machines crunching the data, developers can create better products, thus benefiting their clients.

So, we are sure to keep seeing more artificial intelligence applications as the world of technology evolves and becomes more user-friendly.

Role of a Business Analyst in Outsourced Software Product Development by Daryna Volynets

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Being a business analyst on an outsourced software product development project is a challenge, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity. So says Daryna Volynets, our expert BA, who faces this challenge every day and loves it. Daryna says that a BA is a person who has to be proficient in a great number of IT and business-related subjects.

Daryna herself has been a business analyst for nearly four years. However, before choosing this profession, she got a well-rounded IT business experience. She’s worked as a PHP developer, PM, HTML coder, HR professional, and even has experience as an SEO specialist.

However, once Daryna discovered business analytics, she fell in love. Now she considers herself to be an ambassador for BA as a profession. She is also a mentor for Devtorium BA trainees and juniors. Therefore, she has a lot of experience explaining what it takes to build a successful career as a business analyst.

Today she is going to share her experience through the article below.

Daryna also made a fantastic presentation about this topic as well as our BA Internship Program during the Devtorium IT Crowd event in Vinnytsia. We are looking forward to learning more from her!

What Business Analyst Does for Outsourced Software Product Development

A BA is a bridge between customers and developers in the IT industry. It means that this person must have expertise in both the information technology and business administration spheres. Moreover, a business analyst must also be proficient in communication. It’s because you will need to liaise between these two sides and reason with both of them.

The goals of a BA are analyzing the company’s needs and the market situation. Then, you use this data to develop strategies to improve business outcomes.

The tasks of an IT business analyst will vary depending on the project. However, generally, they follow the same cycle:

What a business analyst does in outsourced software product development projects.

  1. Initiation phase.
    At this stage, the BA conducts analysis and develops an initial work plan.
  2. Planning phase.
    Next, the BA analyzes the problem and defines the project’s boundaries.
  3. Execution, monitoring & control phase.
    This is the stage where the plan is put into action. The business analyst will monitor every step and control the execution where necessary.
  4. Closure phase.
    Finally, there comes the closure, during which the BA will summarize results and derive insights they can learn from. You will also follow up with the client.

Although these cycle stages are clearly defined, a BA must be fluid and flexible. It’s because new problems or data may emerge, and the entire plan will need to be corrected mid-process. The business analyst must always remain alert for any news and discoveries that might affect the project or market. Therefore, the BA has to monitor the entire process of outsourced software product development.

Requirements Life Cycle Management, or Daily Life of a Business Analyst

Business analysts are people directly involved in managing the life cycle of requirements. It’s a process during which the BA can manage and maintain business requirements and determine all necessary activities. Therefore, it’s a crucial component of the outsourced software product development process.

You can get some idea of how it goes through this scheme:

Requirements life cycle management by a Business Analyst for outsourced software product development projects.

The length and complexity of the approval and some other processes can differ from project to project. However, usually the steps you need to ensure all requirements are identified, analyzed, and added to the project properly include:

  • Identifying the stakeholders
  • Gathering all necessary business requirements
  • Analyzing the requirements
  • Identifying necessary documents
  • Obtaining relevant approvals
  • Communicating with stakeholders regarding the approved requirements
  • Tracking the progress of requirements throughout the entire project
  • Identifying and managing any necessary changes to the original requirements
  • Tracing business requirements progress and reporting on their status

The business requirements gathering process can vary depending on the business’ needs. However, the tools used during it remain the same. These tools and techniques include focus groups research and interviews, documentation analysis, surveys, observations, and brainstorming.

Business requirements tracing is a critical factor in the project’s success. First of all, traceability ensures that each requirement is relevant and contributes to the project’s development. In addition, it tracks the relationships between requirements and their relationships with business needs and project deliverables. A business analyst will trace the requirements, which means they need to have a clear understanding of the business’ needs, direction, mission, and goals.

Business analysts rely on the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) developed by the International Institute of Business Analysts for guidance through these processes.

What You Need to Grow From a Junior to Senior Business Analyst

Like in any other profession, your growth from a junior business analyst to senior happens by gaining experience and developing your skills. Admittedly, a BA is a professional who needs expertise in a significant number of subjects. However, this job is rewarding in every way. From the salary point of view, business analysts are highly in demand and can expect to get a decent salary from the beginning. Moreover, the job outlook is great as it’s forecasted that the number of BA jobs will grow by 11% over the next decade. It means that it’s going to be one of the most in-demand jobs for the outsourced software product development industry.

