In this article you will find information about:

• Three different types of outsourcing: nearshoring, offshoring, and inshoring
• Examples of outsourcing
• Benefits of Agile software development
• Outsourcing destinations in Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania)
• Benefits of outsourcing software development to Poland
• Competences of Polish developers
• Software development cost and pricing models
• How to find a trustworthy software development company

Nearshore vs. Offshore Software Development

Both of these options spring up from a lack of technical expertise to successfully deliver on complex IT projects. Instead of dedicating precious time and resources setting up an expensive in-house team, the cheaper option is to go for a software house. This allows companies to focus on their critical mandates of product creation and customer satisfaction. Inshoring, nearshoring and offshoring are three different outsourcing terms often confused. With a sound knowledge of all of these concepts, we can choose the most viable option for our business.

What is inshoring?

Outsourcing of IT services to a software house from your country, known as inshoring, is a model of cooperation that many companies decide on. This model has many advantages, including lower prices compared to in-house services, similar working culture, no cultural gap, and thereby no communication barriers. Due to geographic proximity and working in the same time zone, there are no issues with establishing business working hours which fosters cooperation on the project. What is the trick then? Many companies located in Western European countries or Central European ones search for software development companies in their own country expecting good value for money. Unexpectedly they encounter talent shortage issues as inshore software houses are unable to provide desired competences on time. Moreover, it often turns out that prices are indeed lower than in the case of in-house software development but still, services are costly. In such a situation, it is right to search for cost-effective solutions in countries that have a large talent pool.

What is offshoring?

Most business managers have heard of the terms “nearshoring” and “offshoring” when it comes to Business Process Outsourcing and IT outsourcing, but can’t quite put their finger on what they mean. Both are options that provide access to talented software developer teams in regions outside of their own national boundaries, often at reduced costs. Take the example of a company X based in Germany looking to roll out a new software project, say an innovative payment system. The company doesn’t have its own in-house IT team, or they aren’t as specialized as the project demands. Company X tenders the contract and two IT companies, one from India and another from Poland, are finally shortlisted. How will Company X make the right choice for its business needs? In the case of choosing the Indian contractor, this example perfectly depicts offshoring. Such an approach has its benefits (e.g.lowering prices of software development), but there are some risks as well related to the cultural gap, working in different time zone and potential issues related to communication.

What is nearshoring?

In the case of choosing the Polish contractor, we have an example of nearshoring services. In the former case, the software development team is thousands of miles away, and there are vast time-zone, communication and cultural differences between the development team and business representatives. In the latter case, these differences are significantly reduced. In fact, the client team from Germany and the Polish nearshore development teams can easily integrate their operations due to the proximity of these two countries, aided by the fact that there is a smaller language, cultural and economic barrier.

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IT outsourcing in the Agile model

We believe that the software development process delivered by a professional IT outsourcing company should be undertaken in an Agile way. Agile simply means that all of the software development processes go throughout the key phases of:

• Planning,
• Designing,
• Developing,
• Testing,
• and implementation or execution.

The development process doesn’t stop at the final roll-out. Maintenance tasks are continually required as a critical part of the Agile methodology. Therefore, when choosing between inshoring, nearshoring and offshoring, make sure to consider that your final choice will influence the cost, speed and outcome of your software development.

Is nearshoring of software development the best option?

With an Agile approach, constant communication between the internal and contracted project teams is needed for the successful implementation of the IT project. Nearshore software development far supersedes offshore outsourcing in several ways. First, the distance and time-zone constraints between these two teams are significantly reduced, providing an optimal environment for Agile methodologies. In the case of Company X based in Germany and a Polish contractor, movement and integration between the two teams are streamlined.

Since these two companies operate in the same geographical area (i.e., Europe), there is a better understanding of the business operating environment, any data privacy limitations, and a significant reduction of contractual costs. Teams can work together in real-time, and there won’t be too many concerns of the process and people management. Your company can visit the contractor’s nearshore offices and get a feel of how they work and other projects that they have previously undertaken.

Software development in the CEE region

In 2023 the Central-Eastern European region has become one of the top destinations for software development. Investors are willingly outsourcing IT services to selected CEE countries.

The reasons behind this interest are following:

• Large talent pool
• Skilled developers
• Good command of English
• High-quality services (including code quality)
• Favorable prices
• Rich educational potential including Information Technology
• Wide range of outsourcing services

According to our research, there are more than 1 million developers in the CEE region, of which Poland has the biggest share, with over 400,000 qualified specialists.

How about IT outsourcing to Poland?

Poland is one of the highest-ranked outsourcing destinations in the world for software development outsourcing. According to study “Poland in the eyes of foreign investors ” conducted in March 2023 by the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Polska) even 92.7% of respondents would choose Poland as their place of business again.” This is a positive signal that puts Poland in first place in the ranking of the most popular investment locations in Europe” comments Dr. Lars Gutheil, general director of AHK Polska.

Programming language preferences include Java, Python, JavaScript, HTML and Objective C. Additionally, Poland ranks highly on popular HackerRank’s lists of the best developers in the world. If you search partners with good command of English, Poland is also the right choice as according to EF English Proficiency Index, 2022, Polish citizens demonstrate the best English language skills among the Central and Eastern Europe countries. With a Polish custom software development company, such as Inetum, companies from Europe can benefit significantly from a multi-lingual economy, ease of travel, stable economy, and an entire range of experienced project management specialists for any IT project needs.

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Emergent Poland as a software house

When it comes to software development, Poland is the new frontier. As companies all around the world are looking to get back maximum value for their investments and reduce their business costs, outsourcing software development has become one of the most viable alternatives, especially in the IT industry.

In 2022, the number of BPO, SCC/GBS IT and R&D business service centres in Poland accounts for a total number of 400,300 jobs at business services centers with over 80% of employees working in the sector.

Global conglomerates such as Capgemini, IBM, Nokia, Comarch, Atos and Credit Suisse are some of the behemoths that are moving to take advantage of this lucrative trade environment and specialized tech economy by outsourcing their IT services to Poland.

So, what exactly has cemented Poland’s position in Europe and the rest of the world when it comes to the provision of IT outsourcing centres?

Poland. The land of new opportunity

Outsourcing in Poland has grown as in leaps and bounds in the last decade, with the focus moving from only two cities, i.e., Krakow and Warsaw, to include other major cities such as:

• Katowice
• Poznań
• Rzeszow

Lower labour costs and a friendly tax regime have made Poland a top IT outsourcing destination for companies looking to outsource. The steady building of IT infrastructure makes Poland a good choice for international companies looking for reliable and highly specialized software houses.

