YouTube and Spotify will not be launching a dedicated app for the new Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, joining Netflix after the streaming giant had already ruled it out.

As reported by Bloomberg, a YouTube statement detailed how they would not provide fresh app support for the upcoming Apple launch nor allow its existing iPad app to work on the device. It means YouTube and Netflix will recommend users use a web browser if they want to view content on the mixed-reality headset. Spotify is also not providing, or planning, a dedicated app for VisionOS, the operating system for Vision Pro.

The Apple device is due for launch over the coming weeks. It is the latest product by the trillion-dollar company seeking to break down barriers of what’s possible with technology while also adding convenience to its users. Users can interact with the product’s OS by using their eyes, hands, and voice, and even if YouTube, Netflix and Spotify are out there are still more than 1 million compatible apps already existing in current iOS and iPadOS app stores.

Extensive demo required for Vision Pro

Within the headset, Vision Pro will include access to Apple’s own apps for music and podcasts, but the absence of giants like Spotify, YouTube and Netflix is a blow. This is significant as the Apple product is being presented as an entertainment platform, for video, games, music, and other interactive experiences.

The situation could change later but there is no sign of it at present. The existing YouTube and Spotify apps for iPad and iPhone should provide an easy route toward supporting the Vision Pro if desired.

Pre-orders for the Apple Vision Pro are underway, with a hefty price point of $3,499.

But don’t expect to plug-in and play. Apple is training its retail store workforce to demonstrate the Vision Pro to customers with sessions that could last 25 minutes.

Image: Apple

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Indian IT giants HCL, Infosys, TCS and Wipro reported strong financial results in their latest quarterly earnings, fueled largely by rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Though hiring remained slow, revenue and margins grew substantially across India’s ‘big four’- HCL’s revenue rose 5.3% to $3.41 billion; Infosys increased margins by 0.1% to $4.66 billion; TCS grew revenues by 2.9% to $7.28 billion.

Despite a 6.9% decline to $2.66 billion for Wipro, its CEO Thierry Delaporte struck an upbeat tone, stating “It’s been a strong performance this quarter and it gives us good optimism for the quarters to come.”

“Viral” AI for business strategy

On the upward curve, AI is a dominant feature contributing to the outlook on the future.

“Almost every discussion with clients involves some element of Generative AI,” said Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, while his HCL counterpart C Vijakumar revealed his firm had 30 wins on their books in Gen-AI projects.

That sentiment was further endorsed by Wipro’s Delaporte who commented,  “AI is now moving from the curiosity and experimentation stage to becoming vital, I was going to say viral as well, to business strategy. In fact, we can confidently say that every long-term large deal now has an AI component.”

TCS also declared “AI.Cloud led the demand among Service Lines with strong momentum sustaining for Cloud migrations and increasing interest among customers for AI and Generative AI,” in a powerful indicator of the importance of AI for India’s leading businesses.

On staffing levels, HCL stood apart as the only one of the four firms to increase its numbers. Over the quarter, they recorded an added 3617 to their headcount, up 1.6% whilst the rest saw a decline, contributing to a total loss of 12,637 employees for the ‘big four’, collectively.

The automotive and aerospace industries were highlighted as key markets targeted for growth, with AI remaining a dominant trend leading to investment and returns.

Featured image: Pexels

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It’s no secret that embracing cloud technology is no longer a groundbreaking move; it’s just the next logical step in the IT evolution. Most progressive companies are already riding the high wave of advanced cloud services. Yet, there’s a catch: Maintaining robust governance and ensuring data security is a lot like trying to solve an ever-changing, complex puzzle. Maintaining data security is similar to working on a puzzle that constantly evolves. It requires ongoing attention and adjustments to stay ahead. This field demands a high level of alertness and the ability to quickly adapt to threats and changing regulations.

Stakeholders often fall into the trap of thinking the cloud works just like their familiar on-premise environments. But the reality is, it’s a whole new world up there.

It’s not just about moving to the cloud; it’s about reshaping the way we think about IT governance and security.

Just like an explorer in uncharted territory, we need a new map to navigate this complicated cloud landscape.

The Importance of Cloud Governance

Cloud governance is all about setting up a control center for managing your company’s cloud journey. It involves specific processes, rules, and management strategies that help transition to and maintain a cloud environment. Think of a cloud governance committee as your cloud control team. Their job includes:

• Designing cloud management processes.
• Selecting the right tools and vendors.
• Providing overall supervision.
• Managing costs.

Effective cloud governance leads to increased productivity, enhanced security, easier compliance with regulations, and, ultimately, improved innovation and business growth.

Risks of Neglected Cloud Governance

That all sounds great, right? But what are the risks if you fail to incorporate governance into your cloud strategy?

Let’s break it down: skipping out on cloud governance is like sailing a ship without a rudder. It’s a risky move that can lead organizations into stormy waters, both reputationally and financially.

Without proper governance, your cloud journey could take a turn for the worse. In the fast-paced world of tech, keeping your ship steady and on course is crucial. That’s why cloud governance isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s your lifeline to safe and successful digital sailing. Without proper governance, you might encounter:

1. Security Vulnerabilities and Data Breaches

No matter how sophisticated software becomes, there are always bad actors threatening cloud platform security. Cloud governance establishes rules and protections that prevent cybercriminal activity.

2. Unexpected Cost Overruns

Cloud sprawl, the uncontrolled growth in cloud technology spending, occurs when businesses fail to monitor their cloud environment. Duplicate tool purchases across teams can lead to inefficient spending and uncontrolled scaling without proportional value.

For instance, in building automation, if each team chooses a different method, companies end up with dozens of paths to solve the same problem. Multiply this by 10, 20, or 100, and it becomes clear how this can snowball into a much larger problem.

3. Compliance Violations

Playing fast and loose with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (or PCI DSS) can hit your wallet hard. Think fines ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 every month.

When it comes to data security, the stakes are high — even large corporations aren’t immune to the fallout.

Consider the case of the DNA testing company 23andMe. Hackers accessed ancestry data of 6.9 million users, resulting in damage repair costs between $1 million and $2 million for the company. Another example is Managed Care of North America, a provider of dental benefits and services for state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs. This breach affected almost 9 million individuals, with stolen information including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, health insurance details, and government-issued ID numbers.

4. Inefficiencies

Companies that don’t have oversight often struggle to determine priorities and goals and develop strategies. Without a governance committee to implement and oversee processes, your company might miss critical targets and key performance indicators, ultimately leading to a loss of profit.

5. Difficulty Updating Tech

Lack of cloud governance also makes it difficult come time for a technology consolidation or turnover, as each “technology island” has different support needs.

Poor Governance Next Steps

According to a survey of IT professionals and engineers, 86% of respondents said that “enforcing cost, compliance, and security policies tends to be a pivotal inhibitor to cloud adoption.” If you are feeling the effects of poor governance or cloud chaos, you’re in the right place. Here are some practical steps forward:

Create Independent Committees

Shifting to the cloud requires many decisions because, just like any business process, it is constantly changing. To stay optimized, you need an independent committee to own cloud migration and maintenance processes.

Carefully Consider Your Cloud Governance Committee

Cloud governance committees are instrumental in developing and enforcing security protocols, compliance standards, and operational guidelines. As such, cloud experience and knowledge should be a prerequisite for members.

Focus Your Cloud Governance Committee on Specific Objectives

Organizations transferring to the cloud may have existing governance or architecture review boards. Despite the potential overlap, your cloud governance committee must function autonomously or as a sub-committee to ensure key objectives are prioritized.

Get Outside Help

Moving to cloud computing demands considerable expertise and experience, as each organization often adopts a unique approach. Without skilled guidance, you may encounter unexpected and costly setbacks. Seeking external expertise can offer fresh perspectives, moving the business away from the traditional “we’ve always done it this way” mindset.

Implement a Strong Executive Sponsor

A governance committee needs a pragmatic and decisive executive sponsor with authority to enforce decisions. Unless a committee can act, everything they put forward will be suggestions. The goal is for everyone to move quickly in the same direction.

Don’t Wait to Implement Cloud Governance

Many times, we see new leaders brought into organizations to rectify the above issues, when in reality, implementing cloud governance earlier would prevent disruptive financial and organizational overhauls.

Especially for companies under the watchful eye of compliance and regulatory standards, governance isn’t just a good idea — it’s essential. It’s the key to dodging risks and keeping operational performance in top gear. Proper governance is the core component of a well-oiled cloud computing machine.

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Alteryx, a prominent player in the data analytics sector, has announced its acquisition by private-equity firms Clearlake Capital Group and Insight Partners. According to Reuters, the deal, including debt, is valued at approximately $4.4 billion, marking a significant shift in the data analytics landscape.

Alteryx, facing stiff competition from industry giants like Microsoft (MSFT.O) and Oracle (ORCL.N), has found itself under pressure in recent times. Challenges in expanding its customer base and the competitive market dynamics have led to a suppressed valuation, making it an attractive target for acquisition.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alteryx stockholders will receive $48.25 per share in cash for each share of Class A or Class B common stock. This valuation pegs the company’s equity at around $3.46 billion, based on Reuters’ calculations. The offer price represents a 29.1% premium over Alteryx’s closing share price last Friday.

Stock performance and market reaction

Alteryx’s stock (AYX.N) has seen a significant surge of nearly 68% since September, following reports of the company exploring a sale. However, despite these gains, the stock is down 5% this year, underperforming against the 55% gain in the S&P 500 Information Technology Sector Index (.SPLRCT).

Dean Stoecker, the co-founder and executive chair of Alteryx, who controls approximately 49% of the company’s voting power through dual-class shares, has agreed to support the transaction.

Since its public market debut in 2017, Alteryx has established a strong customer base, boasting over 8,300 companies, including high-profile names like Coca-Cola (KO.N), Vodafone (VOD.L), Walmart (WMT.N), and Ford Motor (F.N). The company’s platform is renowned for enabling businesses to efficiently analyze and process data.

