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Before we delve into the details, let's touch upon a few aspects of Python. Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity, readability, and versatility. Developed by Guido van Rossum in the late 1980s, Python has since gained widespread popularity and has become one of the most widely used programming languages.
Python's active and supportive community is a crucial aspect of its success. Developers worldwide contribute to the language's growth by sharing knowledge, creating open-source projects, and participating in forums and discussions. This collaborative environment not only aids learning but also ensures that Python remains relevant and up-to-date.
According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2023, Python ranked as the third most used programming language globally.
Released first in 1991 by Guido Van Rossum, Python is an open-source programming language that is dynamically typed and it also supports several programming paradigms like Object-Oriented, Structured, and functional programming. Without getting too technical, Python eliminated bloated code, enhanced developer productivity quite significantly, and gradually started competing with the likes of Perl and C++.
This catapulted its popularity and gave birth to several other languages today like Ruby, Cobra, Boo & Julia, but more importantly, it was heavily used for a plethora of applications including web development, database management, data visualization, and automation.
Numerous globally recognized companies integrate Python into their technology frameworks for diverse purposes such as web development, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. Here is a selection of tech giants that harness the power of Python:
Google
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
Dropbox
Netflix
Reddit
NASA
Quora
Pinterest
Uber
Cost Savings:
Access to Diverse Talent Pool:
Accelerated Project Timelines:
Focus on Core Business Activities:
Specialized Expertise:
Adaptation to Evolving Technologies:
Scalability:
Quality Assurance:
Outsourcing Python development services can be a strategic move for various business needs. Here's a brief overview of the services you can outsource:
Web Development: Python is a versatile and powerful programming language that is widely used for web development. It offers a range of frameworks and tools that simplify the process of building dynamic and interactive websites.
One popular framework is Django, known for its "batteries-included" philosophy, providing a comprehensive set of features for web development.
Flask is another lightweight and flexible framework that follows a microservices approach, allowing developers to choose the components they need.
Both Django and Flask use the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, which organizes code into models, views, and controllers, promoting code modularity and maintainability.
2. App Development:
Leveraging Python for app development provides a cross-platform advantage. Outsourcing this service allows you to tap into the expertise of developers experienced in frameworks like Kivy or BeeWare, ensuring the delivery of versatile and user-friendly mobile applications.
Outsourcing app development to experienced Python developers provides several advantages. Kivy, for instance, is a Python library for developing multi-touch applications, making it suitable for creating interactive and dynamic mobile apps. BeeWare, on the other hand, is a collection of tools and libraries for writing native user interfaces.
By outsourcing to experts in these frameworks, businesses can ensure the efficient development of applications that not only function seamlessly across platforms but also provide an optimal user experience.
This approach enables companies to focus on their core competencies while relying on the specialized skills of Python developers to bring their mobile app visions to fruition.
An article which provides information on why to hire an offshore team for mobile app development
3. Data Analysis and AI:
Python has emerged as a powerhouse in the fields of data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) due to its extensive collection of robust libraries and frameworks.
In the realm of data analysis, libraries such as NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib empower data scientists to efficiently manipulate, analyze, and visualize large datasets. These tools provide a versatile and user-friendly environment for tasks ranging from data cleaning and preprocessing to exploratory data analysis and statistical modeling.
For AI development, Python's popularity is further heightened by libraries like TensorFlow and PyTorch, which facilitate the creation of complex machine learning models and neural networks.
These frameworks offer high-level abstractions and pre-built modules, making it easier for developers to design, train, and deploy AI solutions. Python's simplicity and readability also contribute to its widespread adoption in AI, as it enables researchers and developers to express complex algorithms in a concise and understandable manner.
4. Backend and API Development:
Python frameworks like Django, Flask, and FastAPI have become pillars of backend and API development, offering diverse solutions for various project scales and complexities. Django, with its comprehensive feature set, is well-suited for large-scale applications, providing an all-in-one solution with built-in modules for authentication, databases, and administration.
Flask, a lightweight micro-framework, offers flexibility and modular design, making it ideal for smaller to medium-sized projects where simplicity and customization are prioritized.
