Outsourcing to any given country provides advantages and disadvantages, and Romania is no exemption. Outsourcing IT to Romania provides clear-cut examples of the advantages; a hard working labor pool whose wages are much lower than those doing a similar job in the U.S. As some of the advantages of outsourcing to Romania are clear, so is one major disadvantage; time difference. The time difference between Romania and the United States’ east coast is seven hours. Nonetheless, my belief is that the advantages of outsourcing to Romania outweigh any disadvantage that may be found.

One of the main concerns of a company that chooses to outsource a project is cost. Romania is the European Union member with the lowest wages. In fact, when Romania began focusing in outsourcing at the beginning of the last decade, the cost of outsourcing there when compared to India was lower.[1] This provided Europe with a good alternative to India, since the cost was lower and time difference was minimal. But this advantage also provided U.S. companies with a good alternative to India. Currently, Romania’s wages remain at a fraction of those found in the United States. A software developer currently earns under $16,000 on average per year. Cost may be the main factor that many companies consider when outsourcing, but it is not the only advantage that Romania provides to those who outsource there.

Romania has a good upper education system that stresses importance on IT, with the realization that outsourcing is an important sector of the economy. This realization has helped tear down a language barrier in the country, where people knowledgeable in languages such as English, French, and Italian, among others, are not hard to find.[2] The lack of a language barrier makes it attractive for American companies to outsource to Romania. The importance that Romania has stressed on IT and outsourcing has led Romania’s current generation to be highly skilled and motivated. This has led companies such as HP to expand their operations in the country. Hewlett-Packard announced earlier this year the hiring of an additional 600 people to their operations in Romania, bringing the total to 3,700 employees.

Romania’s focus on attracting IT outsourcing has also led them to have a large segment of the population specialize in IT. According to the executive director at the Association of Software Developers, Valerica Dragomir, Romania has the largest population of high-quality IT specialist in Eastern Europe.[3] The skillfulness of Romanian workers is an advantage that should be carefully considered when planning to outsource. While some nations claim to have almost unlimited IT resources, the quality of work is mediocre at best, since many focus on the numbers instead of quality. In Romania the quality of work is taken very seriously, since they realize that if the work is done poorly, that leaves a negative impression and a loss of customers.

Despite the time difference inconvenience for American companies to outsource to Romania, the country provides magnificent advantages that should be considered when outsourcing. The combination of low-wages, very skillful IT talent, and the lack of a language barrier make Romania very competitive in the world of IT outsourcing. When considering outsourcing for the first time, Romania should always be considered. If time difference is not a significant disadvantage, Romania should be near the top of anyone’s list for best places to outsource. If time difference is important, but not significant, the time difference disadvantage can be reduced with good local management. The skillful nature of Romania’s developers almost guarantees complete satisfaction to those who decide to outsource there.

[1]http://news.cnet.com/2100-1011_3-5074725.html

[2] http://www.globalservicesmedia.com/Destinations/Europe/Romania-Rises-as-Outsourcing-Target/25/19/0/GS10030268118

[3] http://www.globalservicesmedia.com/Destinations/Europe/Romania-Rises-as-Outsourcing-Target/25/19/0/GS10030268118

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The iPad revolutionized the tablet computer and has begun a new era of mobile devices. A decade ago, most people used a desktop computer to browse the web, use applications such as word, or to email and instant message people. By the mid-2000s, a noticeable shift had began, with laptop computers starting to outsell desktops[1]. During the same time, when laptops began to take over desktops, Apple released the first iPhone and shortly after launched its App Store. Although the iPhone was too small to be used as a computer, this was a significant step towards developing a tablet that would rival laptops. Now we have the iPad, and a vast array of Android tablets, including Amazon’s Kindle Fire. Developers will have to adapt to these changes that are taking place, and begin focusing more resources on mobile devices.

Apple continues to lead the industry with the iPad, while Google continues to improve Android. In addition, Amazon’s Kindle Fire is a very capable device for the price. The competition from the three companies will lead to a decade of innovations for mobile devices and for the computer industry overall. With such rapid development cycles for iOS and Android, developers have to constantly be aware of new releases, in order to make sure that their applications work properly with each update. This means that the development of any mobile application never ceases; developers must be aware that with any major update of an OS, an application has to be thoroughly checked and updated as needed. The current rivalry between Apple and Google will lead to a healthy competition between both companies, but it will also increase competition between developers, in which the ones that excel will stand out.

Two decades ago, people did not have a choice of operating system for their computers. During the 90′s, Microsoft’s Windows virtually had no competition; if you disliked Windows, you had no alternative, since Mac was incompatible with many applications. The lack of competition during that era led to people buying a PC with Windows because they had to, not because they wanted to. During the decade of the 90′s, developers had no incentive to develop applications for operating systems other than Windows. Today, the competition between Apple, Google, and Amazon will lead to many innovative features this decade, and rapid improvements to their respective operating systems. Apple will continue to be innovative to keep Google and Amazon from catching up, while Google and Amazon will continue to innovate with the hopes of someday catching up to Apple. This also means that developers have to be very innovative themselves. Smaller companies may not be able to lure very good, innovative developers, but they can outsource to companies that do have such developers.