Qatalyst Partners served as the advisor to Alteryx in this transaction. Clearlake and Insight received financial advice from Houlihan Lokey, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Morgan Stanley.

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Google Maps announced changes to its Location History feature to allow data to be saved directly to a user’s device or via cloud storage rather than on Google servers.

Via the company’s The Keyword blog, Google said changes to user location data saying “We’re introducing new updates to give you even more control over this important, personal information.”

Google Maps will auto-delete history

The search giant has stated an “auto-delete” timeframe of three months replacing the current timeline of 18 months as a standard. Which is a substantial time jump in how much data can be recorded by default.

Google also announced that location-specific data can be deleted permanently on devices, saying “The ability to delete place-related activity from Maps starts rolling out on Android and iOS in the coming weeks.”

Legal critics speculate data-request-driven decision

Many in the legal world see this update coincide with the requests the company receives for data, known as “Geofence Warrants.”

According to the National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers (NACD), “Geofence” requests by law enforcement are used to narrow down possible witnesses and suspects within one location at a set time.

All done via the geographical location recorded via an Android or Apple device.

Google has not publicly stated the volume of information requests by law enforcement for several years, however, this data has been used in active Court of Appeals hearings.

Google’s announcement comes days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Virginia, heard oral arguments in a case called United States v. Chatrie. The defense challenged the legality of these (Geofence) warrants and their application.

It is still speculation at this point if the update is a wholesome one to give users more control of data or a time-sensitive response from the search giant in the wake of potential landmark cases that relate to geolocation data.

It has been a mixed year for Google Maps with the announcement of a new AI focused update for the popular app. Providing AI simulations of potential journeys and vacations for users.

In more serious news, the escalating conflict in Gaza and Israel called for a restriction of real-time app data in the war zone.

Image Credit: Nastya Sensi, Pexels.

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After a 15-month regulatory review process, Figma and Adobe announced today (Dec. 18) they will be abandoning their proposed merger.

In a statement on the Figma website, co-founder Dylan Field stated: “It’s not the outcome we had hoped for, but despite thousands of hours spent with regulators around the world detailing differences between our businesses, our products, and the markets we serve, we no longer see a path toward regulatory approval of the deal.”

After an intense 15 months of review, today Adobe and Figma have decided to end our pending merger, as we no longer see a path toward regulatory approval of the deal.https://t.co/sHuUsW9sR2

— Dylan Field (@zoink) December 18, 2023

In a statement made by Adobe, the software company said that although both companies were committed to the merger, seeing many merits to the combination, they made a joint assessment that there is no clear path to receive regulatory approval from the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority. Bloomberg also reported that the deal would begin to receive scrutiny in America.

“Adobe and Figma strongly disagree with the recent regulatory findings, but we believe it is in our respective best interests to move forward independently,” said Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe. “While Adobe and Figma shared a vision to jointly redefine the future of creativity and productivity, we continue to be well positioned to capitalize on our massive market opportunity and mission to change the world through personalized digital experiences.”

The termination of the merger means that Adobe will be required to pay Figma a reverse termination fee of $1 billion in cash, reports The Verge. The Adobe statement acknowledges this and says that the companies have signed an agreement that resolves “all outstanding matters from the transaction, including Adobe paying Figma the previously agreed upon termination fee.”

What is Figma?

Figma is a web-based design tool that has many uses. It has particularly found success in the world of web development as a User Interface design tool. Launched in 2016, it holds a key difference from many competitors in that it is entirely web browser-based, allowing for seamless collaboration.

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With digital transformation on all business forefronts, healthcare as an industry is no stranger to the benefits of owning a digital space and software. Many software development companies are building applications for health organizations such as hospitals, pharmacies, and other institutions while digitally transforming and reinventing patient healthcare and hospital administration. Healthcare companies are also slowly realizing the importance of owning and maintaining a digital space, thanks to its various benefits. These benefits include digitized patient records, customized patient interaction, tracking patient appointments, 24*7 assistance, lower administrative maintenance, and more.

With the rise of demand for healthcare development services, more and more software developers are turning to healthcare development. Today, more than 500,000 software development companies worldwide offer healthcare development services. This is the reason, search for a reliable healthcare development service provider and diligent software development company becomes a tiresome process. To help healthcare companies, we have curated a list of top healthcare development companies that have set a benchmark for quality software solutions.

List of Top 10 Healthcare Software Development Companies of 2023

Openxcell

Topping our list of leading healthcare development companies has to go to OpenXcell. Inception in 2009, the company has developed 1000+ software solutions. While the solutions are for various industries such as fintech, transformation and logistics, enterprise management, and more, its healthcare software solutions have garnered much attention. An application for Johns Hopkins and Waspito are two of its recently developed, very successful healthcare software. The company has catered to numerous clients globally and is often vouched for by them as one of the best companies delivering these services.

Another feature of the company that has helped it to rank first, is its team of expert tech mavens. It recruits only the best software engineers for healthcare development to build reliable, secure, and user-friendly solutions. The company encourages innovation by digitally transforming operational workflows, designing ergonomic customer experiences, and driving growth while maintaining consistency throughout your company.

Code and Theory

The next company on our list is Code and Theory. Code and Theory is a digital-first creative firm that designs and develops products and brand experiences across platforms. The company believes in the best combination of creativity and technology to develop software solutions that are customized to solve client problems. Their client roster includes names of big conglomerates such as CNN, Facebook, Google, J.P Morgan, and NBC. Known for crafting innovative end-to-end development processes, the company aims to pioneer software development. The company currently employs 500 strategists, technologists, designers, and content creators in offices across New York City, San Francisco, London, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Manila.

YML

YML is the next award-winning design and technology agency to make it to our list of healthcare developers. Founded in the heart of Silicon Valley in 2009, YML firm is best known for building world-class digital products for Fortune 500 companies, unicorns, and newfound startups. These include clients such as Google, Paypal, Universal Music Group, and The Home Depot amongst others. The firm has garnered appreciation from Steve Jobs, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, ABC, and CNBC for its quality solutions and services. The company boasts a robust team of 400+ experienced designers, strategists, and software engineers around the world.

3Pillar Global

3Pillar Global has also made it to our list of leading healthcare development companies for its breakthrough software solutions that power digital businesses. Industry leaders in technology, media, and information services rely on 3Pillar as a creative partner for software product development. These solutions boost revenue growth and market share acquisition and encourage better client reach. With a focus on user experience design, software, and data engineering for mobile, cloud, and disruptive technologies, as well as specialized product strategy and management, 3Pillar leverages a lean and agile methodology to develop value-generating digital solutions.

Credera

Next on the list, Credera is a full-service provider of software, UI/UX design, and management consultancy. Catering to Fortune 500 companies and their technological needs, Credera has successfully crafted innovative solutions to various commercial issues. Its end-to-end quality services cover all aspects, from strategy to execution, and are spread across 16 countries worldwide. Credera’s deep business acumen and technical expertise, combined with a deep dedication towards complete customer satisfaction, is what makes it so popular amongst software developers and enterprises.

Method

A worldwide strategic design and digital product development firm, Method was founded in 2004. By designing experiences that change businesses and enhance lives, the company is adding value and making an impact one software solution at a time. It supports businesses as they expand and change, assisting them in finding new possibilities, lessening time to market, and spearheading their digital transformation process. Method as a software firm has collaborated via more than 60 development sites in 22 countries with Method’s parent businesses, GlobalLogic and Hitachi, to develop and expand digital solutions for our clients.

GlobalLogic

GlobalLogic is also an excellent product development services leader of the Hitachi Group company that combines deep domain expertise and cross-industry experience to connect makers with markets worldwide. By amalgamating its experience in vertical industries and chip-to-cloud software engineering knowledge, GlobalLogic assists its customers in designing, developing, and implementing their next-generation products and digital experiences. It successfully employs cutting-edge goods and disruptive technologies and engages with clients by using strategic R&D as a tool for future management.

Luxoft

Luxoft, a DXC Technology Company (NYSE: DXC), has also made it to our list. As a digital strategy and software engineering firm, Luxoft has been providing bespoke technology solutions that drive business change for customers the world over. Acquired by U.S. company DXC Technology in 2019, Luxoft has global operations in 44 cities and 21 countries with an international, agile workforce of nearly 18,000 people. The company is recognized for its engineering excellence and deep industry expertise, helping over 425 global clients innovate in the areas of automotive, financial services, travel and hospitality, healthcare, life sciences, media, and telecommunications.

Positive Thinking Company

Positive Thinking Company is an independent IT consultant and development firm with a global reach. With over 3,200 skilled tech workers stationed in over 32 countries around Europe, the USA, Asia, Australia, and Africa, the company has earned its way on this list for its quality solutions. The company is the technology branch of CBTW and uses a worldwide delivery approach to offer a broad range of end-to-end tech solutions. It has years of experience in software product engineering, security, cloud computing, data & analytics, hyper-automation, and digital workplaces. As the name suggests, Positive Thinking Company devotes its efforts to helping our colleagues reach their full potential as well as that of our clients by offering them an innovative work environment that fosters teamwork, creativity, and a positive outlook. It aims to achieve the greatest possible balance between risk, quality, affordability, and closeness thanks to our hybrid strategy, which uses both local and international delivery centers.

Customertimes Corp

Lastly, global consultancy and solutions company Customertimes is well-renowned and proficient in leveraging cutting-edge technological solutions to propel corporate success. As a digital transformation specialist, Customertimes Corp assists businesses in streamlining procedures, improving operations, and promoting expansion. The company helps businesses succeed long-term by providing continuing support, technology deployment, and strategic advice. Customertimes is a global trusted partner that approaches every project with a client-centric mindset and extensive industry knowledge.

Conclusion

Digital transformation is the next pitstop for healthcare companies. With the future going digital, it is only inevitable for healthcare companies to invest in healthcare applications and software development companies. Since the market is saturated with digital agencies providing these services, it often becomes tiresome for enterprises to understand which company suits them best. This list of leading healthcare development companies is for those healthcare enterprises looking for reliable healthcare application development services. Each company on the list has been vetted through the most stringent parameters and has set a benchmark for delivering quality services.

