Selecting the best software company
To drive stable growth, you want to focus on your business ambitions—not on technical hurdles. That’s why you’re looking for a software partner that removes complexity, aligns with your goals and way of working, and fits your budget.
Choosing the right development partner is essential but far from easy. If you’re seeking a reliable company to build your custom software or SaaS product, we’d be happy to meet and explore how we can help.
What services does a software company offer?
Software companies primarily offer services related to software development, creating or improving software products to meet the specific needs of their clients. These companies can deliver a wide range of software development services, including:
- Custom software development: Creating tailored software solutions for the unique needs of individual clients.
- Software integration: Integrating different software systems to work seamlessly together.
- Software testing: Performing tests to ensure software quality and performance.
- Software maintenance: Providing ongoing maintenance and support, including bug fixes and updates.
- Software migration: Moving software applications to new platforms, systems, or environments.
- Software consultancy: Offering expert advice and guidance on software-related topics such as system architecture, development methodologies, and technology selection.
- Software deployment: Installing and configuring software applications in the client’s environment.
- Software training: Training client staff to use the software effectively.
Some software companies also offer complementary services such as web development, mobile app development, and data analytics. The exact services vary depending on the company’s expertise, industry focus, and target market. Software services often evolve alongside current software trends.
What services does GlobalOrange offer as a software company?
GlobalOrange offers three core software services:
- Together with your team, we develop a SaaS product or online platform. We can be your partner in conquering your market.
- We can also help you improve your existing SaaS product. Most digital products are never truly finished—there are always new features to build or opportunities to seize.
- Finally, we can assess the current state of your SaaS product or platform software. This includes services like a UX Audit or a Technology Quick Scan.
We developed software for
What should you look for when selecting the right software company?
When searching for the right software company, people often focus on factors like company size, pricing models, expertise, and location. Rarely is communication quality considered a key factor—yet it’s one of the most important drivers of project success. Effective communication between the product owner, scrum master, and developers can make or break a project. The way your company defines and empowers the product owner role also plays a critical role in this.
- Communication as a key requirement for successful software development
At GlobalOrange, we always place the product owner role on the client side, mirrored by an experienced project manager or analyst from our team. This ensures we get the most out of your domain knowledge and our experience from over 100 projects.
Looking to partner with a software company? We’ve compiled practical tips for you in this blog.
Which software company offers the lowest Total Cost of Ownership?
Of course, pricing is an important factor when choosing the right software partner. But it’s just as important to consider how that price holds up over the expected lifetime of the software—the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). In software development, TCO is influenced by several factors.
All these factors impact the final price and TCO. In summary, you’re best off with an experienced team of top-tier developers who work using Lean and Agile methodologies. They opt for future-proof architecture and technologies, and rely on open-source components to reduce unnecessary work.
- Hourly rates: These range from €80 to €150 per hour for Dutch IT companies, depending on quality and seniority. Nearshoring (Eastern Europe) rates are typically €40–€70 per hour, while offshoring (India and other parts of Asia) can range from €20–€40 per hour.
- Developer speed: Top-tier developers at IT companies can be up to 10 times faster than less experienced ones. This also depends on their experience and whether the company uses specialists rather than generalists or “jack-of-all-trades.”
- First-time right: Is the right solution built from the start, or is time wasted on features that won’t be used? A good IT partner helps you get it right the first time.
- Lean development / minimizing waste: Lean development (combined with Agile) lets you improve your product step-by-step based on real user feedback. It’s proven to be the fastest and most cost-effective development approach.
- Technology and architecture sustainability: Avoid overly exotic or trendy technologies—the risk is high they won’t be supported in a few years or that developers will be hard to find.
- Use of open-source components: These components have large developer communities and save significant development time, so you can focus on building only what sets your product apart.
- Vendor lock-in: What future costs will you incur if you want to switch software providers?
Our customers
What does the size of a software company tell you?
The size of a software development company—and the scale of the projects in its portfolio—is an important factor when making your selection. If a provider is too large and typically works with big enterprises, your specific needs might not get the attention they deserve. If a company is too small, it may lack experience working at the scale your project requires.
Another aspect heavily influenced by company size is the ability to scale development teams up or down. Larger providers have more resources and access to a broader external talent pool. This allows them to easily expand the team to handle increased workload or rotate developers when you need to scale up. On the flip side, these companies can also be more flexible when you need to scale development down.
Every software company has its own areas of expertise
As an entrepreneur, it makes sense to look for a software company that specializes in a specific domain or technology stack. Are you developing a financial product? Then it’s wise to choose a partner with strong experience in Fintech software development. Are you building a SaaS business? Look for a company that truly understands your challenges—and has the portfolio to prove it.
In many cases, it’s smart to prioritize companies with this kind of in-house expertise and the ability to quickly scale up their teams—regardless of other criteria. So if you’re looking for a specific skill set, start
What’s the difference between a software company and an IT company?
The terms “software company” and “IT company” are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences between the two.
A software company specializes in creating software products. These might be tailored to specific functions like accounting, project management, or CRM—or to specific industries such as healthcare or finance. The primary focus of a software company is to create, improve, and sell software products.
An IT company, on the other hand, is a broader term. It covers a wider range of services beyond just software development. IT companies may offer services like hardware installation and maintenance, network infrastructure design and implementation, cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing.
In short, a software company is a subset of an IT company, focused solely on software development. An IT company delivers a broad set of tech-related services that extend beyond software alone. Below, we’ve outlined the key differences between the two.
Focus: An IT company typically offers a wide range of technology-related services, while a software company focuses mainly on developing and selling software products.
Scope of services: An IT company can offer a broad spectrum of services, including hardware installation and maintenance, network setup and management, cybersecurity, cloud computing, data management, and more. A software company, on the other hand, typically focuses solely on software development—such as creating applications, building industry-specific solutions, or developing tools other businesses can use.
Business model: IT companies usually operate on a service model, delivering services to clients on a contract basis. Software companies, by contrast, often sell software products directly or offer them as a subscription-based service (SaaS).
Skill set: The required skills for an IT company can span a wide range of technical areas, including networking, cybersecurity, and database management. Software companies, however, tend to focus more on development-related skills like programming, software architecture, testing, and quality assurance.
Client base: IT companies may serve a wide range of clients, including small businesses, large enterprises, government agencies, and nonprofits. Software companies are typically more focused on specific industries or businesses with distinct software needs.
Innovation: Software companies are often more innovation-driven, focused on creating new products. IT companies are usually more focused on optimizing existing systems and providing continuous technical support.
Revenue streams: IT companies often earn revenue through ongoing service contracts, while software companies generate income through software sales, subscriptions, and licensing fees.
Interested in a consultation?
Selecting the right software partner is essential—but it’s rarely easy. If you’re looking for a reliable company to develop your custom software or SaaS product, we’d be happy to schedule a meeting and explore how we can support your goals.