FastAPI, known for its speed and automatic documentation generation, excels in building efficient and well-documented APIs, particularly suitable for microservices and applications demanding high performance.
5. Automation and Scripting:
Python's simplicity and readability make it a versatile and ideal choice for automation and scripting tasks. Its straightforward syntax allows developers to express complex functionalities concisely, enabling the rapid development of custom scripts and automated workflows. Outsourcing these functions to Python experts offers several advantages for businesses.
In the realm of automation, Python can be employed to streamline repetitive tasks, reducing the potential for manual errors and enhancing overall efficiency.
From data processing and file manipulation to system administration and network automation, Python's extensive standard library and third-party packages provide a wealth of tools for a wide range of automation needs.
Outsourcing these tasks allows organizations to leverage the expertise of skilled Python developers who can design tailored solutions to meet specific automation requirements.
Python development offers numerous advantages for businesses, making it a strategic decision for various projects. Here are detailed reasons to consider outsourcing Python development:
1. Access to Expertise:
2. Cost Efficiency:
3. Faster Time to Market:
4. Focus on Core Competencies:
5. Scalability and Flexibility:
6. Risk Mitigation:
7. Global Collaboration:
8. Quality Assurance:
9. Focus on Security:
10. Long-Term Partnership:
Outsourcing Python development requires careful consideration to ensure you choose the right company for your project. Here's a step-by-step guide and key considerations for successful Python development outsourcing:
a. Portfolio: Examine the company's portfolio to gauge their experience in Python development. Look for projects similar to yours.
b. Industry Knowledge: Assess if the company has experience in your industry. Familiarity with industry-specific requirements can be beneficial.
a. Technical Skills: Ensure the company has a strong technical skill set in Python and relevant frameworks. This includes knowledge of Django, Flask, or other libraries.
b. Communication Skills: Effective communication is crucial. Ensure the team can understand your requirements and provide updates in a clear and timely manner.
c. Problem-Solving Abilities: Assess their problem-solving skills, as they will encounter challenges during development.
a. Technical Interview: Conduct technical interviews to assess the team's depth of knowledge in Python and related technologies.
b. Project Understanding: Ensure the team understands the goals and requirements of your project.
c. Team Dynamics: Assess how well the team members collaborate and communicate with each other.
a. Client References: Ask for client references and contact previous clients to get feedback on their experiences.
b. Online Reviews: Check online platforms, forums, and review websites for feedback on the company's performance.
a. Transparent Pricing: Ensure the pricing structure is transparent and aligns with your budget.
b. Hidden Costs: Clarify any potential hidden costs that may arise during the development process.
c. Value for Money: Balance costs with the quality of work. Choosing the cheapest option may not always lead to the best results.
a. Project Management Methodology: Ensure the company follows a well-established project management methodology (e.g., Agile, Scrum) to keep the development process organized and on track.
b. Communication Tools: Confirm the use of effective communication tools to keep all stakeholders informed.
c. Progress Monitoring: Establish how the company tracks and reports project progress.
When it comes to outsourcing Python development, several destinations are popular due to their skilled workforce, cost-effectiveness, and established IT industries. Here are some notable Python outsourcing destinations:
It's no surprise that the country which is home to some of the most well-known tech companies is also home to some of the most skilled Python developers.
A LinkedIn survey recently revealed that there are about 4,30,000 Python developers in the United States alone. This easily puts the United States in the top 5 positions as far as the absolute number of Python developers is concerned.
Seeing the success of most of the technology companies, it's fair to assume that a lot of these developers would also be highly skilled and adept at the programming language, thus putting the United States at one of the top spots as far as the Python talent pool is concerned.
The downside, however, is that the cost of developing Python projects in the United States can be quite expensive, and not just a slight increase over its alternatives, we're talking about an easy 5x or even a 10x increase in cost. The above data was sourced from Glassdoor and Payscale.