Featured Image Credit: Mikhail Nilov; Pexels; Thank you!

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If you are addicted to playing video games, you might have definitely played or been playing Minecraft. Developed by Mojang Studios in the Java programming language, Minecraft is a popular sandbox video game among seasoned gamers. It is the best-selling video game of all time. As of 2021, the video game had 140 million monthly active players.

In Minecraft, you will find a 3D virtual world that is blocky and has infinite terrain. While playing, you may extract various materials, create tools and items, and build various structures, machines, and earthworks.

There are two common game modes, namely survival mode and creative mode. In the survival mode, players need to acquire more resources to survive in the world while maintaining health. Meanwhile, in the creative mode, players get unlimited resources and can fight.

One of Minecraft’s game modes is the Prison mode. It helps players cut and chop down trees and mine stones, ores, and gems from mines in Minecraft with the primary aim of ranking and earning money. Once you have cleared a few layers of stones, you can sell your earnings, and if you saved all your collected gold bars, you could eventually rank.

In this blog post, we shall walk you through the best Minecraft prison servers that you must give a try.

Lego Minecraft Sets to Try

Best Minecraft Prison Servers You Should Try

Here is a list of the best Minecraft prison servers of 2022 that cater to different gameplay in Minecraft.

1. The Arcon

The first on our list of the best Minecraft Prison servers is The Arcon. The reason is its custom game modes and top-notch mods. This server has an active community of users and releases frequent updates with fixes.

When it comes to the prison mode in Minecraft, The Arcon provides players with a custom resource pack to develop a wooden theme in the game. Also, it offers a backpack and essential tools that help you become a miner.

After having enough of prison, you can experience some other modes, like robbery and outlands. Both these modes work well with prison. Some other modes the server supports are survival, parkour, and skyblock.

Java Server Address: best.TheArchon.net

2. Purple Prison

Many prison servers available today only let players mine and perform related quests for ranking. Purple Prison, along with mining, enables players to increase their ranking by building and trading with other players.

More importantly, Purple Prison is among a few servers to offer the prison theme that providers experience analogous to the real-world prison. You will find prison cells, realistic prison disputes, guards, and PVP areas that make it feel like a real prison. In addition, there is a sitting area where prisoners can hang out.

Java Server Address: purpleprison.org

3. Jartex Network

Unlike other servers on the list, Jartex Network provides a Minecraft prison server built around gambling. It provides custom skills, cool suits, and many new improvements.

This server obligates players to join a cartel before entering a casino or their own mines. In addition, you can find various gangs and cartels in the game. Each cartel and gang offers different benefits to members.

Apart from this, you can even explore side quests and some other amazing structures to bring excitement to your mining.

Java Server Address: jartex.fun

Bedrock Server Address: jartex.fun

4. OPBlocks Network

Another best server on our list is OPBlocks Network. It has a wide community of users, a group of skilled developers, and several minigames to offer. It primarily deals with only the four modes of Minecraft, namely prison, parkour, survival, and skyblock.

When you play in prison mode using this server, you are equipped with a separate mine and enchanted tools so that you can explore without any rush. It provides you with the capability to explore other players’ mine and side quests. In short, this server provides an opportunity to explore individually.

Java Server Address: mc.opblocks.com

Bedrock Server Address: bedrock.opblocks.com

5. MC Prison

It is one of the most classic servers that form the base for several new prison servers. The foremost priority of this server is a player’s freedom. They can mine, build, fight, donate, and do many other activities in order to rank or level up.

However, one can directly move to the top through donation perks, drop parties, and free weekly giveaways. Every player gets a dedicated area in the game so that they can create their own in-game shops.

Java Server Address: mcprison.com

Bedrock Server Address: mchub.com

6. Pika Network

This server provides players with a normal-looking prison but has a lot more to discover besides mining resources, making points, and ruling the prison. After players collect more and more wealth, they find many new opportunities in the world.

You will find cell makers, gamblers, and gangs with their shops and a few NPCs that deal with the drug. This gives you an experience the same as a real-world prison. Also, it has separate PVP areas, including a PVP mine arena.

Java Server Address: jartex.fun

7. Jails MC

This server is entirely dedicated to the prison mode of Minecraft. It follows a mining theme. It is the best option to choose if you are seeking a simple and reliable time in prison. To reach the top level, you need to mine, trade with other players, and compete with players in an active leaderboard.

Java Server Address: play.jailsmc.net

8. Minecraft Central

It is among the oldest server on the list. When it comes to survival, prison, skyblock, PvP, and factions, this server is one of the most active ones. The server offers a unique prison system to players. It consists of private and public mines, both of which offer exclusive rewards.

The environment of the game makes it feel like players are running from prison. There are zombie guard statutes that monitor your activities. In addition, this server provides a touch of vanilla Minecraft in the game.

Java Address: mccentral.org

9. Mineville

It is the only server on our list that is officially featured Bedrock server. You will find this server in every list of servers that support the Bedrock edition. Like Jails MC, Mineville also focuses solely on mining. You will get a mining costume, and you need to finish mining all mines. When you mine up to a certain level and trade the collectibles, you can easily rank.

Bedrock Server Address: play.inpvp.net

10. Vortex Network

Vortex Network is a simple Minecraft prison server that supports various game modes, such as Pixelmon, skyblock, and survival, along with prison. Each mode has a unique space theme. Every mode references planets, spaceships, and many other cosmic entities.

When it comes to the prison mode, you can make gangs and enter war zones. To level up, you need to take part in events, mine, and trade. Besides a regular prison, you can opt for Prison Cosmic, which comes with an adventure map featuring quests, recipes, and many more.

Java Server Address: mc.vortexnetwork.net

Bedrock Server Address: bedrock.vortexnetwork.net

The Minecraft Explorer Kit

Conclusion

Here we reach the end of our list of the best Minecraft prison servers. You can choose any server from the list to mine and trade and reach the top level. Go through the list and make the choice that satisfies your game needs.

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Software development has come a long way since its inception and has become a crucial aspect of modern-day businesses. With the increasing demand for software solutions, software development companies have been popping up like mushrooms.

Finding the Best Software for Your Team

Not all companies are created equal, and finding the right one is challenging. To simplify the process, we’ve compiled a list of the top software development companies in 2023. These companies have been evaluated based on various criteria, such as industry experience, market presence, technology expertise, and client satisfaction.

This list can assist you in locating the ideal software development partner to advance your company, whether a startup or an existing organization. Here is a look at the world of software development.

List of 13 Software Development Companies for the Year 2023

1. eSparkBiz

eSparkBiz is a software development company that has made its mark in the industry with its innovative solutions and unparalleled expertise. Founded in 2013, the company has been delivering world-class software development services to clients across the globe. Their team of highly skilled developers and technology experts has extensive experience in developing custom software solutions that cater to the specific needs of each client.

This company is famous for its dedication to completing projects on schedule and under budget. They have a history of completing projects for clients in various sectors, including retail, education, healthcare, and more. With eSparkBiz, clients can be assured of receiving the highest quality software development services at an affordable cost.

USPs:

• 12+ Years of Experience
• 20+ Countries Served, 250+ Development Staff, 95% Client Retention Rate
• ISO 27001 certification, 4.9 on Clutch and 5.0 on HubSpot RATING, CMMI Level 3.

2. DEV.co 

DEV.co is a leading software development company that has web design, development, and deployment capabilities across the entire technology stack. They’ve served more than 210 web development clients, 156 mobile app development clients, and 24 customer platform development clients – with support for advanced technologies like the blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). On top of that, they only hire the top 1 percent of software engineering talent – and they have an amazing track record of client service and satisfaction.

DEV.co is a renowned software development company celebrated for its steadfast dedication to delivering projects punctually and within budget constraints. With a rich history of successful project completions across diverse sectors, including retail, education, healthcare, and more, DEV.co is a trusted partner for clients seeking top-tier software development services.

USPs:

1. Extensive Expertise: With a wealth of over a decade in the industry, DEV.co stands out for its extensive experience, showcasing a profound understanding of the evolving landscape of software development.
2. Global Impact: Serving clients across 4+ countries, DEV.co has established a global footprint, demonstrating its ability to navigate and excel in international business environments.
3. Skilled Development Team: Comprising a team of over 150 skilled professionals, DEV.co has the workforce capacity to handle complex and diverse projects, ensuring clients receive comprehensive and tailored solutions.
4. Client Trust: Boasting an impressive 95% client retention rate, DEV.co places a strong emphasis on client satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships through consistently delivering exceptional results.
5. Recognition and Ratings: Earning a commendable 4.9 rating on Clutch and a perfect 5.0 on HubSpot, DEV.co has earned recognition for its excellence, reflecting the high level of client satisfaction and the quality of its services.

Clients partnering with DEV.co can expect nothing short of top-notch software development services, underpinned by a decade-long legacy, a seasoned team, and a consistent track record of meeting project timelines and financial expectations.

3. OpenXcell

As a market leader in the IT industry, OpenXcell is known to deliver a variety of world class services including Custom App development, SaaS development, Product engineering, AI development and much more. With 12+ years of experience, 500+ expert developers and 1000+ successful projects, OpenXcell has proven its mettle when it comes to delivering state-of-the-art software solutions. Its rising popularity can also be attributed to dedication, innovation and quality in its all endeavors.

USP’s:

• Rich Portfolio of successful projects: OpenXcell boasts of 1000+ successful software projects.
• Multitude of quality services: The company delivers on many services including software solutions, various consultancy and design services.
• Pocket friendly solutions: We build software solutions that are priced competitively and fairly.
• Scalability: Software solutions created by us are scalable and capable of growing with the company.
• 24*7 Support: Our clients get access to Top 1% of tech talent working across several time zones.

4. Andersen

• 97% of their clients return back with new ideas and projects.
• Andersen’s prominent clients are Samsung, MediaMarkt, Mercedes Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, Ryanair and UNESCO.