Highly trained Polish software developers

For organizations looking for an IT outsourcing company from Poland, the prospect of scalability, reduced costs, flexibility and a highly skilled workforce is quite enticing. Over 247,800 students graduating from Polish universities each year are graduates of technical and Information Technology faculties. Besides this strong emphasis on education, Polish specialists are multilingual. Most service centres provide support for at least 5 major languages, i.e., English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Thus, Polish outsourcing companies work with most companies from all around the world without a barrier to language.

Benefits of Polish location in Europe

Poland has the optimal location in Europe with flights, for example, from Germany, France or Sweden, taking less than an hour or two. This not only makes it ideal for IT nearshoring, but the prime location of Poland means that a nearshore Polish IT outsourcing company can work hand-in-hand with your team without the worry of vast time zone differences. Furthermore, being one of the members of the European Union means Poland is conversant with GDPR data laws and various other software and trade requirements of other countries within the block.

• Read also: 5 unexpected benefits of IT nearshoring

Polish specialists ranked highly among the world’s best developers

According to HackerRank, the Polish developers are among the top three best developers in the world, specializing in the various back-end, front-end and object-oriented languages such as Java, .Net, Python, JavaScript, Objective C, C++, and Ruby. Therefore, when you are contracting a Polish IT outsourcing centre, you are tapping into a wealth of knowledge and experience for any programming need your company may face. Poland is also among top locations for outsourcing development of emerging technologies.

Poland rules in reports!

The results of international reports on the global IT market clearly show that the Polish IT industry has a reason to smile. They are also a helpful pointer for investors searching for the best places to do business in 2021 and beyond.

EF EPI: Excellent language skills

According to EF English Proficiency Index, 2022, Polish citizens demonstrate the best English language skills among the Central and Eastern Europe countries.

High Global Services Location Index (GSLI)

The Global Services Location Index consists of components as such financial attractiveness, people skills and availability, business environment and digital resonance. The 2021 Karney Global Services Raport which gives an overview of the outsourcing services landscape, ranked Poland among the top 10 most attractive locations in Europe.

Outsourcing Destination Guide: A center of emerging technologies

As the main technological trends, like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, RPA and Internet of Things, are increasing in importance, Poland is becoming an important player on the software outsourcing market. As described in the “Outsourcing Destination Guide”, skilled developers, experience and the ability to overcome crises make Polish companies the right choice for the outsourcing of software development.

What are the Costs of Software Development Outsourcing Projects?

It is fairly common knowledge nowadays that outsourcing software development to other countries such as Eastern Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Romania etc.) will decrease costs. Of course, reducing the costs of your budget by going to different countries doesn’t always produce a cost-effective method.

We are an IT Software Development Outsourcing Companywith 15+ years of experience in helping companies to grow that have a proven track record of results. However, finding a successful company such as ourselves to manage your project can be a challenge itself. Before choosing a company to outsource your software project to, you need to decide on a budget, which is a big topic.

IT outsourcing – what to avoid?

There are many case studies of companies having bad experiences with expensive software development projects. For example, if you are a company that has paid a software company a large amount of money and they simply outsource the project themselves, you would not be happy.

What you want to do is ensure that the company themselves are not outsourcing the project. The contract should state that they will solely be developing the software and not a third-party company. Alternatively, you can cut out the middleman and find the more cost-effective software development company yourself.

Outsourcing software development cost

The cost of hiring software developers in your own country can vary and may sway the decision to outsource to foreign companies. For example, in 2023 the average software developer wages depending on the destination are as follows:

• Poland – $40-$55
• Romania – $25-$45
• Bulgaria – $35-$50
• Hungary – $40-$55Czech Republic $35-$55

[Source: geniusee.com]

If you are planning to locally outsource development to these high paying cities, you must have a large budget. However, the quality of work may be the same in high paying cities to low paying cities. Central-Eastern Europe is currently the go-to place to get low-cost software developers that are highly skilled.

For example, according to Glassdoor the average wage of a software developer in Poland amounts to $6000 per month. It is possible to get a software developer for 60.71 PLN ($16,03) per hour with the same skill set as a developer from San Francisco. That would be huge cost saving on large projects.

Of course, you can find even cheaper software developers in places such as India, with the lowest prices being approximately 10$ per hour. However, the quality of software development will be nowhere near that of CEE countries or the expensive cities. Moreover, in 2020 offshoring strategy has turned out to be risky for companies, especially those relying on a single provider.

Outsourcing software development to Poland and other Eastern European countries is the most popular cost-effective method. It has seen a large growth in recent years with many good reports from countries worldwide. For example, Poland is ranked 3rd in terms of the Top 10 Countries With The Best Programmers In The World, according to the DistantJob 2022 study. 

Why outsourcing software development is cost-effective

Outsourcing can range from a few hundred to 5 figure sums, which can be a scary thought for many companies just starting off. However, the ROI (Return Of Investment) is much greater than hiring multiple software developers. The process of hiring developers and ensuring they are happy in the job along with other factors is timely and costly itself.

When you outsource IT services, you are simply paying for the time of the developers’ work and you are not committing your company to a team. There are many other software development company factors to consider but when you sit down and do the calculations, you will almost certainly achieve a profit by outsourcing.

All software development projects are different

If we stated a single figure that states the one of charge for all software projects, we would be lying. How long is a piece of string? It all differs based upon the software development size and complexity. Take your time to shop around various companies and ensure you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

At Nearshore IT, we offer a cost-effective development process with a team of experienced software developers that are ready to take on all projects.

Pricing models in outsourcing: Fixed Price vs. Time and Material

In the advent of business outsourcing, cooperation was based on a fixed pricing model. However, as time went by, companies and outsourcing vendors started shifting to a new model called time and material. And today, while both of these IT outsourcing models are used, the time and material pricing approach is often adopted more extensively.

With that said, this article takes a more in-depth look at these models of pricing, paying particular attention to their pros, cons, and suitable applications. This information will be useful, especially since many companies today want to cooperate with IT outsourcing vendors, but they are not aware of the best pricing approach to adopt. 

What are pricing models in IT outsourcing? 