In order to become a successful senior business analyst, you’ll need to gain knowledge in many areas, including:

  • Software development methodologies
  • Unified Modeling Language (UML)
  • Modeling concepts
  • Requirements types and management
  • Research and development activities
  • Document preparation
  • Project management life cycle
  • Product development life cycle
  • PMO activities
  • Software testing
  • Global business analysis

As a business analyst, you will use a great number of techniques and tools in your work. The most prominent of them include but aren’t limited to:

  • Acceptance and evaluation criteria
  • Backlog management
  • Benchmark and market analysis
  • Brainstorming
  • Business capability and rules analyses
  • Collaborative games
  • Concept modeling
  • Decision modeling and analysis
  • Data mining and modeling
  • Financial analysis
  • Estimation
  • Functional decomposition
  • Mind mapping
  • Metrics and KPIs
  • Observation
  • Organizational modeling
  • Prioritization
  • Process analysis and modeling
  • Prototyping
  • SWOT analysis
  • Risks analysis and management
  • Roles and permissions matrix
  • Scope modeling
  • Use cases and scenarios
  • Vendor assessment

To put it in a different way, a business analyst’s competency model looks like this:

Duties and competences of a business analyst in an outsourced software product development company.

So, Can Outsourced Software Product Development Projects Succeed Without a Business Analyst?

Frankly, business analytics consulting services are crucial for the success of any IT project. So, a successful outsourced software product development company should have its own team of talented business analysts.

It’s also important to remember that business analysts work not only within the software development outsourcing industry. These professionals can use their expertise to analyse markets and businesses and offer insights that can be used when:

  • Opening and staffing new departments
  • Restructuring existing companies
  • Resolving any business issues from logistics to cost reduction
  • Performance quality improvements

Business analysis is everywhere, the only question is who has the foresight to do it. Essentially, a BA is a person who must be proactive in order to identify issues problems and find solutions before the problem arises.

Our expert Daryna also notes that to be a good BA in the IT sphere, you need to enjoy communicating with people as much as you love technology. This job requires a lot of communicating and you should be highly efficient in it.

Being a business analyst is very rewarding. It’s not only because you are a crucial part of the team’s success. This work will throw tests at you every day. Moreover, you get to be the person who finds the solution and guides the entire project to success. If this is the kind of work you want to do, become a part of our team!

Your Helpers on the Way of the Business Analyst

As an expert BA herself, Daryna made a list of materials that can help beginners in this profession:

For more posts based on presentations from the Devtorium IT Crowd event see:

Artificial Intelligence Software Development: First Exposure to Computer Vision

Posted on by mkoftielieva

Oleksii Makarov is one of the leading experts on artificial intelligence software development at Devtorium. During our recent IT Crowd event in Vinnytsia, Oleksii made a short presentation about computer vision. This technology is undoubtedly exciting and already has a huge impact on the world. Today, Oleksii will tell us more about what it is and how computers learning to ‘see’ affects our everyday lives. With his 21 years of experience and a passion for math, Oleksii can make this complicated subject easy to understand.

What Is Computer Vision for Artificial Intelligence Software Development?

In the simplest way possible, computer vision is a set of technologies that aims to make computers process images in a manner similar to human vision. However, the math behind the process is a lot more complicated.

One thing you need to know first is that computer vision technology already exists. It’s used in a variety of ways, including SaaS development. In fact, each of us has been exposed to it multiple times. However, you likely don’t even realize how often you come in touch with this AI-based software development product.

Also, it’s crucial to note that computer vision was somewhat limited until the recent jump in artificial intelligence software development. Due to advancements in deep learning and neural networks, this technology can now surpass human vision in some capacities. But, this particular level of computer vision is only about a decade old.

In ten short years, this technology achieved outstanding results in many areas. It means that we can expect more global transformations powered by AI-driven software development.

Of course, tech plays a significant part in this leap. However, the main driver behind the growth of computer vision and artificial intelligence software development is data.

As a society, we generate tons and tons of data. And AI learns by processing these massive databases. Just image-wise, there are over three billion pictures shared online in a single day. Every day. So, AI and computer vision have an opportunity to become better at an unprecedented rate.

Already this technology is capable of processing images at extreme speeds and identifying objects with 99% accuracy. The results of these processes are used everywhere, from crime investigation to marketing and self-driving cars.