5. TCS

(Tata Consultancy Services) is a market leader in IT services. It provides a wide range of services, including consulting, engineering and industrial services, digital solutions, and application development and maintenance. With operations in more than 46 countries and a staff of more than 450,000, TCS has a sizable global footprint. TCS is renowned for its dedication to innovation and capacity to offer comprehensive solutions that support the objectives of its customers.

USPs:

• Global reach: TCS has a strong presence in over 50 countries, offering clients a global network of expertise and resources.
• Wide range of services: TCS offers a comprehensive suite of IT services, including digital solutions, consulting, and business process services.
• Focus on innovation: TCS is committed to innovation, constantly exploring new technologies and solutions to help clients stay ahead of the curve.

6. Altoros

Altoros, with headquarters in the United States, operates major development centers in Argentina and Poland. This enables the company to offer competitive rates, align with different time zones, and provide high communication and technological skills, making it a top choice for customers.

Take your software products to a completely new level and maximize ROI with Altoros. We are a consultancy of 400+ experts who help businesses achieve digital transformation at scale with a focus on cloud-native apps, customer analytics and blockchain.

USPS:

• Agile Result-driven teams: able to deliver projects independently while also able to scale up and down based on your immediate needs.
• Quick start: they will get you connected to a cohesive team ready to kick-off.
• Tangible results: See the progress over time. Every two weeks, they host sprint-based demos for your team
• Zero code waste: we use production metrics to ensure the highest code applicability
• Success-based payment: Their compensation is aligned with the results achieved or exceeded.

7. Synergo

A technology and consultancy company called Synergo Group assists companies with their digital transformation. A team of professionals at the organization works closely with clients to comprehend their particular difficulties and offer tailored solutions that promote achievement. Synergo is in an excellent position to support organizations in the digital age thanks to its knowledge of technology and dedication to achieving outcomes.

USPs:

• Comprehensive services: Synergo Group provides a wide range of IT services, including software development, cloud computing, and digital transformation solutions.
• Focus on delivering results: Synergo Group is committed to delivering measurable results for clients, focusing on improving business performance and driving growth.

8. RootQuotient

A technological startup called RootQuotient specializes in offering online services to the agricultural sector. The platform from RootQuotient assists farmers in streamlining their operations, boosting productivity and efficiency, and cutting waste. The business has a thorough understanding of the agricultural sector and employs cutting-edge technology to assist farmers in overcoming obstacles and prospering in a cutthroat market.

USPs:

• Focus on root cause analysis:
  RootQuotient specializes in root cause analysis, helping clients to identify the underlying issues that are impacting their systems and applications.
• Deep expertise in multiple domains:
  RootQuotient has a team of experts who have extensive experience in a variety of domains, including software development, cloud computing, and IT operations.
• Emphasis on proactive problem resolution:
  RootQuotient approaches problem-solving in a proactive manner, working with clients to recognize and address issues before they develop into larger ones.

9. Paper Leaf

A digital company called Paper Leaf offers various services, such as branding, digital marketing, and web design and development. Paper Leaf assists businesses in creating a solid online presence and connecting with their target market by emphasizing creativity and enhancing user experience. The business is renowned for its capacity to offer each client a specialized and all-encompassing approach, guaranteeing that their particular wants are satisfied.

USPs:

• Expertise in web design and development:
  Paper Leaf is a leading provider of web design and development services, offering custom solutions tailored to meet clients’ specific needs.
• Strong focus on user experience:
  Paper Leaf places a strong emphasis on user experience, working to create websites that are intuitive, user-friendly, and provide a seamless experience for users.
• Use of cutting-edge technology:
  Paper Leaf leverages the latest technology and tools to deliver high-quality web solutions that meet clients’ evolving needs.

10. Webisoft

Custom software solutions for organizations are the focus of the software development company Webisoft. With a team of skilled developers, Webisoft offers solutions suited to clients’ individual needs and aids them in streamlining and increasing the efficiency of their operations. Webisoft has a solid track record of assisting companies to thrive in the digital age and a strong commitment to providing outcomes.

USPs:

1. Wide range of services:
   Webisoft provides a comprehensive suite of IT services, including web development, digital marketing, and e-commerce solutions.
2. Focus on customer satisfaction:
   Webisoft provides clients with solutions that meet their specific needs and goals, ensuring customer satisfaction through every process step.
3. Use of cutting-edge technology:
   Webisoft leverages the latest technology and tools to deliver innovative solutions that drive client growth and competitiveness.

11. Spiria

Spiria is a provider of digital solutions that aid companies in modernizing their business processes and achieving their objectives. It offers end-to-end solutions with the help of team of specialists in software development, UX design, and digital strategy. The business offers a whole range of services, from planning to implementation, to ensure that clients get the best ROI.

USPs:

• Focus on delivering custom digital solutions
  Spiria specializes in creating custom digital solutions that cater to the specific needs of its clients.
• Strong expertise in multiple technology platforms
  Spiria has a team of experts who have experience working with various technology platforms, including web, mobile, IoT, and cloud computing.
• Customer-centric approach
  Spiria prioritizes the needs and goals of its clients and works closely with them to understand their requirements and develop solutions accordingly.

12. Evenset Inc

A software development company called Evenset Inc. focuses on providing unique business solutions. It believes in working closely with clients to comprehend their needs and offer them custom solutions.

USPs:

• Comprehensive event management services
  Evenset Inc. provides a wide range of event management services, including event planning, execution, and evaluation.
• Experienced and dedicated team
  Evenset Inc. has a team of event professionals with extensive experience in delivering successful events for delivering exceptional results.
• Customizable solutions
  Evenset Inc. offers customizable event management solutions that are customizable according to its client’s specific needs and requirements.

13. TheAppLabb

TheAppLabb is a full-service digital business offering various services, such as digital marketing & mobile app development. They have a team of professionals who collaborate directly with customers to comprehend their particular needs and offer tailored solutions.

USPs:

• Specialization iN mobile app development
  TheAppLabb is a leading provider of mobile app development services, offering custom solutions for clients across various industries.
• Strong expertise in multiple platforms
  TheAppLabb has a team of experts who have experience working with both Android and iOS platforms.
• Focus oN user experience. TheAppLabb gives strong emphasis on user experience, working to create apps that are intuitive, user-friendly, and offers seamless user experience.

Conclusion

The 12 top software development companies in 2023 are dedicated to delivering innovative and effective solutions that meet the evolving needs of businesses. Whether you’re looking for web development, digital marketing, or custom software solutions, these companies have the experience and expertise to help your business succeed.

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The software outsourcing sector in India is flourishing, offering organizations low-cost solutions. In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 Indian software outsourcing firms of 2023. These firms are known for their knowledge, solutions, and industry name. Businesses may benefit from India’s talent pool and technical advances by partnering with them. Let’s explore the best software outsourcing companies in India.

India is the world’s leader in software outsourcing, providing benefits to businesses around the globe. This blog features the top ten software outsourcing businesses in India, highlighting their experience and software development solutions.

These businesses are well-known for their quality, customer-focused approach and new software solutions. They provide access to India’s trained employees and technology. Businesses of all sizes may save much money by having their software developed in India via an outsourcing service.

These leading businesses provide various services, including web and mobile app development, enterprise software solutions, and data analytics. Businesses may take advantage of their knowledge for development in the digital environment by looking at their profiles.

List Of Top 10 Trusted Software Outsourcing Companies in India

The following is a list of the top 10 reliable IT staff augmentation organizations that provide businesses with reputable and experienced professionals:

1. eSparkBiz

eSparkBiz is a prominent software outsourcing company. They provide cutting-edge and adaptable digital solutions. Their team blends technological knowledge with innovative ideas. The happiness of their clients is a top priority for them. Their approach is driven by the Agile methodology.

It assures that the project will be delivered effectively while maintaining flexibility. Consistent communication and collaboration promote transparency. The integration of client feedback is executed seamlessly. eSparkBiz provides a range of services, including web development, mobile app development, eCommerce solutions, UI/UX design, and digital marketing.

They possess expertise in diverse technologies and platforms. The solutions provided are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. eSparkBiz has a demonstrated history of success with a diverse range of clients worldwide.

Their top priorities are quality, timely delivery, and customer satisfaction. eSparkBiz is a reliable provider of high-quality software outsourcing services for businesses.

2. SoftoBiz Technologies

SoftoBiz Technologies is an exceptional software outsourcing company that provides an extensive array of services. They are good at building websites and mobile apps, as well as product engineering.

SoftoBiz Technologies’ dedication to unique solutions for each customer sets them apart. Their highly qualified workforce guarantees excellent results. SoftoBiz Technologies has a history of delivering high-quality results for customers in a wide range of sectors.

If you are seeking software outsourcing services that are both dependable and innovative, SoftoBiz Technologies is a company that you can put your trust in.

3. Psibertech Solutions

Psibertech Solutions is a well-known software outsourcing company situated in Singapore. They provide various services, from software creation to IT consulting and outsourcing.

With a strong emphasis on customer fulfillment, Psibertech Solutions consistently provides high-quality solutions. They have a proven track record of delivering projects successfully across various work sectors. Psibertech Solutions assures smooth project execution by using a team of competent developers.

Psibertech Solutions is the go-to choice for companies needing dependable software outsourcing services owing to their extensive knowledge and friendly workforce.

4. Softxaa

Softxaa is a top software outsourcing business known for its excellent services. They are experts in tailoring solutions to the specific requirements of each client. Softxaa provides exceptional software products and services with a strong emphasis on quality and customer satisfaction.

To provide solutions, their talented employees blend technical competence with creative ideas. Softxaa is an IT service expert in online and mobile app development as well as software testing and IT consultancy.

They keep up with the latest industry trends so they can come up with new ways to solve problems. Softxaa’s dedication to quality and customer-centric approach make it a trusted partner for enterprises seeking reliable and effective software outsourcing services.

5. Xyloinc

Xyloinc is a well-known software outsourcing business based in India. It is known for its innovative solutions. They have a staff dedicated to developing high-quality mobile and web applications for all kinds of needs.