As consumer demand leads to tablets taking over laptops, more developers will also begin to focus on tablets, which may not necessarily be a good thing for those looking to outsource. Tablets will not completely kill off the market for laptops, but laptops will go the way of desktops within this decade. By 2014, 180 million tablets are expected to be sold worldwide, 40 million short of the 220 million laptops expected to be sold the same year.[2] Before the end of the decade, tablets will overtake laptops as consumers’  favorite type of computer. This rapid change in consumer demand means that developers have to rapidly begin focusing on mobile devices instead of laptops and PC’s. Experienced iOS and Android developers will be in greater demand with each passing year. This can lead to the creation of new outsourcing companies that focus on iOS and Android, but not necessarily good outsourcing companies. The demand for tablets may perhaps outpace the speed in which good iOS and Android developers can develop apps for these devices.

Developers will have to keep up with demand and develop good and innovative apps that the public wants. Nonetheless, this rapid change in consumer demands may also cause a disaster for those looking to outsource; the vetting process to separate good outsourcing companies from those that are mediocre at best, will get more difficult as demand increases. Some companies will hire inexperienced developers to be able to make a quick buck. However, if a company or person has already found a good outsourcing company that they are satisfied with, they should stick with them for future projects; it will prevent future headaches and result in a better application, since both companies will be aware of what they want from each other. Ultimately, the rapid changes in consumer demand will work out for the best; from the consumer side, tablets are much more mobile than a laptop, more energy efficient, and much easier to use. From a developers perspective, the demand for tablets will mean that they will be in greater demand, which means that good developers and good outsourcing companies will have a bright future.

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/03/technology/03TBRF1.html?ex=1118030400&en=cb60405e864fa27a&ei=5070

[2] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2380162,00.asp#fbid=wLYH8nU8gw9

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The development of apps for Android tablets should now be taken as seriously as development for the iPad. It is a reality that many applications on Android do not run as smoothly as they do on iOS. Much of this has to do with the fact that Android is very fragmented, along with the use of subpar hardware on many of the devices used. Unlike iOS, Android is found in a vast array of different devices, both high end and low end. Android app developers have been able to get away with developing good apps, but in some cases, with slow response times and bugs. Developers will no longer be able to do this, since Amazon’s Kindle Fire has been selling well, and in the short term, it will begin dominating the Android tablet market. Developing for Android should no longer be an afterthought, and should be taken as seriously as developing for the iPad.

As many of you may well be aware, Amazon has its own Android market, the Amazon Appstore for Android. The approval process for Amazon’s Appstore for the Kindle Fire is stricter than that of Google’s Market;

Our goal is for customers to have a good experience with every app they buy from the Amazon Appstore. As a result, we will be testing the apps you submit prior to making them available in our store to verify that each app works as outlined in your product description, does not impair the functionality of the mobile device or put customer data at risk once installed, and complies with the terms of the Appstore Distribution Agreement and our Content Guidelines. (https://developer.amazon.com/help/faq.html)

It is important that prior to submitting an app for approval, that a developer thoroughly test the application on a Kindle Fire and makes sure that it runs as smoothly as possible. Amazon expects a flawless user experience, to entice users to buy apps, books, and other media often.

According to Business Insider, Amazon is losing $50[1] on each tablet it sells, which means it plans to recoup its loses through the Appstore. Amazon has a huge customer base, which should be taken advantage of by developers. Nevertheless, apps should not be rushed and submitted for approval, since it will make rejection more likely. As I mentioned in last week’s post, if a company does not have the knowledge or experience necessary to develop an app, outsourcing should seriously be considered. Outsourcing the development of a Kindle Fire app to a company knowledgeable and experienced in developing for Android, will increase the chances of an app being approved.

The Kindle Fire may not be an iPad killer, but it may very well become the standard by which all other Android tablets will be measured up to, regardless of what version of Android they are running. This is why it is important to be mindful of your capabilities as a developer for Android, and if necessary, outsource the development of an app to reduce the chances of getting rejected by Amazon.

[1] http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-28/tech/30211775_1_amazon-apps-analyst-gene-munster

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In today’s era of applications for mobile devices, competition is harsh, and not forgiving for apps that do not live up to their potential. It does not matter if a newly released application is innovative and the first of its class, since competition can develop quickly, and improve on the ideas of others. It is important that those newly released applications work flawlessly and are user friendly. Having developers that are experienced in developing for iOS and Android is a must, in order to release an application that will meet the demands of the consumer.

For a small business and many startups, outsourcing the development of an application should always be considered. The reason behind this is that small businesses and startups typically do not have the resources, nor the experience, to successfully develop a mobile application. Evidence for this can be found in the App Store or Android Market; apps that are not user friendly, or contain bugs, typically have poor reviews and are immediately deleted from the user’s device. Once this happens, the customer is permanently lost. This can be easily avoided, by outsourcing the development of an application to a company that focuses on mobile app development.

A successful outsourcing company, with expertise on mobile app development, can provide you with the knowledge and feedback necessary to allow the application to have a greater chance of success. Communication in this case is key, and Agile methodology is a must. For companies that plan to build more than one app, outsourcing can be particularly useful, even if future apps will be developed completely in house. The process and knowledge gained by initially outsourcing a project can cause an in house developer to look out for things they did not look for before, and to be more mindful of what the consumer wants.

For any company planning on developing their first mobile application, outsourcing the project to a company that has expertise on mobile app development should at the very least be considered. The knowledge, feedback, and experience gained from such a project are of great value, and may become very useful for future projects.

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