Hire Offshore Mobile Development To Build Next-level Apps

The global mobile application market was valued at USD 252.89 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.3% from 2024 to 2030. Most popular applications span across diverse sectors such as gaming, health and fitness, music and entertainment, social networking, retail, e-commerce, and more.

As the global mobile application market continues to expand, many companies find themselves lacking in-house expertise or facing the high costs associated with maintaining a dedicated app development team. Outsourcing to an offshore mobile development team, such as those in Vietnam, offers a cost-effective solution without compromising on quality. By leveraging offshore talent, companies can bring high-quality apps to market while staying within a limited budget.

This blog delves into how outsourcing to offshore mobile development teams can accelerate your mobile app development. We also address potential challenges like communication barriers, offering solutions to overcome them. Finally, we highlight steps to work with leading offshore mobile app development companies in Vietnam so that you’ll enjoy a stress-free partnership with offshore mobile developers. 

1. What is offshore mobile app development?

Offshore mobile app development is outsourcing mobile app projects to a development team in another country, typically far from the client’s location. Unlike onshore development, where the team is in the same country, or nearshore development, where the team is in a nearby country, offshore development often involves working with teams across different time zones (eg. 12 hours away between US teams and Vietnam offshore teams).

For example, a company in Singapore might choose to outsource its mobile app development project to a team in Vietnam. Vietnam is known for its strong tech talent and cost-effective services. By partnering with Vietnamese developers, the Singaporean company can benefit from lower development costs while still receiving a high-quality product.

Services that can be outsourced include app design, backend development, frontend development, quality assurance (QA), and ongoing maintenance and support. This type of collaboration also allows businesses to focus on their core activities, leaving the technical development to experts in the offshore location. If you’re looking to expand your mobile app development team without overspending, hiring offshore can be particularly effective.

2. Benefits of hiring an offshore mobile development company

In this section, we’ll explore the key advantages of hiring an offshore mobile app development company.

2.1 Cost Savings

One of the biggest advantages of offshore mobile development is the significant cost savings. For example, hiring a mobile app development team in Vietnam is often much more affordable than hiring locally in countries like the US or UK. Lower labor costs and operational expenses in offshore locations help businesses reduce their overall project budget without sacrificing quality. According to Glassdoor, here’s the comparison of developers’ hourly rates between the three countries.

This means if a project requires 1,000 hours of development work, hiring in Vietnam could cost between $20,000 and $50,000, compared to $100,000 to $150,000 in the US or $80,000 to $120,000 in the UK

2.2 Access to Global Talent

Offshore mobile app development allows you to tap into a vast pool of skilled developers from around the world. Countries like Vietnam are known for their strong tech talent, providing expertise that may not be as readily available locally. This access to global talent means you can easily find developers with specific skills that match your project needs.

Above is the estimated number of developers available in top offshore destinations in the world, so if you decide to outsource mobile development, you’ll enjoy a vast pool of skilled developers aside from the local pool.

2.3 Faster Time-to-Market

With offshore mobile app development, you can take advantage of time zone differences to accelerate your project timeline. For instance, while your team in New York is ending their day, your offshore team in Ho Chi Minh City can continue working. This 24-hour development cycle helps speed up the process and brings your mobile app to market faster.

2.4 Flexibility and Scalability

Offshore mobile development offers flexibility in scaling your team up or down based on project needs. If your project requires more developers at certain stages, an offshore mobile app development company can quickly provide the necessary resources. Conversely, if your project needs fewer developers as it progresses, you can easily scale down the team. This scalability ensures that you only pay for the services you need, making the development process more efficient and cost-effective.

3. Challenges of hiring an offshore mobile development company and solutions

3.1 Communication Barriers:

Challenge: Working with an offshore mobile development team sometimes leads to communication issues as your offshore teams speak another language and live a few timezones away. Suppose your company is based in the US, and you’ve hired an offshore mobile development team in Vietnam. The 11-12 hour time difference means that when you’re starting your workday, the offshore team is ending theirs. This can lead to delays in getting responses to questions or updates on the project.

Solution: To overcome this, establish clear communication channels and use tools like Slack, Zoom, or Trello to keep everyone on the same page. Schedule regular meetings at times that work for both teams, and consider using visual aids or written summaries to ensure clarity.

3.2 Quality Control

Challenge: When you work with an onsite team, quality control is often easier because you can directly oversee the work, provide immediate feedback, and quickly address any issues. You can also conduct in-person meetings and see the progress firsthand. In contrast, with an offshore team, you may not have the same level of oversight, which can make it harder to ensure that the work meets your expectations. For example, reviewing a new feature or design element in person allows for instant feedback, whereas with an offshore team, you might need to wait for updates and then provide feedback through email or video calls.