By putting a strong emphasis on the user experience, Xyloinc develops engaging interfaces that connect with the intended audience. To ensure flawless software, they provide thorough testing services.

Businesses seeking software outsourcing services appreciate Xyloinc’s technical knowledge, client-centric approach, and agile software development process.

6. Opcito

Opcito, a prominent software outsourcing company, provides a variety of services, including cloud-native development, DevOps, and containerization. They provide unique solutions to customers with a workforce.

Opcito stands out in software outsourcing for its agility and continual development. They thrive in utilizing technology to provide scalable and effective software solutions.

Opcito’s proficiency in cloud-native development aids firms in taking advantage of cloud computing’s many advantages. DevOps ensures smooth communication and quicker deployment cycles.

7. Clairvoyant

Clairvoyant is a reliable software outsourcing organization. They have expertise in big data and analytics solutions and also empower clients with the potential of data with the help of advanced analytics, machine learning, and cloud technologies.

Clairvoyant are dedicated to providing valuable insights that can help drive work growth. Clairvoyant’s expertise in big data provides opportunities for informed decisions and a competitive edge. They use machine learning algorithms to discover valuable patterns and trends.

Furthermore, their cloud technologies offer flexible and safe data storage and processing solutions that can easily adapt to your needs. With Clairvoyant’s expertise, clients can efficiently manage and analyze their data.

8. Deemsoft

Another top-tier company that outsources its software development is Deemsoft. Their areas of expertise include web and mobile app development, enterprise software development, and IT consulting. Deemsoft is committed to providing high-quality solutions at affordable prices.

The team of professionals is highly skilled and dedicated to ensuring that every project meets the unique requirements of the clients. The team places a high value on fostering effective communication and collaboration during the development process.

Deemsoft delivers customized solutions because they understand organizations’ objectives and difficulties.  Businesses looking for software outsourcing services trust Deemsoft.

9. Techno Companion

Techno Companion is another reliable software outsourcing firm. They perform really well in mobile and Web development, software testing, and IT consulting.

Techno Companion provides solutions to meet the requirements of various work. They place a high priority on effective communication and collaboration. Proficient experts guarantee superior software. Techno Companion provides support and maintenance services to ensure long-term success.

Techno proves to be a valuable partner due to its expertise and reliability. They provide software outsourcing services to businesses.

10. Mitiz Technologies

Mitiz Technologies is a prominent software outsourcing firm that provides an extensive array of services, encompassing web development, mobile app development, and digital marketing.

Their area of skills lies in building customized solutions that are designed to meet the unique demands of their clients. Mitiz Technologies classifies quality and client satisfaction, resulting in exceptional outcomes. The team of experts ensures the execution of projects.

Lastly, Mitiz Technologies keeps abreast of industry trends to offer the best solutions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, India’s software outsourcing industry comprises the best companies that do a great job of developing new and custom solutions. These businesses place a high value on good communication because they are firmly committed to quality and customer happiness.

They use best technology to provide software outsourcing services. Moreover, these organizations are reliable partners looking for effective software solutions due to their remarkable track records and industry reputation.

These companies’ commitment to good and contributions to the global success of the company, and continue to propel the growth of the Indian software industry.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Pexels; Thank you!

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Building a tech stack can be a daunting (and long-term) process for any size business. Paying for several applications, each of which is “necessary for success,” can strain a budget. Keeping those apps organized, understanding their value, and choosing the necessary version of each tool can easily overwhelm limited team resources, too.

Managing a tech stack for a smaller business is particularly challenging. The time and effort alone required to sort through all of the options and keep everything up-to-date drains resources.

Thryv equips small businesses with a solution to get over the burden of app management. If a small business struggles to manage its tech stack, Thryv’s comprehensive communication, CRM, and marketing software solutions unify and simplify processes, delivering the ideal tech stack.

The Struggle With Too Much Tech

Too much tech has been an issue for decades now. In the 2020s, though, the struggle has shifted from too much hardware to an oversaturation of software.

Statista reports that the average number of SaaS applications used by individual businesses worldwide is 130. BusinessWire puts the number at 254 total applications.

With either estimate, the sheer number of tech tools that every business, department and individual manages has become mind-numbing. And simply updating every app properly is a task in and of itself. Tracking efficiency, value and overall spend can feel impossible. This is what motivated the team at Thryv to create a solution that brings order to the tech chaos.

How Thryv Brings Order to the Technological Chaos

Thryv is an all-in-one small business software platform designed to support small businesses in ways that are hard to achieve without large enterprise resources. The software brand has a proven track record and deep experience in SaaS spend management.

Thryv more recently pivoted into the SaaS CRM space, filling a growing need for SMBs. The company has empowered over 55,000 customers to achieve success.

These organizations utilize Thryv to streamline communications, improve day-to-day management and improve brand awareness, setting the stage to scale their operations in the process.

Thryv offers three distinct product offerings:

• Thryv Command Center
• Thryv Business Center
• Thryv Marketing Center

Together, this dynamic trio of tools are, in the words of the company, “impactful when used on their own, but unstoppable when used together.” Let’s take a closer look at each one and the benefits it offers a smaller brand.

The Command Center Unifies Communication

The sophisticated, streamlined software deftly brings the majority of a brand’s communication channels into a single inbox.

This centralized inbox provides an omnichannel experience for customers, meeting them where they are and allowing them to engage with a brand on their terms. At the same time, it provides a single, simple go-to spot for customer communication and an easy way to capture communication history with each client.

The Business Center Simplifies CRM

Thryv Business Center attacks one of the biggest issues small businesses face: excessive workloads. Small business team members wear a lot of hats, and they can easily drown in a sea of administrative minutia.

This software solution encapsulates several of the most important tasks, from managing client portals and CRMs to generating invoices, scheduling appointments, sending emails, and organizing files. Altogether, this turns the tech tool into a software assistant capable of saving small business teams as much as 18 hours of busywork per week.

The Marketing Center Amplifies Advertisements

21st century marketing is a challenge due to an overabundance of options. Small businesses often lack the resources to effectively take advantage of the plethora of marketing options available.

Thryv Marketing Center solves this issue by centralizing a small business’s marketing endeavors. It provides comprehensive campaign management, website and landing page templates, and AI-powered recommendations — once again, all in one single dashboard.

Add-ons and Industry Customizations

While Thryv’s central SaaS management software consists of its three-headed solution, the company is constantly innovating to improve and target its services.

One way is through analytics. Thryv’s software automatically analyzes internet referral traffic, feeding it into the larger software system to impact recommendations and improve marketing over time.

The SaaS offering also provides market-leading display, search, social, and print directory solutions. In addition, it can promote brands in front of consumers on its proprietary search sites, including Yellowpages.com, Superpages.com, and Dexknows.com.

Thryv has also created over 20 specific industry customizations. The brand also has a selection of 34 different small business niches to choose from to help potential customers target their software solutions as they shop. These span the gamut from retail services to dental practice software.

Thryv: A Tech Stack on a Platter

Thryv understands the challenge of running a small business. Its commitment to modern technology has allowed Thryv to create innovative and comprehensive SaaS management software offerings. From communication to marketing, business administration to niche industry needs, the company helps small businesses streamline their activity and deliver a lean, mean tech stack that helps brand growth.

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Organizations increasingly turn to AI-powered testing solutions to streamline their quality assurance processes and improve software reliability. As this reliance on AI grows, a fundamental question emerges: when can such testing methodologies be confidently trusted? The effectiveness and reliability of AI-driven testing hinge on a complex interplay of factors that demands a closer examination.

This article delves into the nuanced nature of AI assistance in software testing, deciphering the conditions and considerations establishing trust in this next-gen approach to quality assurance.

How AI Facilitates Software Testing

AI has brought transformative advancements to various domains, and software testing is no exception. By leveraging AI capabilities, software testing processes have become more speedy, accurate, and comprehensive. Let’s overview ten major use cases of AI in software testing:

1. Automated Test Case Generation: AI algorithms analyze requirements and code to generate test cases automatically. This ensures broader test coverage and reduces the manual effort required to create test scenarios.
2. Defect Prediction and Analysis: AI can analyze historical data, code patterns, and bug reports to predict potential defects. Testers can then focus on critical areas and prioritize their efforts accordingly.
3. Anomaly Detection: AI-powered tools can detect abnormal behavior during testing, helping identify potential defects that might go unnoticed through traditional methods. This proactive approach enhances defect identification.
4. Automated Test Execution: AI-driven testing tools excel in executing a large volume of test cases across diverse configurations and environments. This not only saves time but also improves testing accuracy.
5. Log Analysis and Bug Detection: AI algorithms can analyze log files and error reports to identify patterns associated with bugs. This accelerates bug detection and resolution by pinpointing relevant information.
6. Test Environment Management: AI can dynamically set up, configure, and manage test environments. This reduces the overhead of environment setup, allowing testers to focus more on actual testing.
7. Automated Bug Triage: AI can categorize and prioritize incoming bug reports based on historical data and severity. It then assigns these reports to the appropriate developers or teams, expediting bug resolution.
8. Performance Testing: AI can simulate real-world user loads to identify performance bottlenecks and stress points in an application. This aids in optimizing performance before deployment.
9. Usability Testing: Through simulated user interactions, AI identifies usability issues and suggests improvements to enhance the overall user experience. This ensures that the software meets user expectations.
10. Regression Testing Automation: AI automates the process of running regression tests when new code is added. By quickly identifying any regressions, this approach ensures that new changes do not disrupt existing functionality.

As we can see, integrating AI in software testing offers multiple benefits. It accelerates testing cycles, enhances accuracy and test coverage, and reduces human error and effort, thereby allowing testers to focus on more complex, high-level tasks. Besides, AI can perform testing tasks round the clock, enabling continuous testing and faster feedback on code changes without human intervention. And that’s not an excessive list of perks that AI brings to the software development process.

However, integrating AI into existing testing workflows requires expertise and careful consideration of the specific tools and techniques that align with the project’s goals and needs. Besides, implementing AI in software testing can be risky due to potential algorithm biases, data quality, ethical considerations, and the complexity of software behavior. Further, we will consider these risks in more detail.