AI-Based Software Development: Deep & Machine Learning Technologies

One of the leading technologies used in computer vision is machine learning. To be exact, this type of tech uses its subset called deep learning. Deep learning methodology learns through neural networks, enabling it to improve with every progressive deeper layer of data.

This machine learning method is currently used in computer vision and other vital areas of artificial intelligence software development. The industries where it makes the most significant impact include:

For computer vision, deep learning algorithms enable machines to understand the context of visual data they process. That’s how computers eventually learn to tell one image from another and identify similarities or differences. Computer processing can be much more powerful and faster than the human brain. Therefore, applying computer vision in various real-life situations makes it possible for machines to identify minor discrepancies in images. So, they can alert humans of any potentially dangerous inconsistencies.

AI-based software development powered by deep learning algorithms makes it possible to have machines ‘look’. However, they do not perceive images the way we do. Instead, they break down a single image into layers of pixels. That’s where convolution neural networks come into play.

convolution and deconvolution networks in computer vision and artificial intelligence software development

Convolution and Deconvolution Networks in Computer Vision AI-Driven Software Development

“Alert! This might sound convoluted, but it’s actually not so bad”. It’s what Oleksii says when he starts explaining the neural networks technology used in computer vision. In order to make computers see, artificial intelligence software development engineers use convolution networks. Simply put, this is a process of machine breaking down the image into layers and layers of pixels. Each following layer is simpler and therefore less understandable for humans. But to a machine, they are the true ‘objects’ its ‘vision’ can process.

The machine will run predictions based on what it’s seeing and eventually trigger a deconvolution process. Basically, it’s the opposite of convolution. And predictive data analysis powered by Ai is a popular technology today.

We see the results of these complicated mathematical processes within AI-powered systems of computer vision through the actions of machines. You can find the easiest to understand example in self-driving cars. First, the machine recognizes the shapes of all objects within its ‘field of vision’. Then, it runs multiple iterations of predictions. And the car uses the data to drive and safely avoid obstacles.

Artificial intelligence software development computer vision tasks: classification and segmentation.

Artificial Intelligence Software Development: Computer Vision Tasks

When you get down to the heart of it, computer vision is all about pattern recognition. Essentially, it performs two main tasks: classification and segmentation. Machines learn to identify objects and segment images into multiple views to make predictions.

Processes involved in computer vision analysis include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Object classification: understanding the category of an object.
  • Object identification: Understanding the exact type of an object.
  • Object detection: determining where the object is located within the image.
  • Object verification: verifying whether the object is present in the image.
  • Object segmentation: breaking down the object image into layers of pixels.
  • Object recognition: identifying objects in the image and their locations.

How Computer Vision Technology in Artificial Intelligence Software Development Will Change the World

Unsurprisingly, Oleksii gets many questions about the applications of computer vision and the impact of this tech on the world. According to him, the scope of it is nearly impossible to define because this technology has tremendous potential.

Oleksii believes that the main areas of computer vision, as well as AI-based software development implementation, will be:

  • Autopilot technologies, which will revolutionize the transportation sector as a whole. This won’t stop at self-driving cars as piloting other modes of transport can be automated. Moreover, machine pilots can be more efficient and reduce the risk of accidents.
  • Healthcare research is another area where the capabilities of artificial intelligence software development are tremendous. Already some companies use AI to predict the human body’s reactions and develop medications based on this data. For example, DeepMind is one of the leaders in this innovative industry.

To those worried that machines will take away human jobs, Oleksii recommends to stay calm. Of course, automation will make some professions redundant. However, many other new jobs will appear in response to global and technological changes.

To those interested in learning more about computer vision and artificial intelligence development software, Oleksii suggests the following resources:

  • TowardsDataScience: great portal with news about the latest AI tech developments.
  • 3Blue1Brown: a YouTube channel where high-level maths is explained in simple and easy-to-understand terms.
  • Jeff Heaton: a YouTube channel by a Ph.D. VP, Data Science at RGA, Adjunct at Washington University, St. Louis, who explains neural networks and other technologies in a simple way.

If you want to talk to Oleksii regarding artificial intelligence software development or engage our services to create an AI of your own, contact us!

We are a team of 200+ qualified software engineers, business analysts, data scientists, project managers, and UI/UX designers. All our professionals hold specialized certifications in their niches and have expertise in complex projects for a variety of industries.

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