Solution: Use tools like Google Docs or Confluence to create and share detailed project specifications. These platforms allow you to document everything in one place, so it’s hard to miss any new updates. Also, platforms like Jira or Trello can help you track progress and manage tasks. You can monitor the development process, conduct regular quality checks, and address any issues as they arise. For constant contact with the offshore mobile development team, use Slack or Microsoft Teams to update. Regular video calls through Zoom or Google Meet can be scheduled to review progress, provide feedback, and discuss any concerns.

3.3 Data Security Concerns

Challenge: When working with an offshore mobile development company, sharing sensitive data can be risky if proper security measures aren’t in place. This can lead to concerns about data breaches or intellectual property theft.

Solution: Protect your data by signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the offshore mobile development team. Additionally, use secure communication channels, limit access to sensitive information, and ensure that the offshore company follows industry-standard security practices, such as GDPR compliance in Europe. Regularly reviewing security protocols can also help keep your data safe.

4. Steps to hire top-notch offshore mobile development services

4.1 Define Your Project Requirements

Begin your offshore mobile development journey by clearly outlining what you need from your mobile app. This includes its features, target audience, platform (iOS, Android, or both), and any specific technical requirements. The more detailed your project brief, the easier it will be to find an offshore product development team that can meet your needs.

If you need an e-commerce app, specify features like payment gateway integration, product catalog, user reviews, and push notifications. From here, you can identify the suitable profile of your offshore developers. You’ll want offshore mobile app development teams who have worked on e-commerce projects and understand relevant technologies like React Native or Node.js and security practices like GDPR compliance. Additionally, it’s wise to look for developers with solid UI/UX design skills and effective communication abilities so that they can deliver a seamless, secure, and user-friendly app.

Read more: Check out our E-commerce case studies 

4.2 Research Offshore Mobile Development Companies

You can start your search by looking into top offshore development countries. These countries include:

Note: These are just a few examples, and the offshore development landscape is constantly evolving. If you want a more detailed list, check the article below!

Discover more: Top IT Outsourcing Countries in 2024: Discover Your Best Options

Once you’ve identified potential locations, start evaluating companies within those regions. You can look for companies with a proven track record in mobile app development on Clutch or Google by simply searching “offshore mobile app development company in Vietnam”. If you want to search for offshore mobile development talents in other countries, simply change “in Vietnam” to your desired destination.

When you evaluate different agencies, it’s important to check their portfolios, client reviews, and case studies to assess the quality of their work. If a company has developed similar apps to what you need, review those apps for usability, design quality, and performance.

4.3 Conduct Interviews and Assess Communication Skills

Communication is key to a successful offshore partnership. After reaching out to potential development teams, they will schedule several virtual interviews for both parties to meet up. This is a great opportunity to gauge their communication skills, responsiveness, and ability to understand your project requirements. In these interviews, you must also their proficiency in your preferred language and their willingness to engage in regular updates. During the interview, ask them how they handle feedback and revisions. This will give you insight into their flexibility and how they manage client relationships.

4.4 Start with a Small Trial Project

Most offshore mobile development companies offer a 30-day trial period or more. This trial period is for you to test the offshore team’s capabilities by starting with a small project or a specific part of your app. This allows you to evaluate their skills, work quality, and ability to meet deadlines without risking your entire project. You could ask them to develop a basic version of a feature or a prototype. If they deliver satisfactorily, you can confidently move forward with the full project.

4.5 Set Clear Contracts and Security Protocols

Once you’ve chosen an offshore mobile development company and a mobile team to work with, it’s time to finalize the partnership with a clear contract that outlines project scope, timelines, payment terms, and intellectual property rights. Ensure the contract includes clauses on data security, especially if you’re dealing with sensitive information.

For example, if your app handles user data, make sure the offshore team adheres to GDPR or other relevant regulations, and that they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to protect your intellectual property.

4.6 Kickstart the Project

With everything in place, it’s time to kickstart the offshore mobile development project. Begin with a detailed kickoff meeting to align expectations, set milestones, and establish a communication plan. Regular check-ins and progress reviews will keep the project on track and ensure that any issues are addressed promptly. Use project management tools like Asana or Basecamp to track tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress. This keeps everyone on the same page and helps ensure a smooth project launch.

5. Top offshore mobile app development company in Vietnam

InApps Technology stands as Vietnam’s top offshore mobile app development company, delivering exceptional solutions for global clients. With over a decade of experience and 200+ successful projects, our expertise spans both native and cross-platform mobile development. Our team of 100+ in-house talents, supported by a talent pool of over 500 professionals, ensures that every project meets the highest standards of quality and innovation. We boast a 98% client satisfaction rate and a customer retention rate of 70%, showcasing our commitment to long-term partnerships.

Clients choose InApps because:

• 98% client satisfaction rate
• 70% customer retention rate
• 500+ experts in our talent pool
• 200+ successful projects
• 10+ years of experience in mobile app development

Our key strengths:

• Transparent communication
• Cost-effective pricing
• Proven track record in delivering high-quality mobile apps
• Expertise in e-commerce, enterprise solutions, and fintech
• Dedicated teams for each project, ensuring speed and precision in delivery​​​​.