Potential Risks AI Poses to Software Testing Outcomes

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the software testing process, it is vital to recognize the potential risks and threats that come hand-in-hand with innovations. From biases entrenched in AI algorithms to concerns about data privacy and explainability issues, this section delves into significant risks that accompany the implementation of AI-driven testing. By exploring these pitfalls, we can navigate the intricate balance between harnessing AI’s power and ensuring a responsible, ethical, and secure testing approach.

Bias in Test Case Generation

AI systems learn from historical data, and if that data contains biases, the AI model can perpetuate and amplify those biases. AI-driven test case generation can inadvertently introduce biases into the testing process. For instance, if an AI algorithm is trained predominantly on positive test cases, it might overlook critical negative scenarios. This can lead to incomplete test coverage and diminish the effectiveness of testing efforts. To avoid that, employ diverse training data that covers a wide range of user demographics and behaviors. Implement bias detection and mitigation techniques during both the training and testing phases. Incorporate human oversight and regularly review the AI model to ensure ongoing fairness.

Limited Human Understanding

Complex AI algorithms can generate test cases that are difficult for humans to comprehend. The lack of transparency in the decision-making process of AI-generated test cases can hinder developers’ ability to understand the tests, diagnose issues, and make informed decisions for improvements. To cope with that, prioritize human expertise in reviewing and validating AI-generated tests to ensure they align with QA engineers’ understanding of the system’s behavior. You can also develop visualization tools that simplify complex scenarios for human understanding and conduct regular knowledge-sharing sessions between AI and testing teams to bridge the gap.

Data Privacy and Security

AI testing requires access to substantial amounts of data, which can raise concerns about data privacy and security breaches if the data is not properly handled, stored, and anonymized. Implementing strong, all-round security measures for sensitive data used in AI testing is the key as well as regular audit and monitoring data handling practices.

False Positives and Negatives

AI-driven testing tools can sometimes generate false positives (indicating problems that don’t exist) or false negatives (missing actual issues). False positives can lead to wasted time and effort investigating non-existent problems, while false negatives can result in crucial defects escaping detection. By conducting comprehensive validation of AI-generated results, and integrating human expertise to review and confirm test outcomes, this risk can be minimized.

Overemphasis on Automation

An overreliance on AI-driven testing might lead to a decreased emphasis on human intuition, creativity, and domain knowledge. This could result in missing exploratory testing that human testers excel at. Counter overemphasis on automation by maintaining a balanced approach. Incorporate exploratory testing, encourage human testers to provide domain expertise, and ensure that AI complements human intuition rather than replacing it completely.

Dependency on Training Data

If the training data used to train AI models is limited or doesn’t encompass a wide range of scenarios, the AI might struggle to generalize effectively to real-world situations. The risk is particularly relevant when dealing with rare or novel events that are underrepresented in the training data. This can lead to poor performance when faced with inputs or situations that differ from the training data, resulting in suboptimal outcomes and reduced reliability of the AI system. QA engineers should ensure diverse and comprehensive training data that covers a wide spectrum of possible inputs, regularly update the training data, implement data augmentation and synthetic data generation techniques to fill gaps. Additionally, incorporate techniques such as transfer learning for AI to leverage knowledge from related domains and enhance its performance in new contexts.

Ethical Considerations

AI decisions can have ethical implications, especially in areas where human judgment, empathy, and contextual understanding are critical. If AI is solely responsible for test case generation, it could overlook certain user perspectives, leading to products that cater only to specific demographics or user behaviors. Address ethical considerations by setting clear ethical guidelines, conducting thorough ethical reviews, and continuously monitoring AI behavior for potential biases or unintended consequences.

Skill Gap

The demand for specialized expertise in AI techniques and technologies exceeds the available supply of skilled professionals. This can lead to challenges in effectively implementing and maintaining AI systems, resulting in suboptimal outcomes, increased costs, and delayed projects. Bridging the skill gap requires investments in training and upskilling to ensure that testing teams possess the necessary knowledge to leverage AI effectively.

Balancing AI’s strengths with human expertise is key to navigating the challenges successfully and reap the benefits of AI-powered software testing. By embracing transparency, rigorous validation, and continuous monitoring, we can harness AI’s capabilities while minimizing its pitfalls and ensure that our pursuit of innovation remains steadfast and secure.

Under What Conditions AI-Powered Software Testing Can Be Trusted?

Credible AI testing approaches inspire confidence in developers, testers, and stakeholders, enabling informed decision-making and efficient bug resolution. Ensuring the reliability, accuracy, and ethical soundness of AI in software testing demands a thorough exploration of the prerequisites that establish a foundation of trust. Here are fundamental criteria that trustworthy AI-powered software should meet.

Validation and Verification. AI testing tools must undergo rigorous validation and verification to establish their accuracy and effectiveness. Extensive testing against known benchmarks and real-world scenarios helps ensure the AI reliably detects bugs, vulnerabilities, and performance issues.

Transparent Decision-Making. Trust in AI-powered testing relies on transparency. Developers and testers should be able to understand how the AI arrives at its decisions and recommendations. Explainable AI techniques, such as model interpretability methods, provide insights into the factors influencing AI-generated test cases and results.

Ethical Guidelines. AI testing tools must adhere to ethical guidelines to avoid biases, discrimination, and unfairness. Developers should be cautious about the training data used, ensuring it is diverse and representative. Regular monitoring and audits should be conducted to identify and rectify any potential ethical concerns.

Human Oversight and Expertise. While AI can enhance testing, human expertise is crucial for ensuring the relevance and accuracy of the generated test cases. Human testers should collaborate with AI systems to validate results, confirm the significance of detected issues, and provide domain-specific insights that AI might miss.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation. AI models used for testing should continuously learn and adapt. This involves updating the models with new data and insights to account for changing software features, user behaviors, and emerging trends. Regular model updates prevent stagnation and ensure the AI remains effective and beneficial for software quality assurance and testing (lightpointgl0bal dotcom — software-testing).

Comprehensive Testing Approach. AI should complement existing testing methods, not replace them entirely. Trust is built when AI is integrated into a comprehensive testing strategy that includes manual testing, automated testing, and exploratory testing. This approach provides diverse perspectives and validates AI-generated results.

Validation in Real-world Scenarios. AI-generated tests should be validated in real-world scenarios to ensure they accurately reflect user interactions, system behaviors, and potential issues. This validation helps bridge the gap between controlled testing environments and real-world usage.

Data Privacy and Security Measures. AI-powered testing involves accessing and analyzing data. Trust is built when robust data privacy and security measures are in place to protect sensitive information. Strong encryption, anonymization, and access controls should be implemented to prevent data breaches.

Collaboration Between AI and Human Testers. Collaboration between AI experts and human testers is essential. Trust is fostered when AI developers and testers work together to fine-tune AI models, validate results, address issues, and refine testing strategies based on real-world feedback.

Validation against Historical Data. AI-powered testing should be validated against historical data from past software releases. This ensures that the AI can accurately detect known issues and vulnerabilities identified and addressed in earlier versions.

Thorough Testing of AI Models. AI models used in testing should themselves be thoroughly tested to identify any potential biases, weaknesses, or vulnerabilities. Rigorous testing and validation of AI models contribute to their reliability and accuracy.

Feedback Loop and Continuous Improvement. Trust is established when there is a feedback loop between developers and AI systems. Regular feedback from human testers and developers helps improve the accuracy of AI-generated test cases, addressing any issues that arise.

Organizations should be mindful of these conditions to ensure that AI-powered testing becomes an integral and reliable component of their full-cycle software development process. By adhering to these conditions, they can harness the benefits of AI while maintaining the highest standards of software quality.

Closing Remarks

As we unlock the power of AI, the careful assessment of its trustworthiness becomes not just a requirement but a cornerstone in our pursuit of software excellence. The collaboration between AI and human expertise, combined with comprehensive testing strategies, forms the bedrock of credibility. By adhering to rigorous validation, transparency, ethical considerations, and real-world validation, we can ensure that AI contributes to the advancement of software development while maintaining the highest standards of reliability and accuracy.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

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With the rapid shift in the digital space, there has been a high demand for skilled software developers. Interestingly, the traditional hiring model is no longer the only option to get your team, as the emergence of remote work has ushered in a new era of talent acquisition, where geographical boundaries no longer limit your choices. Hence, this article will explore the concept of remote software development teams, their advantages, and how they differ from dedicated teams while providing a step-by-step guide on building your own remote dream team. Now, let’s delve in.

What is a Remote Software Development Team?

You might probably know what remote work means. Now, let’s define what a remote software development team entails. Simply put, it’s a group of highly skilled software developers, designers, and other tech professionals who work together on projects from different locations, often spread across the globe. This implies they collaborate on a project without being in the same physical office and wondering how to communicate and collaborate. They typically use communication tools such as video conferencing, project management software, and messaging apps to stay in touch. When it comes to building an efficient and productive remote software development team, you may want to consider partnering with Sloboda Studio. Incredible, right? Let’s look at some benefits of a remote software development team.

Benefits of Remote Software Development Teams

Below are some benefits of remote software development teams:

• Global Talent Pool: A major merit of remote teams is access to a broader talent pool of professional developers. Why? This is because you’re not limited to hiring developers from your local area. Hence, you can search for experts with specific skills and experiences needed to handle the development of bespoke software for your projects.

• Cost-Efficiency: Do you have a limited budget for your projects? Do you want to save some extra bucks? You need not worry. Remote teams often offer cost savings compared to in-house teams. More so, you can benefit from competitive pricing based on the region you hire from, which will reduce operational costs.

• Flexibility: Based on the demands of your project, remote teams provide flexibility in scaling your workforce up or down. This is particularly helpful for startups and businesses with unstable workloads. Again, remote teams don’t have to adhere to traditional office hours. A significant advantage if you have team members in different time zones, right? Absolutely!