These are cost-calculating strategies that IT outsourcing vendors and businesses adopt after arriving at an outsourcing agreement. Below, we take a look at two of the common models of pricing, namely: 

• Fixed price: It is a single-price agreement that sees the outsourcing vendor deliver the desired IT solutions within the accepted one-off budget. 
• Time and material: Under this approach, service seekers are billed for the product as determined by the hourly rates of labor in the vendor’s location. Businesses are billed for the hours spent on product development and the resources used. 

Pros and cons of Fixed Price and Time and Material 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Fixed Price and Time and Material? Below are tables highlighting the positives and negatives of each approach. 

When to go for Fixed Price and when to opt for Time and Material 

Now that you’ve seen the positives and disadvantages of both pricing approaches, the big question is, which is appropriate for your case? Here’s when to use either option: 

• The Fixed Price model is ideal for small IT tasks where the purview, objectives, and deadline are defined. It’s also a wise option for minimum viable products or when the expenditure is limited.  
• The Time and Material model works with agile product creation. You should choose it if you anticipate changing requirements over time or if the purview of the task is not really defined. The model goes well with long-term IT undertakings.   

Reasons companies prefer the Time and Material model 

Today, more companies are preferring Time and Material pricing over Fixed Price. The main reasons for this trend have to do with flexibility and include: 

• The model allows for involvement in the project, more so, in an IT nearshoring agreement. The client can actively manage and approve project milestones.  
• The client only pays for the work completed. That is the labor and resources used to complete each task. Thus, this model enables clients to pay in bits.  
• The model allows for adjustment of requirements along the way, including tweaking or adding your specifications.  
• The approach minimizes the chance of overpaying. You pay for work done instead of a fixed cost calculated at the beginning of the task.  

These are two major ways you can pay for your outsourced IT solution, and the good thing is that it’s upon you to select the perfect model for your company. A fixed price is good if you know everything you’ll need from the get-go and have no intention of altering your specifications. However, if you want to employ a dynamic approach, it’s advisable to go with time and material pricing. Recent events, related to pandemic, showed that nothing can be determined once and for all and circumstances can change overnight. With that said, it is wise to bet on flexibility and to adapt an agile and scalable approach. It will pay off once circumstances change again. 

Custom software development company – how to find the best?

Do research

The number of software houses is increasing. Once interested in a particular software house, familiarize yourself thoroughly with their offer, along with their development projects. Check their portfolio and read the case studies/client stories. Make sure to check how long they have been on the IT market.

Trust, but verify 

Look for opinions concerning the software house whose services you are interested in. Read testimonials from that company’s clients and familiarize with portals like Clutch, where other companies share their opinions. You will gain knowledge on outsourcing projects and find out what are outsourcing firms valued for.

Be open to communication

Feel free to reach out to the outsourcing company directly or arrange a meeting/call to ask questions. A reliable custom software development company will try to ask as many questions as possible to get to know your business goals. Ensure that the company displays a high level of expertise. Remember to familiarize yourself with their working culture and organizational structure.

IT outsourcing to Poland – summary

In conclusion, Poland has opened up itself to new investment with stability, a strong emphasis on technologies and strategies that are designed to ensure the success of your business regardless of its location. With talented specialists and a focus on best practices, companies such as Inetum will help your business achieve unparalleled growth and success.

Are you searching for a software house? Do you work on web development or application development project? Do you expect high level of expertise in digital product development? Get in touch for a FREE quotation and discussion of your proposed project.

Read more: 7 phases of the IT outsourcing process

Currently, there are no separate regulations for the software development sector in Ukraine. This is in line with global practice. The lack of separate regulatory rules for the industry has a positive effect on its development and competitiveness on the IT market.

IT companies operate within Ukraine’s general legal system: they apply the requirements specified in the relevant regulations (tax, customs, currency, etc.) to separate business processes. Human capital is one of the main factors in the development of the software development industry. As such, progress depends on the availability of qualified specialists and their terms of cooperation.

The decisive factors for the IT industry in Ukraine are:

• taxes on IT professionals’ remuneration;
• legal residency and employment of foreigners;
• the number of university graduates and the quality of their technical skills.

Software development in Ukraine

According to the newest reports, in 2021 the IT services market in Ukraine grew by 20%. 23,000 students graduate from technical universities each year and today there are 200,000 IT specialists on the market. Ukraine ranks 44th in the EF English Proficiency Index, which evaluates English language skills. Depending on the sources, there are currently 3000 to 5000 IT companies operating in Ukraine, and tech giants such as Samsung, Google and Siemens invest here. According to the SkillValue 2020 Report, which assesses the competences of programmers, Ukraine is ranked 4th in Europe.

Remuneration in the IT industry in Ukraine

Salaries in the custom software development services account for about 80% of a company’s expenses (due to the high level of salaries). In traditional sectors of the economy, workers’ salaries do not tend to exceed 10% of expenditure. This is why taxes are a key factor for the IT industry, certainly when compared to most sectors of the economy.

Currently, most software engineers in Ukraine cooperate with companies as single-person enterprises on a contract basis. Most such people are included in the third group of the simplified taxation system.

A simplified tax system for such sole proprietorships has been operating in Ukraine since 1998 with the aim of developing small businesses. Such a system not only reduces the tax burden, but also greatly facilitates the accounting process. However, there are also certain limitations (a list of types of activity allowed, number of employees, maximum income). There are four such groups. The first two are mainly related to retail, small producers and restaurants. The 4th group is for agricultural enterprises. The 3rd group has a larger list of activities and a limit of USD 251 660,52 (UAH 7 million) per year when it comes to turnover.

Polish market vs Ukrainian market – legal regulations

In the table below you can see the taxes levied on the 3rd group. Such entrepreneurs pay a unified tax to the local budget and a unified social security tax (to the account of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine).

An alternative model is hiring regular employees, for which the applicable tax rates are as follows:

It should be noted that the income tax and military service exemption tax are deducted from the employee’s remuneration, and while the unified tax for compulsory state social insurance is added to remuneration and paid by the employer. The single application system for social insurance has been operating in Ukraine since 2011 (previously there were four separate funds). On this occasion, it is worth mentioning that Ukrainian programmers often find it surprising that the tax system in other countries, e.g. in Poland, operates differently. It often turns out that they negotiate gross rates when migrating to this country, assuming that the tax system works similarly to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s IT sector is export-oriented, and Ukrainian companies compete on the global market. The model of cooperation with developers based on sole proprietorships is Ukraine’s main advantage, providing an opportunity to compete on the international market and allowing for the rapid development of the Ukrainian IT industry.