Easily one of the most preferred destinations for outsourcing Python development. While we were unable to find any reliable statistics for the number of Python developers in the country, an estimation by the AI model, Chat GPT, tells us that the number is likely to be between 500,000 to a million. While there is a huge demand for this talent domestically, most of this talent is occupied with offshoring projects. from such destinations that will help us understand the real-term salary of Python developers in India. Offshoring Python development to India allows you to cut significant costs by hiring skilled Indian software developers as well as leverage efficient Back-end development and get a competitive edge in AI and ML offshoring by hiring rising talent in Artificial Intelligence.
To Summarize, here are some strong reasons why your next Python project should be outsourced to a company in India.
While these are all great reasons, it's important to understand that there are also a few cases and downsides that may not necessarily be dealbreakers but it's always good to know these downsides.
Timezones: Pretty much all of India operates in the IST time (GMT +5:30). If you're from a Western country, you're bound to find it difficult to work in this time zone and this can be a bit of an issue for hands-on managers who're working on critical and time-sensitive projects. The remedy for this is to ensure that the company you're choosing is well-prepped for operating in western Timezones and it's a fairly common practice in India.
Security Concerns & Laws: The Indian Government has made tremendous progress in developing the IT Act, it hasn't evolved in a direction to accommodate modern security requirements. For instance; there's no Indian equivalent law to the GDPR of the EU, so it wouldn't be wise to expect all development companies in India to comply with these requirements.
This issue can be remedied by allowing restricted access to the codebase and databases only to the extent required for getting the job done.
Developers today make reviews and make deployments using platforms like GitHub anyway so managing this shouldn't be a problem.
While the laws may not be that stringent, the enforcement of contractual terms in India is quite disciplined so entering into agreements that ensure privacy and security concerns are taken care of is not a bad idea at all.
Get an understanding about how to develop a offshore company in India and why to opt India for offshore development
While the exact number of Python developers in the Philippines is not known, the country is home to 1.3 million IT professionals and given the popularity of Python, we can expect the number that are specialized in Python to be anywhere between 150,000 to 300,000.
There are a few advantages of choosing a Philippines-based Python service agency:
However, there are a few factors that may also dissuade you offshoring here:
Immature Industry: Unlike the IT boom in the 2000s in India, the Philippines has only recently emerged as a programming hub. Several policies and laws are in their nascent stages and the talent pool may not be as wide and broad as one may expect
Timezones: Being 2.5 hours ahead of India time (GMT +8:00), western companies may find it tricky to work with Philippines-based developers due to timezone constraints.
Labour Laws: In many aspects, especially labour laws, the Philippines has a relatively strict code that the development agency has to follow. Unlike in India where one can expect the workforce to work odd hours, expecting the same from your agency in the Philippines wouldn't be wise.
In recent times, 'nearshoring' as a concept has been on the rise in these regions where companies prefer to outsource work to companies located in Geographically or Culturally neighbouring countries.
A German SaaS company choosing to outsource work to a company in Ukraine instead of to India or an American Streaming platform looking to outsource their work to developers in Mexico is an example of nearshoring.
Western countries looking to nearshore their work will find a few aspects advantageous, namely:
Proximity: For evaluating the expertise among competing Python development firms, ensuring speed of delivery is maintained for critical projects and exploring other avenues for cost-savings etc, the proximity can be quite beneficial.
Timezone: Countries neighbouring each other more or less work within the same time zones allowing for seamless collaboration.
The drawbacks, however, are worth knowing:
Cultural Alignment: Some may erroneously assume that just because a country is located in the neighbourhood, they align culturally. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. Mexico-United States, India-Pakistan, Poland-Germany etc are all great examples.
Access to Talent Pool: While nearshoring does expand a company's options, it pales in comparison to the accessibility that offshoring allows.
Cost Effectiveness: Nearshoring may not even result in a worthwhile reduction in cost. It restricts companies from outsourcing the work to neighbouring regions which are likely to not be technical hubs or cost-effective centres in the first place.
A company may choose from any of these arrangements for their outsourcing requirement based on the scope of the project, the budget, and the level of attention a company may seek. When it comes to offshoring critical software development such as Python development, there are many different outsourcing models to choose from so here's an analysis that will help you understand which is the right one or suits your needs the most.