• Diverse Perspectives: Leveraging different experiences is a major gain of hiring a remote software development team. It increases your chances of getting more creative and innovative solutions.

• Improved productivity: There have been studies done that reveal that remote workers are often more productive than in-house office workers. And this is not unconnected to the fact that they have fewer distractions and can work in a more comfortable environment.

Remote Software Teams vs. Dedicated Software Teams. Is There a Difference?

Of course, these terms may sound alike, but key differences exist. Why? Dedicated teams are often a subset of your in-house team, while remote teams work independently from various locations. Below is a table summarizing the key differences between remote software teams and dedicated software teams:

How to Hire a Remote Software Development Team in 10 Steps

Before hiring a remote software development team, you must understand it requires careful planning and execution. Below are ten essential steps to guide you through the hiring process, from defining your project needs to onboarding your team members:

• Define Your Project Goals

It’s essential to define your project requirements. What kind of software do you need developed? How about the specific features and functionality that you need? What are your budget and timeline constraints? All of these questions have to be answered.

• Legal and Compliance Considerations

This is very important and must be taken seriously. For your project, you need to be aware of the compliance regulations. This will help to assure you that your project is carried out within the confines of the law.

• Create a Detailed Job Description

The job description should clearly state the position’s requirements, including the skills, experience, and qualifications you are looking for. This is important for specifics.

• Post the Job Description

Check out the different platforms where you can post your job description. You could post on job boards, social media, and your company’s website.

• Screen and Select the Best Candidates

As soon as you have received applications, it’s important to screen the candidates to find the best fit for your team. This may involve reviewing resumes, conducting phone interviews, and scheduling in-person interviews.

• Conduct Technical Interviews

Using technical interviews, you can assess the skills and experience of the candidates. It’s an avenue to ask questions about the candidate’s experience with specific programming languages, frameworks, and technologies.

• Make an Offer

Are you satisfied with any candidate? Then, you will need to make an offer. However, negotiate the salary and benefits package to ensure a fair offer for both parties.

• Onboard the New Team Member

If the new team member accepts your offer, you will need to onboard them to your team. This includes providing them with access to the project, the team’s communication tools, and any other resources they may need.

• Manage the Team

To manage the team effectively, you have to set clear goals and expectations, provide regular feedback, and resolve any issues that may arise.

• Evaluate the Team’s Performance

It is important to evaluate the team’s performance regularly to ensure they meet your expectations. This may involve reviewing their work, conducting performance reviews, and providing feedback. Evaluation would allow you to monitor the progress status of your project adequately.

Best Countries to Hire Remote Development Teams From

Remote software development teams are not created equally. Location matters, as it can significantly impact the quality of talent, cost, and communication. Check out some of the best countries to consider when hiring a remote development team based on their strengths and specialties. Of course, there are many great countries to hire remote development teams from. Here are a few of the top contenders:

India: India is a leading destination for outsourcing software development, with a large pool of skilled and experienced developers. The cost of living in India is also relatively low, making it a cost-effective option for many businesses.

Nigeria: Nigeria is an African country with a fast-growing IT sector. The country has a large pool of skilled developers fluent in English. Nigeria is also a good option for businesses looking for developers familiar with the European market.

Poland: Poland is a European country with a strong IT sector. The country has a large pool of skilled developers fluent in English. Poland is also a good option for businesses looking for developers familiar with European standards and regulations.

3 Examples of the Best Remote Software Development Teams to Hire

For your hiring process, below are three examples of renowned remote software development teams that have significantly impacted the tech industry. These teams have demonstrated excellence in various domains, and you can leverage them for your project.

Wazobia Technologies: If you need to create bespoke software applications for your business or projects, you should check out this top firm. Wazobia Technologies has a reputable team of developers spread across the globe to help with your projects. Their services are unique and reliable.

Fiverr: This is a giant online marketplace where you can hire freelancers for various projects. Fiverr is a good option for finding affordable developers, but it is essential to be aware that the quality of the developers on Fiverr can vary.

Toptal: This is a global network of top freelance developers. They have a rigorous vetting process to ensure that their developers are the best of the best. Toptal also offers a satisfaction guarantee, so you can be sure you are hiring the right team for your project.

Conclusion

The era of remote work has reshaped the way we build software. Remote software development teams now offer many benefits, from accessing global talent to cost-efficiency and flexibility. Following the steps outlined in this article and considering the best countries and examples, you can assemble a remote dream team capable of turning your software visions into reality. However, while hiring a remote software development team, remember that success hinges on careful planning, clear communication, and facilitating a culture of collaboration.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Pexels; Thank you!

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Think about the last software program you purchased for your employees. You may have needed only one or two of its features, so you kept the previous program that your employees used before as well. After that was implemented, you noticed that a few essential features of your business’s analytics software don’t work with the new software. As a result, you purchased a data and analytics add-on specifically for the latest software. To complicate matters even more, your BI team must keep using the previous data tool since it offers features the new one does not.

If that situation sounds chaotic, that’s because it is. Tech sprawl is a real problem. Tech sprawl can be defined as the process where companies overload different, overlapping software programs, cloud applications, or technology products in order to fill a gap. Companies end up having one, two, or three of every type of software imaginable, using each one only for one or two features.

The negative impact of tech sprawl

Eighty percent of IT leaders believe that tech sprawl is one of companies’ biggest problems. (https://www.idginsiderpro.com/article/3614785/the-battle-to-combat-data-sprawl-what-cios-need-to-do-now.html). The following adverse effects stemming from the phenomenon are examples of how it slows down digital transformation. Learn what they are and how to avoid falling victim to tech sprawl.

1. Tech sprawl is expensive. Purchasing numerous programs or products to use one or two features from each one isn’t only impractical but also costs money. The licensing fees can quickly add up, and new tech tools are generally pretty pricey. Many times, the software a company purchases becomes buried under newer programs and is easily forgotten. An estimated 40 billion dollars a year is spent on unused software. When businesses seek to cut costs, they inadvertently inundate themselves with more debt by purchasing too many technology-related products.
2. Tech sprawl is risky. When companies use too many programs in their workflow processes, they leave private data vulnerable to cyber-attacks. It can be impossible to track and secure every single program employees use. As employees incorporate new cloud-based programs into their workflows, their IT department must learn new security measures for those applications. As tech sprawl grows, the average IT department simply cannot handle the high demand. This leaves many unprotected files at risk for data breaches.
3. Tech sprawl leads to siloed data. Siloed data is a major problem in companies that use various programs in their operations. Since not all software programs “speak” to each other, employees must learn how to use different applications and save login details for each one. When this problem arises in a contact center, agents could find themselves trying to access a program they accidentally uninstalled or forgot the password. This can lead to very unhappy customers if this type of scenario occurs while on the phone with an agent.
4. Tech sprawl hinders good communication within the company. Many software applications allow users to easily communicate with one another by simply tagging them within the app and relaying the message they wish to send. Problems could arise when the recipient does not use that program and fails to get a notification. Sometimes, they haven’t learned how to use it. In other instances, employees may send each other files that can only be opened with a program that the recipients do not have. This can become a more significant problem if several employees use different programs and run into the aforementioned scenarios daily. Messages get lost, employees become confused, and frustration builds up as simple projects take too long to execute.

One platform changes everything

Now that so many companies offer work-from-home options or have converted to 100% remote, tech sprawl is a problem that they definitely want to avoid. Transforming your contact center into a fully digital one is much easier when all agents need is one program to work.

Implementing a unified and customizable omnichannel cloud platform (livevox.com/what is a cloud based) in your contact center’s workflows is exactly how companies avoid falling into the tech sprawl trap. An omnichannel platform brings all the central components of a contact center’s operations under one roof. The RoI numbers speak for themselves: companies saw a 229% return on their investments after eliminating wasteful programs and using the platform.

Unlike other hosted programs, a cloud-based platform employs top cybersecurity talent to ensure customer data is safe and secure from cyberattacks. They also boast several certifications, such as PCI DSS and (AICPA) SOC 2.

Since the platform houses all the tools an agent needs to do their job, the extra software programs or cloud applications aren’t necessary anymore. Those additional cybersecurity risks are eliminated because all your operations stem from one highly secured platform.

Siloed data is no longer a problem once companies switch over to an omnichannel platform. The platform provides everything a contact center needs, from analytics to quality management and sales support to agent performance tools. Agents do not have to worry about navigating different programs; everything will be easily accessible in one place.

Watch your company’s productivity increase as communication improves. A cloud-based platform offers personalized notifications for users. All communication can be done through the platform that everybody has access to. Since it provides major departments of a contact center with all they need to do their jobs, the concern over communicating through various different programs is eliminated.

Tech sprawl is undoubtedly a problem now that most companies have moved to cloud-based solutions. With some due diligence and the use of one omnichannel platform, wasteful programs and overspending are much better controlled. Your contact center will benefit as your agents provide a positive experience for your customers with the help of a cloud-based omnichannel platform.

Featured Image Credit: Aleksandar Pasaric; Pexels; Thank you!

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In today’s digital age, business efficiency is not just beneficial; it’s essential. Organizations need to stay ahead of the curve with rapidly evolving markets and increasing competition. One way to achieve this is through custom software services.

Custom software development tailors software to specific user or organizational needs. It can range from creating a system to run your finance department to a customer-centric app for your sales team.

The Role of Custom Software in Business Efficiency

In the realm of business efficiency, custom software development plays a key role. It enhances processes by automating repetitive tasks, minimizing room for error, and enabling teams to focus on their core competencies. For instance, a custom CRM system streamlines customer management, enhances sales forecasts, and personalizes interactions.

Significant Benefits of Custom Software for Business Efficiency

The benefits of employing custom software development services for business efficiency are numerous. For instance, automation reduces manual labor and boosts productivity. Scalability allows businesses to adapt to growth and change. Integrating existing systems leads to streamlined operations, and enhanced security measures protect sensitive business data.