Elevate Your Application Development

Our tailored Application Development services meet your unique business needs. Consult with Marek Czachorowski, Head of Data and AI Solutions, for expert guidance.

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Prospective changes to the law in Ukraine

For some time now, work has been underway to launch a legal platform for IT companies, the so-called “Diia City”. If a software development company meets certain criteria, then in the case of employment contracts, the taxes will be the same as in the case of sole proprietorships, with a guarantee that this framework will apply for at least 15 years.

Currently, in Ukraine, the dominant form of employment in the IT industry is sole proprietorships. The abovementioned Diia City project, a legal platform for IT business, aims to create conditions that will encourage IT companies to hire employees based on employment contracts and provide platform users with legal protection (such as intellectual property protection, or copyright protection).

Entrepreneurs operating in the IT industry (legal entities) employing at least nine people are eligible to join the Diia City project, and the average salary of an employee after conversion according to the official UAH exchange rate may not be lower than USD 1400. Users of the Diia City platform would be obliged to pay 5% income tax for employees and 5% social security contributions (the standard rates are 18% and 22% respectively).

Main challenges

Instability of the sole proprietorship model

It should be noted that there is always uncertainty as to the long-term stability of the sole proprietorship model (because officials may prohibit IT companies from using this model) – there is always uncertainty as to how long it will last. Companies often avoid hiring people on employment contracts so as to reduce taxes, which has a negative impact on the industry.

Tax relief

In order to speed up the development of the IT industry in Ukraine, the government should provide a guarantee that companies will be able to use the sole proprietorship model of cooperation for a fixed period; and / or significantly reduce the general tax burden on wages for highly skilled workers employed in accordance with general principles.

Software development in Poland

WHY POLAND

Outsourcing software development to Poland

Why do global companies outsource software development to Poland? Here are some of the most important factors:

• Skilled software developers
• Remarkable English proficiency among Polish software developers
• Affordable hiring prices
• Good quality digital solutions
• Many industry centers attract foreign clients and foreign investors
• The rapid growth of the Polish economy
• Services provided for various industries with the use of various technologies
• Good nearshoring cooperation with many countries from Western Europe

Why Poland

Why to outsource software development to Poland

• Skilled programmers
• Remarkable English proficiency among Polish developers
• Low hiring prices

Read the text to find out more!

Polish software developers

There are over 250,000 IT specialists on the market, and the IT sector in Poland employs one-third of all employees in the modern business services sector. Polish software developers are ranked 2nd in the SkillValue Report ranking of programming competencies, while in terms of language skills, according to the EF English Proficiency Index, Poland is ranked highly, in 16th place.

Poland: forms of employment and income tax for IT employees in Poland

Programmers are an important group of professionals in the technology sector in Poland, and the geographical dispersion of the most important service centers fosters access to specialist competences. Forms of employment in the IT industry:

B2B contracts

This form of running one’s own business enables Polish programmers to cooperate with several software development companies simultaneously as an independent entrepreneur. Taxes depend on the function performed – 17-32% for people in managerial positions. In Poland, entrepreneurs who run so-called sole proprietorships have freedom of choice and can use the general principles [17% of an amount up to USD 22 542,96 USD (PLN 85,528) and 32% above this amount] or a 19% flat-rate tax, lump-sum tax and a fixed amount tax.

Employment contract

A frequently used and stable form of employment in the IT sector. According to available data, however, wages in this model are 25-30% lower on average than in the case of B2B cooperation. Such cooperation is taxed at 17-32%, but it is widely accepted that high social security contributions are a significant disadvantage to this form of cooperation. It is also possible to employ an employee aged over 26 on the basis of an employment contract with the salary divided into the basic salary and a royalty payment. This translates into a higher net salary.

Body leasing

A flexible form of employment that allows companies to hire IT specialists for a specific period of time (e.g. for the duration of the project). This way such employees can themselves often decide what type of contract they sign with a company that provides IT outsourcing services.

Read more: Custom software development – Poland

Changes to the law in Poland in 2022

The changes, known as the “New Deal ” came into force at the beginning of 2022. The concept is to relieve less well-off transferring the burden to richer ones. The main changes proposed include: termination or reduction of the deductibility of health insurance contributions or part thereof from PIT; in the case of sole traders, the health insurance contribution would be proportional to their income. The ‘New Deal’ also envisages increasing the amount exempt from PIT to USD 7 907,22 (PLN 30,000) per year and raising the 32-percent tax threshold from USD 22 403,80 to USD 31 628,89 (PLN 85,000 to PLN 120,000).

According to Polish Central Statistical Office data, in 2020 the number of sole proprietorships grew at an unprecedented rate.  According to economists, this may be due to the pandemic (the uncertainty associated with regular employment contracts, or the need to diversify sources of income). We do not know the full details of the proposed Act yet, but it seems that the changes will affect sole proprietorships, who would pay health insurance premiums in proportion to their income.

Main challenges

A greater number of IT graduates

There is an IT competency gap throughout the European Union, including in Poland, albeit at a level below the European average. In order to respond to the growing market demand, Polish technical universities should turn out 10% more graduates than is currently the case.

Investments in digital transformation and supporting business in the IT industry

In the era of digital transformation, there is a need for greater government support for the development of Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence solutions, as well as the e-state (at the local and national level), in order to guarantee greater innovation.

IT industry in Poland and Ukraine – summary

To sum up, the similarity between forms of employment in Ukraine and Poland is that B2B and sole proprietorships are favorable in terms of the amount of remuneration. On the other hand, there is always a risk related to potential changes in the B2B or sole proprietorship model. In Ukraine, income tax is the same for all categories of employees, although people with higher incomes have the option of paying a lower unified tax for social insurance (maximum 22% of 15 minimum monthly salaries). In Poland, people with higher incomes pay more income tax. Changes in regulations are frequent, which is a challenge and requires entrepreneurs to adapt. In both countries, the possibility of different interpretations of the regulations sometimes allows them to exist in one form or another. In my opinion, both Ukraine and Poland need to create a system for employing IT workers under certain conditions. This would reduce the discrepancy between employment contracts and the B2B and sole proprietorship model, reducing the tax burden.

Where is the focus? 4 main trends in IT outsourcing services in 2020

The year 2020 began with budget freezes for project implementation and considerable uncertainty. It has also caused many companies to redefine their development strategy when it comes to implementing innovative solutions, and the digital transformation has gained pace. As an outsourcing partner, based on our observations and clients’ inquiries, we present 4 areas that we predict will be the key to digital transformation.