These are full-blown software development centres that are stacked with specialized talent across a range of software platforms, technologies, frameworks, tools and languages and these centres generally also offer allied services such as UI/UX design, digital-first marketing solutions etc
A more popular sub-set among these are offshore development companies, which are entities that are located in countries with an abundance of technical talent and a low cost of living.
They aim to reduce and seriously minimize level 2 or level 3 technical development and support
Working with a development centre is ideal if
Outsourcing development work to boutique offshore agencies, especially ones specialized in Python development is our most recommended course of action for most of our inbound enquiries.
For one, the development teams within these agencies don't operate in Silos and generally are led by a founding team of technical professionals with a plethora of deep-tech expertise.
This means that companies enjoy the dual benefit of specialised high-quality technical support as well as a high degree of attention that is simply not feasible with development centres.
Another advantage is that working with these boutique agencies is where the bulk of the cost-savings are realized since their costing will be far lower, even when compared to an offshore development centre.
The downside, however, is that many of these companies tend to not have the best certifications and team-size requirements set forth by various clients, making it a tad bit difficult to identify the worthwhile ones but this can easily be mitigated through an extensive review of the founding team's track record.
At Code-B, we pride ourselves in being a boutique agency that specializes in a range of Python applications, armed with the relevant certifications and a skilled founding team whose background can be easily verified through both references and social media.
We also understand the importance of a thorough competency, security, execution and risk review that companies require and we're always happy to assist inbound companies with these projects
We recommend working with freelancers for relatively smaller Python projects only. This would include straightforward web scraping projects, data cleaning and visualization tasks.
Even simpler bot-building and web-development tasks are something that a freelancer can manage well but finding the right talent for this can be tricky.
Upwork and Fiverr are some of the better-known platforms for hiring fixed-contract freelance Python developers but we also recommend looking up talent on People Per Hour and even LinkedIn.
Know the cost for building a application with the help of python
Regardless of whether you choose to work with a freelancer or company domestically or by way of nearshoring or offshoring, here are a few questions you should ask and clarifications you must seek before choosing to work with them.
Given the popularity of the language, it's highly likely that most agencies would carry a base level of expertise in Python, the key is to seek more information about the similarity of past projects the team has undertaken.
A track record of past development work with clientele from similar industries and solid references to back them add a lot of weightage to a competing agency's credibility
The best ones among them usually are the ones who're keen to share references and, at least a certain level of global experience is a clear mark of a capable and collaborative agency.
This holds true not just for Python, but also for other outsourced development efforts.
While we don't strongly believe that certifications are a surefire way to gauge whether you should be working with this agency for your Python requirements, they're always good to have.
Generally, agencies that work extensively on Python should also carry some of the popular certifications like AWS certified solutions architect, Microsoft Azure developer associate, Google Cloud professional developer
Vetting on grounds related to specific Python development knowledge can be tricky, especially for someone with a non-technical background.
Most agencies worth their salt should be comfortable with smaller projects that are simply meant to "test the waters" and a few web scraping tasks and database cleaning assignments should be enough to gauge the competency of the competing agency.
However, we strongly recommend non-technical folks to gauge the technical depth since that's pretty much all it boils down to!
Given the popularity of the language, it is generally easy to work with in-house developers and have them help out reviewing the agency's competency.
If not, we recommend hiring an external consultant, or at least doing a fair bit of research to ensure a smoother selection.
The future of Python development outsourcing is poised for continued growth and evolution, driven by the language's enduring popularity in diverse domains such as web development, data science, AI, and machine learning.
With an increasing global demand for Python expertise, outsourcing is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting this surge, leveraging remote collaboration tools and advanced project management platforms. As businesses embrace Python for specialized applications like blockchain development, data analytics, and DevOps practices, outsourcing firms may carve out niche services to cater to these specific needs.
The global talent pool will remain a key resource, and the industry is likely to witness a rise in security-focused Python outsourcing, aligned with agile methodologies for efficient and adaptive project deliveries. The interplay of automation, quality assurance, and the ever-expanding Python ecosystem will shape the landscape, making outsourcing a strategic choice for businesses seeking scalable and specialized Python development solutions.