http://www.4-Developers.com/articles.php 4-Developers.com is the software development resource that helps developers and development managers at all levels to improve their performance. We provides an important knowledge base for those involved in managing software development projects of all kinds. With regular updates, it keeps you in touch with the latest software development thinking. en Copyright: (c) 4-Developers.com http://www.4-Developers.com/img/logo.gif http://www.4-Developers.com/articles.php Outsourcing is the process of contracting a third party to do work on the behalf of the client that they have neither the skills or resources to perform in-house. It is usually more cost effective to contract out work than to hire someone in to complete the task in question. However, the benefits do come with some pitfalls. http://www.4-developers.com/minimising-risk-in-outsourced-projects.php The latest version of ITIL, a collection of best practices for the management of IT service processes has just been released, the first update of ITIL since 2000. http://www.4-developers.com/itil-version-3.php We've all heard how outsourcing and augmenting staff with experts is an avenue for meeting business needs where the technology, skills, knowledge, staff or time is not internally available. In theory outsourcing provides the ability to develop products and services that are not easily achieved through the organisation's existing structure, by providing operational and strategic benefit. On the surface the idea seems viable; however, depending on the type of solution and service being outsourced, these relationships may actually increase the demands on the organisation that is outsourcing its work. This article highlights six key questions you should answer before outsourcing, and eight things you should keep in mind while writing the contract. http://www.4-developers.com/empowered-outsourcing.php A combination of good keyword rich copy and well thought out meta tags can drive significant volumes of traffic to your website. http://www.4-developers.com/beginners-guide-to-creating-effective-meta-tags.php This is a discussion of the tension and its mitigation between ITIL Release Management and Application Development (projects) and enhancements from a particular real world occurrence. http://www.4-developers.com/strain-between-release-management-and-project-work.php Outsourcing software development work is riding high these days. Many companies and individuals prefer to go for software development outsourcing instead of doing it in-house. Software development work isn't an easy task as it involves a lot of planning, strategizing and testing. No software is perfect and in full functionality unless it overcomes all the tests. This is the reason why many companies going for software development outsourcing also keep a check on its testing services. http://www.4-developers.com/software-development-life-cycle.php Today many organisations have decided to move their IT development offshore to reduce costs and increase competitiveness. Work is sent to places such as India, China and Russia. The cost savings in these countries is considerable but the headline saving is only a small part of the equation. http://www.4-Developers.com/managing-it-projects-offshore.php ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library. It provides a comprehensive, consistent and coherent set of best practices focused on the management of IT service processes. http://www.4-Developers.com/what-is-itil.php ITIL is a term that is fast gaining currency around the IT world. It is often wrongly described as IT governance - in fact, on its own, it certainly isn't this. ITIL is a collection of best practices that helps companies implement an IT Service Management culture. However, its growing popularity reflects the substantial impact it can make on a company's IT and business performance and the fact that, in combination with other frameworks, it is a vital ingredient in creating true IT governance. http://www.4-Developers.com/itil-understanding-and-using-it-service-management.php How high is your Cost of Quality? The answer might surprise you. Yes, it includes reviews, the QA infrastructure, and preparing tests, those are your "Appraisal Costs". But how high are your "Failure Costs" the cost of defects? http://www.4-Developers.com/reducing-your-cost-of-quality.php People generally have a misconception that managing software development projects is hard. The reality is, if they manage certain pitfalls that are described in this article, managing software development projects becomes a cakewalk. http://www.4-Developers.com/successful-sofware-development.php The advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing software development to India. This article gives an insiders view of offshore outsourcing from within an Indian software company. http://www.4-Developers.com/outsourcing-software-development-to-india.php The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a conceptual framework based on industry best practice, used to assess the process maturity, capability and performance of software development organisations. The framework offers organisations the opportunity to identify areas for software process improvement. http://www.4-Developers.com/capability-maturity-model-overview.php A critical part of any software development project is the requirements gathering. If you are unclear about what is going to be delivered, how will you know when you get there? http://www.4-Developers.com/good-user-requirements.php The trend to offshore outsourcing is continuing at pace, with Gartner estimating that a quarter of all technology jobs will be based in low-cost countries such as India by 2008. This article looks at lessons learned from a year of offshore outsourcing. http://www.4-Developers.com/outsourcing-software-development-offshore.php