CLIENT STORY

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Cloud services – during the pandemic, entrepreneurs were not afraid to dip into their pockets and invest in cloud services. According to PWC data, expenditure on the cloud in the first quarter of 2020 increased by 37%. This forced entrepreneurs to consider whether their structures contained specialists with competences enabling migration to the cloud, as well as whether the structure itself is prepared for challenges, risks and changes in this area. IT consulting and outsourcing are one of the recommended strategies in the transition process.

Tools for remote work – the first quarter of 2020 brought with it the growing importance of tools for remote communication. In March, videoconferencing tools were downloaded 62 million times, and the subsequent daily installation records were broken by applications for remote work such as Microsoft Teams. Distributed teams use these tools in their daily work, and with their growing popularity, the demand for specialists such as Unified Communication Specialists or Teams Administrators has increased. According to many forecasts, companies will also maintain the remote work model or a hybrid model after the pandemic, so it is worth considering this aspect while planning the budget for 2021.

Reporting tools – the specter of the crisis and the need for savings have forced an increasing number of companies to look for business data analysis tools. Strategic decisions are more often based on hard data, and their analysis is becoming easier and more intuitive thanks to Self-Service solutions such as Microsoft Power BI. Microsoft’s tool has been a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for years, and 2020 has only strengthened its position as a leader.

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Outsourcing companies and the speeding train of transformation

The coronavirus pandemic has turned digital transformation into a speeding train. In this context, outsourcing companies are like a locomotive that helps it to stay on track and move in the right direction. Polish technology companies have shone in the rankings for years now, attracting entrepreneurs from all over the world, including in times of crisis. Extensive access to specialists, high-level programming competences and flexibility mean that Polish outsourcing companies are able to emerge unharmed in the depths of the crisis. What distinguishes IT outsourcing services in Poland from other countries?

Cooperation based on partnerships

Foreign companies are willing to invest in Poland. According to the latest ABSL Business Services Sector in Poland report for 2020, foreign capital allows for the creation of 82% of jobs in almost 1000 centers established by investors from over 40 countries. Polish IT companies place strong emphasis on openness and cooperation and specialize in the implementation of projects in the nearshoring model. The main strength of Polish software houses is the focus on cooperation in a partnership model, striving for good relations with their neighbors; thanks to geographic proximity and a similar organizational culture, they can easily take on projects that would be difficult to implement in the offshoring model in China or India.

Remote project implementation

Working from home is one of the most common benefits in IT. In Poland, remote job offers appear regularly in the most popular technologies and programming languages, such as JavaScript – 34.3% of offers, Java – 16.8%, Angular – 15.1%, React – 13.9% or PHP – 9.6%. The IT industry is well-prepared for the implementation of projects from anywhere, for any client, regardless of whether it is FinTech, HealthTech, Industry 4.0, Biotech, Telecom or IT consulting. As a result, the pandemic had minimal impact on their operations, and dispersed teams continued to implement the digital strategy efficiently.

Agile software development

An increasing number of companies recognize the advantages of Agile software development, such as better team efficiency, faster project implementation and more efficient communication. At JCommerce, for example, we say that “we were agile before we knew there was a name for it”. In the era of organizational changes, Polish companies eagerly opt for the self-management model, rather than using the cascade model, which complements an approach based on cooperation and a willingness to face challenges together.

Modern service models

Thanks to their inherent flexibility, Polish companies can adapt their offer to the current needs; they do not stick rigidly to the rules but try to find the optimal solutions. In 2020, the Build-Operate-Transfer model turned out to be a hit, as it allows companies to set up a subsidiary in a chosen location with the help of a local partner. It is very important in times when visiting a given country in person is not always possible.

Reasonable price for competitive quality

Many outsourcing companies’ clients admit that the price of IT services is one of the main factors that makes them decide to entrust the implementation of their projects to an external company. Polish IT specialists offer a high quality of IT services at a competitive rate. For example, software engineers’ rates range from $2224, and those of a mid-level Java developer from $2295. According to the SkillValues 2019 Report, Polish developers are among the best in the world, and they are ranked 3rd in terms of their competences.

Extensive supply base of specialists

Poland has a rich base of 255,000 IT specialists who work using the most popular programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript or Python. However, Poland is increasingly often referred to in the context of niche IT competences, such as cloud services or DevOps. According to the Gartner report, Poland has the chance to become a leader in cloud services, and thanks to carrying out a number of international projects in niche technologies, there are many specialists on the Polish market that are hard to find in other locations, such as Cloud Services Engineers, DevOps or Cloud Solutions Architects. Thanks to interesting foreign projects and an extensive tertiary education system, Poland is an excellent place for the development of technological competences. Polish specialists eagerly take advantage of opportunities for development and work using the latest technologies for clients from all over the world.

Summary

In the dynamic situation associated with the need for digital changes, IT outsourcing has become an important element of strategy. Thanks to their extensive background and experience in agile and remote project implementation, Polish technology companies are an important partner for companies in Europe.

Why Rzeszow?

The city of Rzeszow is located in the Podkarpackie region, a stone’s throw from the borders with Slovakia and Ukraine (90 km, to be precise). This convenient geographical location creates a wide variety of additional possibilities in terms of international cross-cooperation. The capital of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship is also home to numerous automotive, aviation and technological projects, hence the city’s official slogan “Rzeszow – the capital of innovation”. For years now, the development of the IT industry has also been accelerating, which has resulted in the rapid growth of R&D and information technology projects and investments.

Education and business potential

Rzeszow is an important Polish academic center. Students are educated at two public universities and four private institutions, the main ones being Rzeszow University, Rzeszow University of Technology and the University of Information Technology and Management.

Graduates have an opportunity to spread their wings in a number of enterprises, including but not limited to those operating in the aviation sector, which the city is strongly associated with. In 2019, according to the Pro Progressio Foundation “Focus on Rzeszow” report, there were 1425 people studying philology (foreign languages), 4483 students of administration, business and law, and 2467 enrolled in faculties related to IT and ICT fields. Thanks to such a ready-made base of graduates, an IT investor can rest assured that they will find highly-skilled people to join their projects.

NEARSHORING

When it is worth considering nearshore services in software development? 

