IT outsourcing is a double-edged sword that provides both immense benefits and has several potential dangers. The biggest concern of every startup or business when looking for outsourced DevOps services is the need to provide access to core business systems to a third-party team. Thus said, finding a credible and trustworthy among the DevOps companies is the crucial component of success. Today we explain how to know what to look for and how to find a reliable contractor for outsourcing your IT operations.
There are many companies out there who promise to take care of the server management, develop or update the software for you, provide long-term technical and customer support for your clients, etc. Their skillsets vary, their pricing can differ a lot, their expertise can meet the needs of your project or be insufficient — but most importantly, their reliability cannot be easily checked. However, nobody wants to commence a project only to find out a couple of months later that the contractor spent time and money designing and implementing the solution that did not meet the project needs.
A simple checklist to finding reliable DevOps services
Thus said, it’s better to find trustworthy DevOps companies from the start in order to ensure the safe and timely completion of your projects. There are 4 simple and logical ways to check the companies you want to order DevOps services from:
- Go for a mid-range of pricing.
- Check the company background.
- Ask for references to completed projects.
- Compare your impressions after tech calls.
Below we explain these points in more detail.
The middle price is the best price
The cost of a dollar is different in various countries across the globe. Some teams can charge $15 per hour for a DevOps engineer and cover their costs and expenses, while others have to charge $45 an hour to pay their wages and taxes. Thus said, experienced specialists tend to ask more for their work, which is only natural. However, many companies tend to charge more than $80/hr for their services due to the huge number of certifications, accolades and media mentions they got, as well as based on longevity of their operations — while the services they provide are of the same quality as from the middle price range.
Therefore, a team charging $15/hr is most likely inexperienced or lives in a country with low cost of living; $40+ per hour can be either the price of experienced and modest or simply more expensive specialists; while $80+ is the price for the DevOps specialists with various certifications, accolades and golden partnerships, who do the same work while costing more. However, working with them is more prestigious, so it’s your judgment call to make.
Check the company background
Every team will try to persuade you they have all the skills, tools and processes required to successfully accomplish your project. However, only some of them actually gave everything in order. How to know who is actually telling the truth? Google for customer reviews and independent reviews on the company services, read their website and blog, check their social media presence — all of these sources can provide invaluable information on the level of professionalism and quality of services provided by the team.
Ask for references from previous customers
Naturally, it is hard to expect a wide media coverage for a small DevOps services provider. However, if they did accomplish some number of projects, they will be able to provide references from satisfied customers. These references can showcase the way a company works, handles challenges, meets deadlines — the crucial project management aspects. A positive reputation is a crucial asset in the IT industry, it takes years to build and can be destroyed quite fast — so responsible and reliable DevOps companies nurture and improve their reputation at all times.
Analyze your impressions after technical calls
A company with vast experience of delivering managed DevOps services will know how to handle the typical challenges your project faces. They will not be afraid to confirm the lack of a particular skill — but they will be able to offer ready solutions and workarounds for the challenges you face, based on their experience. Thus said, they are likely to ask questions regarding all project aspects and produce a clear estimate quickly.
Conclusions on the way to select the best DevOps services
Naturally, you want to work with the team that uses the most cost-efficient technology, is well-versed with cloud platform-specific tools from AWS or GCP and with open-source DevOps tools. However, the technology used is only secondary. The primary here is the team attitude and the level of skill they can provide. We are sure you will be able to find great contractors based on the factors and points listed above.