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Major investments and initiatives

The city has made efforts to facilitate investments and attract technological investors, which is why Rzeszow boasts a wide range of technological clusters, economic zones and R&D centers. This has turned the south-eastern part of Poland into a major destination for technological projects in the aviation industry. Aviation Valley is the great pride of the city; however, the IT sector is also becoming increasingly important. According to the ABSL report, Rzeszow is an important destination for Tier 3 services. The report also ranks Rzeszow 3^rd in terms of the highest number of jobs created between Q1 2018 and Q1 2019 in Tier 3 and Tier 4 business services. Also, Rzeszow is an affordable destination, both in terms of offices and the labor market.

Some of the companies that have decided to invest in Rzeszów are Comarch, PwC and JCommerce.

• The total number of business entities equals 28,788
• 91,000 sq.m. of total existing A/B+ Class office space, and another 10,800 under construction
• A number of economic zones are located here: Special Economic Zone EURO-PARK Mielec, Tarnobrzeg Special Economic Zone EURO-PARK WISŁOSAN, Krakowska Special Economic Zone
• Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego S.A.
• Multiple technological clusters (e.g. Aviation Valley, IT Cluster, Eastern Automotive Alliance, Eastern Founding Cluster KOM CAST, Life Quality Cluster)

Important facts about Rzeszow:

• Convenient location near Krakow (168 km) and Warsaw; historically it has always been an important point on the Krakow – Lviv trade route
• Rzeszow Jasionka airport (6 km from the city center) offers both domestic and direct international flights
• Rzeszow is considered a good place to live thanks to the wide range of cultural facilities on offer, e.g. one of the richest ethnographic collections in Poland and green areas (close proximity to the Bieszczady mountains)

JCommerce’s office in Rzeszow

Our office in Rzeszow was set up in 2014 to address market demand for skilled Java, PHP programmers and ERP specialists. Our major clients in Rzeszow are Conhpol and Medim, for whom we deliver ERP services. We have strong competences in Java and our developers actively support the programming community by attending and organizing meetups (e.g. our internal initiative BiteIT) and conferences.

Summary – why invest in Rzeszow?

When searching for a destination for an IT project, thinking outside the box and taking a closer look at new destinations may be the key factor. Rzeszow’s importance as a destination for IT projects has increased in recent years and now the Capital of Innovation is an important player, attracting skilled Java developers and ERP specialists.

Furthermore, companies perceive the educational and business potential of the city. Should you need to find out more about Rzeszow as a destination for IT nearshoring services, reach out to us and let’s talk about opportunities for your project.

Sources

• Pro Progressio, “Focus on Rzeszow” report
• Business Services Sector in Poland 2019, ABSL report
• https://www.paih.gov.pl/polish_regions/voivodships/podkarpackie

Why Warsaw?

Warsaw is one of the biggest locations of IT services, attracting new investments and fostering business development. For many years now, Warsaw has been aiming to bring the concept of the smart city to life. The capital of Poland follows its digital strategy by fulfilling the Smart City Plan: raising awareness of smart and environmental-friendly solutions, building an environmentally aware community, fostering new business models, and at the same time attracting global investments.

The city is well-known for its extensive conference facilities and hotel infrastructure, including Global Expo, Expo XXI, and the most famous building: the Warsaw Palace of Culture. In terms of the quality of transportation, in 2019 Warsaw was considered the best location to do business in, according to the ABSL Business Services Sector in Poland Report.

The capital of Poland has also won multiple awards and was ranked the 3^rd most business-friendly city in the world in the “European cities and regions of the future 2018/19” contest, and came 1st in the 2019/20 edition of the “Polish cities of the future” rakings. Not without reason is Warsaw – with 238 centers (in 2019) – a leader in terms of the number of IT, BPO, SCC and R&D centers in Poland.

Why Poland

Why to outsource software development to Poland

• Skilled programmers
• Remarkable English proficiency among Polish developers
• Low hiring prices

Read the text to find out more!

Global tycoons invest in Warsaw

Microsoft

In May 2020, Microsoft announced a huge investment of $1 billion in Poland, aiming to build a technological hub for the entire Eastern Europe region. In doing so, in cooperation with a domestic public cloud provider, Microsoft aims to build a “Polish Digital Valley”, envisioned as a digital hub for cloud data processing.

Google

The Google Campus is a dedicated space for startups, where entrepreneurs can exchange their ideas and knowledge, taking advantage of co-working areas and several events. By setting up campuses throughout Europe, Google aims to support entrepreneurs who are just beginning to spread their wings. The Polish hub on Konesera St in Warsaw is a place where tradition meets innovation – and not simply in name only. 

Facebook

When it comes to global tycoons investing in Warsaw, another example is Facebook, which opened its European headquarters here in 2012. The office is dedicated to Central and Eastern Europe, which had previously been served by Facebook’s European headquarters in Dublin. 

Education and business potential

Warsaw has huge academic potential: there are 15 public universities and 55 private ones, of which the most renowned are the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology and Warsaw School of Economics. The city is also a good supply base of skilled specialists. There are 10,208 people studying foreign languages, 62,413 students of administration, business and law and 17,558 students of engineering and technical faculties. It is worth bearing in mind that Warsaw attracts IT talents from other Polish cities and from abroad. The vast majority of Warsaw’s citizens are university graduates and 40% of them speak English. When it comes to business potential, there are 200,000 enterprise entities in the capital of Poland, mostly Shared Services Centers (46%) and IT centers (27%). Some of the companies that have decided to invest in Warsaw are:

• Huawei
• Johnson & Johnson
• Oerlikon Business Services Europe
• Sage
• EY

Important facts about Warsaw

• The capital is well-connected to other Polish cities, such as Lodz and Silesian Region (290 km, about 3 hours by train).  
• There is a vast amount of modern office space available: 5,589,400 sq.m. of total existing A/B Class office space, and 766,600 sq.m. under construction.
• 2 airports, Chopin and Modlin Airport, offer a wide range of domestic and international flights.
• There are a number of hubs and institutions that support entrepreneurship: the Google Campus, the Smolna Center of Entrepreneurship, the Targowa Center of Creativity, Startup Hub Warsaw, and The City of Warsaw – Economic Development Department.
• Warsaw offers almost 600 km of bicycle routes and 20,000 hectares of green areas and parks, including Lazienki Krolewskie historical park and Saski Garden, the oldest in Warsaw.
  
  
  

  PROJECT MANAGEMENT

    How to work effectively with Agile nearshore teams? Get to know the benefits of Agile Nearshore Software development Read the text to find out more!
  
  

Inetum’s office in Warsaw

JCommerce’s office in the capital of Poland was set up in 2012. It is characterized by a unique atmosphere created by 40 of our employees who specialize in software development and Quality Assurance.

Most importantly, Warsaw is our center of IT services in:

• Business Intelligence (Qlik and Microsoft Power BI solutions),
• Enterprise Resource Planning (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central),
• Microsoft Azure.

Our major clients in Warsaw are: Roche, Konica Minolta, Apator, Getin Bank, CORE and Bystronic.

Summary

Warsaw is the right choice for companies which appreciate the maturity of the market and are looking for a suitable location for their IT projects which ensures access to highly qualified specialists who speak foreign languages. During the pandemic, many companies started to search for cloud solutions and destinations to outsource Business Intelligence and ERP implementations. Over the years, Warsaw has proven to be the right destination for these IT services.

Sources:

• Business and investments in Warsaw
• Focus on Warsaw, Pro Progressio report
• Business Services Sector in Poland 2019, ABSL report

Poznan is considered one of the most rapidly developing destinations for the Business Services sector in Poland thanks to attractive office space, numerous enterprise initiatives and its very good hotel and conference infrastructure. Investors also appreciate its convenient location near Warsaw (308 km) and Wroclaw (167 km) or Berlin, reachable by car or train within 3 hours. Poznan mostly attracts clients from the IT sector, and in 2020 was a deserving recipient of the“Outsourcing Stars” title in the ‘cities’ category of the 6^th year in the row. What is behind this success?

Education and business potential

CLIENT STORY

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Find out how JCommerce's specialists supported the project. Read the client's story!

Poznan has huge academic potential which ensures access to well-qualified staff. There are 112,000 students studying at universities in Poznan. The most renowned universities there are Poznan University of Technology, the University of Economics and Adam Mickiewicz University. According to data from GUS reports, Poznan is also an important academic base for students developing their foreign languages skills (8600 people) as well as students of administration, business and law (21,000) and fields of study related to IT, ICT, engineering and technology (over 20,000 in total).

Major investments and initiatives

Poznan is gaining in importance among Polish cities when it comes to attracting IT investments due to its business infrastructure, wide range of available modern office space and initiatives fostering cooperation with international clients. Its aim is to attract investors developing strategic sectors, such as R&D and production using advanced technological solutions. Some of the companies which have decided to invest here are TomTom, Allegro, Unilever, Roche, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Group Services, Bridgestone, Wrigley, and GlaxoSmithKline.

Important initiatives and events include:

• The Poznan International Fair – a place where major fairs in Poland and Central-Eastern Europe are organized. In addition, MTP Group also organizes a number of conferences, cultural and sports events.
• The Investor Relations Department of the City of Poznan offers comprehensive services for potential investors in the city.
• Technological parks and hubs, including Poznan Science and Technology Park, Poznan Technology and Industry Park and Malta Office Park.
• BSS Forum and BPO/SSC Week.
• The #pozitivetechnologies conference.
• Poznan Entrepreneurship Days.

Important facts about Poznan

• According to the latest report prepared by the Pro Progressio Foundation, the total number of existing A/B+ Class office space equals 555,000 sq m, with a further 50,000 sq m under construction and 170,000 sq m planned.
• 175 km of bicycle routes for cycling enthusiasts.
• Widely recognized as one of the greenest Polish cities.
• Poznan-Lawica Airport offers regular domestic and international flights to major European cities; the airport is located near the city center and is reachable within 15 min by car from Poznan’s Main Station.

JCommerce’s office in Poznan

Our office in Poznan was set up in 2014 as a result of growing demand for IT specialists on the local market. We started with Java developers, but as the office developed, we extended our range of services to include software development services in PHP programming language as well as Business Intelligence and Quality Assurance services.

Developers in Poznan carry out projects, among others, for Roche and Boozt or one of the biggest technological companies from the e-commerce industry which goes to show that Poznan is one of the most important destinations for IT projects. Our working space in Poznan is characterized by a home-like atmosphere, and JCommerce’s employees here are characterized by their professionalism and thoroughness, at the same time creating a friendly and cheerful atmosphere in the office.

Summary

International investors see the potential of Polish cities, and Poznan – thanks to its convenient location, academic potential and rapidly developing business infrastructure – is becoming an important alternative to other Polish cities.  Apart from the business side of things, Poznan and its surroundings are a good place to live. The city offers a wide range of activities, cultural events and places to relax. It is worth considering Poznan if you are developing an e-commerce project and are looking for software development companies in Poland with vast project expertise in that field.

Sources:

• https://raporty.proprogressio.pl/
•  https://www.poznan.pl/mim/inwestycje/en/

Krakow is a place where history meets modernity. On the one hand, it is rich in cultural and architectural terms and has an enchanting history, featuring Wawel Castle, Krakow Old Town with its Market Square, St Mary’s Church, Florianska Street, Grodzka Street and many more. Whenever visiting Krakow, you may find a melting pot of languages due to the number of foreign visitors and tourists.

On the other hand, Krakow is often called the technological center of Poland. Rich office infrastructure, foreign investments, technological incubators and hubs, and new startups make Krakow a perfect example of a place where the past meets the present. Companies that decide to locate their business in Krakow will benefit not only from the rich cultural infrastructure, but also from access to academic potential and the sheer number of office facilities available for IT projects.

Read also: Why it is worthwhile outsourcing IT services to Poland

The city of IT centers

The local BSS centers employ almost a quarter of all employees in the sector on the Polish market. Krakow is one of the major destinations for Tier1 services and the 2^nd largest destination in Poland for investments, according to ABSL report. The report emphasizes that many of these are reinvestment projects. In 2020 there were 234 centers in Krakow and 9 new investments (ATFX, Billennium, Equiniti, GFT, Havi, JIVR, Oanda, and PepsiCo).

BSS has a significant influence on the Polish labor market and the number of jobs generated by this sector in Krakow is the largest in Poland. This is also where JCommerce’s story began in 2005 and where we developed our first application: JFitnessOne. Nowadays our office in Krakow is an important point on the map of our services, and here we provide support of Java, PHP, QA, .NET and PLC developers, as well as support for ERP and Business Intelligence specialists. Some of our clients here are Roche, CORE, Aras and Solita.

Major business investments and initiatives

• Krakow Technology Park (KTP)
• Service hub for investors Business in Malopolska Centre

2nd major Polish city for IT specialists

The area of Katowice and Krakow is well-connected thanks to highway and buses from one city to another every 15 minutes. Over time, people in Poland have started to use term “Krakowice” as so many employees commute from Katowice to Krakow and vice versa.

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

Discover the city of Katowice! Find out more!

Academic potential of the city

Krakow is a huge academic base, especially of technical and IT specialists. There are 30 universities, of which the most recognizable are:

• Jagiellonian University,
• AGH University of Science and Technology,
• Krakow University of Technology
• Krakow University of Economics.

There are almost 12,000 people studying philology and foreign languages and another over 12,000 studying IT and ICT. Most impressive is the number of engineering and technology students: 26,000.

When assessing location attractiveness, the number of skilled workers is a decisive factor for investors and they indicate Krakow as the number one in this area. 

Important facts

• 2^nd highest growth of regional GDP in 2014-2018
• 6^th place in the FDI Intelligence ranking ‘European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/2019’ by FEmployment in IT sector equals to 39% and in SSC – 34%,
• Advantageous business infrastructure – over 1 350 000 sq m of existing A/B+ class office space and over 214 600 sq m under construction,
• There are about 77,700 people working in the IT sector in Krakow,
• 26,400 jobs created in the city since 2016,
• The city has access to international airports in Krakow-Balice (25 min) and Katowice (45 min).

Summary

Krakow and the region of Lesser Poland have been a favorable location for investments for many years and  its position gets stronger every year. The city is home to startups, IT centers and entrepreneurs, and its multicultural atmosphere as well as modern infrastructure make it a perfect destination for IT nearshoring projects.

Sources:

• https://www.paih.gov.pl/investment_support/sez/krakow
• ABSL Business Services Sector in Poland 2020
• Pro Progressio Report: Focus on Krakow
• https://businessinmalopolska.pl/files/Doing_Business_in_Malopolska_Guidebook_for_investors.pdf

Katowice is the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship and the main city of the Silesian Metropolis, and the sixth-fastest developing city worldwide. The region of Silesia is widely known for its industrial past; however, nowadays the agglomeration is developing rapidly, creating a friendly environment for both Polish and international IT investment. The city is looking boldly to the future, attracting BPO, Shared Services Centers and software development investors thanks to its modern business infrastructure.

Major business investments:

• The International Congress Centre.
•  Silesia Business Park.
• .KTW offices.

Should you wish to develop an IT project, be sure to include Katowice in your plans. According to recent reports, Katowice is one of the most popular cities for Information Technology projects, and IT is becoming an area of expertise for the city of Katowice.

EXPERT KNOWLEDGE

Do you plan to set up your office abroad?

Discover benefits of Build-Operate-Transfer model! Read the text to find out more!

A city of IT talents

By setting up your project in Katowice, you will gain access to talented graduates and IT specialists from renowned universities, such as the Silesian University of Technology, the University of Silesia or the University of Economics. There are almost 12,000 engineering & technology students in Katowice, 8000 IT / ICT students, and more than 7000 people studying philology and foreign languages.

All this ensures investors access to experts with an excellent command of languages. Currently, there are almost 24,000 people employed in over 102 Business Services Centers (including BPO, SCC, IT and R&D centers).

Not without reason is Katowice chosen by global companies which appreciate access to high-class specialists and IT talents. Among the enterprises that have decided on Katowice are e.g. Fujitsu, IBM, Groupon, PwC, Deloitte, Rockwell Automation and Honeywell.

Katowice – important facts:

• 1st place in the fDi ranking of Polish Cities of the Future 2019/2020 (fDi Strategy category)
• The 6^th fastest developing city in the world, according to the EMEA Tech Cities report
• 102 Business Services Centers
• 54 IT Centers
• Katowice rated ‘Good’ (A-) by Fitch
• 2 international airports: Pyrzowice (40 min by car) and Krakow (45 min)
• 51% of the 23,000 people working in the Business Services Sector are employed in IT

The City of Gardens

The city of Katowice is known as “the City of Gardens”. You may be surprised by the fact that almost 40% of this industrial region is made up of forests. Should you decide to set up your development center in Katowice, your employees will benefit from multiple green zones in the city, including Silesia Park, the biggest park in Europe – even bigger than Central Park in New York and Hyde Park in London.

Some important green activities include:

• the Green Civic Budget for 2020 amounting to 5,000,000 PLN.
• anti-smog activities (including free public transport for motorists).
• the construction of urban apiaries to stop the mass extinction of honey bees.

Katowice – summary

It is not only the expertise of your direct business partner that determines the success of your project. When starting cooperation with a particular IT company, it is worth ensuring that it operates in a friendly business environment that creates space for further development. The city of Katowice has proven over the years that it understands the requirements and needs of international investors.

Read also: Why is it worthwhile outsourcing software development to Poland?

Sources:

https://raporty.proprogressio.pl/ (“Focus on Katowice”, 2020)

https://absl.pl/en/publications  (“Business Services Sector in Poland”, 2020)

On 17-18 October 2013, the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK) in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce of Upper Bavaria (IHK) invited the Polish IT companies to a bilateral meeting with representatives of IT industry from Bavaria.

High quality in software development

The aim of the meeting was to introduce opportunities of cooperation to Polish software companies, explore the potential of this market and establish contacts that may someday turn into a business partnership.

Each time whether it was during the tour around the Smart Mobile Labs (innovative mobile applications laboratory in Munich), an BMW plant or directly during conversation with companies such as REC Global, I realized how much we contributed, we Polish people, to the IT culture of the European market, in this particular case in Germany.

During the second day in the capital of Bavaria the brief presentations of Polish IT representatives, also JCommerce, took place.  I had a “five-minute” exposé to present the range of services and expertise of JCommerce (I mentioned the expansion of nearshoring, development of our Microsoft, .NET, JAVA, and Business Intelligence departments, methodologies of design: Agile, Scrum, and partnership with companies such as QlikTech and Microsoft). Of course, I did not neglect to mention the important value, which is the result of the work of our local IT professionals, that is the Quality of software development! I was surprised, when the moderator of the conference said after my presentation: “Here in Germany, we are convinced of the high quality of Polish IT services. Here, You are well-known for that, and you do not have to prove anything to Europe … “

Finally I want to say few words. If we are witnessing the changing the generational stereotype of “Polish drunk and thief” to “Polish IT specialists  and Polish software quality” it means that we have reached the point where we have a national treasure of which we are known and respected in the world and certainly at our neighbour’s (which has been shown even this year by CeBIT and the Polish role in the project).