Indeed, let’s enumerate a few key benefits of custom software for business efficiency:

• Automation: By automating repetitive tasks, custom software reduces manual labor and boosts productivity.
• Scalability: Custom software is designed to grow and adapt with your business, ensuring it stays relevant and efficient as the organization evolves.
• Integration: Custom software can seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, ensuring a streamlined workflow and reduced disruptions.
• Security: Custom software can be built with enhanced security measures to protect sensitive business data, providing you with peace of mind.
• Competitive Advantage: Custom software can provide unique features specific to your business needs, giving you an edge over competitors who rely on off-the-shelf software solutions.
• Cost-Effective: While the initial investment might be higher, custom software can prove more cost-effective in the long run due to its adaptability, exclusivity, and long-term usability.

Comparison with Off-the-Shelf Software

While off-the-shelf software may provide immediate solutions, custom software outshines it in terms of efficiency. Custom software is built specifically to cater to your business needs, offering features that generic software often lacks. It’s the difference between a one-size-fits-all approach and a tailored solution that fits like a glove.

Sure, let’s expand on the comparison with additional bullet points:

• Personalized User Experience: Custom software allows for a user interface specifically designed for your employees’ workflows, improving usability and efficiency.
• Future-Proofing: With custom software, you’re not dependent on a vendor’s roadmap. You control the updates and improvements to ensure the software continues to meet your business needs.
• Ownership: You own the custom software. This means no ongoing license fees and the flexibility to modify the software as you see fit.
• Support and Maintenance: With custom software, you’ll receive dedicated support and maintenance from the developers who know the system inside and out, leading to quicker resolution of issues.
• Integration Capabilities: Custom software can offer superior integration capabilities with your existing tools and software, reducing friction in your operations.

Implementing Custom Software Development for Business Efficiency

Custom software development demands careful planning, considering cost, time, and company needs. Establishing a clear set of objectives and communicating them effectively with your software development team is crucial.

• Cost Efficiency: Custom software can become more cost-efficient over time than off-the-shelf solutions. Though the upfront cost is higher, adaptable software can save on future expenses.
• Competitive Advantage: Custom software provides unique functionality tailored to your business processes, which can give you an edge over competitors using generic software solutions.
• Scalability: Custom software can be modified and scaled to accommodate increased workload or expanded operations as your business grows, ensuring seamless growth.
• Security: Custom software can be designed with specific security needs in mind, reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing data protection.
• Customer Satisfaction: Custom software can improve customer service by automating processes, providing timely responses, and personalizing customer interactions.

How to Choose a Custom Software Development Company for Your Business

Choosing the right custom software development company is essential in streamlining your business operations and driving efficiency. Here are some considerations to bear in mind:

1. Expertise and Experience: Evaluate the company’s custom software development services expertise. Consider their years of experience, the complexity of projects they’ve handled, and their knowledge in your business domain.
2. Portfolio: Inspect the portfolio of the custom software development company. Look at the range of projects they’ve completed and their success rate.
3. Technical Skills: Ensure the company is proficient in the technologies and platforms relevant to your project. This includes programming languages, software architectures, database technologies, and more.
4. Communication: Clear, timely communication is crucial. The custom software development company should be able to articulate complex technical concepts in simple terms.
5. Budget and Timeline: Consider your budget and project timeline. The company should be able to deliver within your budget and meet your deadlines.
6. Client Testimonials and Reviews: Look at client testimonials and reviews to understand the company’s reputation and reliability.
7. Post-Development Support: After-sale support is crucial. The company should provide maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting after deploying the software.

Consider these factors when choosing a company for tailored software solutions.

Conclusion

Custom software development services are a powerful tool for businesses aiming to improve efficiency. Despite potential challenges, the benefits make it a worthwhile investment.

Choosing the right custom software development company is key to a tailored, powerful solution for your business. It’s more than just a transaction; it’s a partnership where shared visions, open communication, and expert technical skills mesh to create a software solution that propels your business to new heights of efficiency. Undoubtedly, the journey may present challenges, but with a competent software development partner, these can be navigated and overcome. Custom software is an investment with long-term dividends: streamlined operations, lower overhead, and increased productivity. Therefore, it’s paramount to be meticulous in your selection process, ensuring your chosen partner aligns with your budget, timeline, and business objectives to reap the benefits of custom software development.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

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In today’s digital era, video content has become the dominant medium for communication, entertainment, and education. Whether running an online business, hosting webinars, or sharing knowledge through eLearning platforms, efficient video delivery is crucial. Enter the world of “Video Streaming Engine,” a versatile solution that can revolutionize how you handle video content. In this blog, we’ll dive deep into the concept of a video streaming engine, its benefits, features, platforms, and how to harness its potential for your needs.

What is a Video Streaming Engine?

A Video Streaming Engine is a powerful server software designed to facilitate the efficient and secure delivery of video content over the internet. It is the backbone of video streaming services, providing the infrastructure required for encoding, transcoding, storing, and distributing video files. A streaming engine solution is essential for video hosting platforms and organizations that require seamless, high-quality video streaming.

Benefits of Using a Video Streaming Engine:

1. High-Quality Video Delivery:

• Optimized Streaming: Video streaming engines are equipped to handle various formats and codecs, ensuring your viewers experience high-quality playback.
• Adaptive Streaming: Implement adaptive bitrate streaming to adjust video quality based on viewers’ internet connections, providing uninterrupted playback.

2. Enhanced Security:

• Content Protection: Utilize encryption and Digital Rights Management (DRM) to secure your videos against unauthorized access and piracy.
• Access Control: Set access permissions, authentication, and IP restrictions to control who can view your content.

3. Scalability and Performance:

• Server-Side Scaling: Streaming engines can scale horizontally, allowing for the distribution of load and ensuring smooth performance even during peak usage.
• Low Latency: Achieve low-latency streaming for real-time applications like live broadcasting and interactive content.

4. Analytics and Insights:

• Viewer Analytics: Gain valuable insights into viewer behavior, engagement, and preferences, allowing for data-driven decisions.
• Content Monetization: Implement analytics to track revenue-generating content and maximize ROI.

5. Cross-Platform Compatibility:

• Multi-Device Support: Ensuring video content is accessible across various devices, including desktops, smartphones, and smart TVs.
• Content Delivery Networks (CDN): Streamline content distribution across a global network of servers for faster delivery to viewers worldwide.

Platforms for Video Streaming Engines:

Several popular video streaming engines and solutions are available in the market, catering to diverse needs and budgets. Some notable platforms include:

Muvi Flex:

• Overview: Muvi Flex is a comprehensive and customizable video streaming platform that caters to businesses and content creators. It offers various features for video monetization, content management, and user engagement.
• Key Features:
  • • White-label Solution: You can create your branded streaming service.
    • Monetization Options: Supports various revenue models, including subscription, pay-per-view, and advertising.
    • Multi-Device Support: Ensures video playback on smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs.
    • Analytics: Provides detailed viewer analytics to help you understand your audience better.

Wowza Streaming Engine:

• Overview: Wowza Streaming Engine is a popular, versatile, and scalable video streaming server software. It is known for its robustness and flexibility, making it suitable for various streaming needs.
• Key Features:
  • • Low Latency Streaming: Enables real-time streaming for interactive applications.
    • Security: Offers security features like encryption, DRM, and access control.
    • Scalability: Can scale horizontally to handle high traffic loads.
    • Live Streaming: Ideal for live events and broadcasts.

Adobe Media Server:

• Overview: Adobe Media Server is a comprehensive streaming solution focusing on interactive and real-time streaming applications. It’s particularly well-suited for media and gaming companies.
• Key Features:
  • • RTMP and HLS Support: Supports multiple streaming protocols for maximum compatibility.
    • Dynamic Streaming: Provides adaptive streaming for various devices and bandwidths.
    • Real-Time Messaging: Enables interactive applications, chat, and gaming.
    • Multi-Platform Support: Works with Flash, HTML5, and mobile devices.

Nginx with the RTMP Module:

• Overview: Nginx with the RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) module is an open-source option for building a video streaming server. It’s known for its high-performance and flexibility.
• Key Features:
  • • Cost-Effective: Being open source, it’s a cost-effective solution.
    • High Performance: Nginx is known for its speed and efficiency.
    • RTMP Streaming: Supports the RTMP protocol for live streaming.
    • Community Support: Active community provides updates and support.

JW Player:

• Overview: JW Player is a widely-used video player and streaming platform known for its ease of use and robust features.
• Key Features:
  • • Cross-Platform Playback: Supports a wide range of devices and browsers.
    • Customization: Highly customizable video player to match your branding.
    • Ad Integration: Monetization through advertising.
    • Analytics: Provides detailed video performance insights.

Kaltura:

• Overview: Kaltura is an open-source video platform focusing on managing, distributing, and monetizing. It’s widely used in educational institutions and enterprises.
• Key Features:
  • • Video Management: Easily manage and organize video content.
    • DRM Support: Provides Digital Rights Management for content protection.
    • Interactive Video: Allows for the creation of interactive and immersive video experiences.
    • Integration: Integrates with various content management systems and platforms.

How to Use a Video Streaming Engine:

1. Installation and Setup:

• Choose a suitable video streaming engine based on your requirements and budget.
• Install the software on your server or cloud infrastructure.
• Configure settings, including video storage, encoding parameters, and security measures.

2. Video Ingestion:

• Upload your video content to the streaming engine.
• Configure video profiles for different resolutions and bitrates.

3. Content Security:

• Implement encryption, DRM, and access controls to protect your content.
• Set up authentication mechanisms and user access rules.

4. Encoding and Transcoding:

• Use the engine’s encoding capabilities to ensure compatibility with various devices and bandwidths.
• Transcode videos into adaptive streaming formats like HLS or DASH.

5. Content Delivery:

• Utilize Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to optimize video delivery.
• Monitor performance and make necessary adjustments for scalability.

6. Analytics and Optimization:

• Implement analytics tools to gather insights on viewer behavior and content performance.
• Optimize video content based on data-driven decisions.

In conclusion, a Video Streaming Engine is an indispensable tool for video content delivery. Whether you’re a video hosting platform like muvi dot com slash flex — or an eLearning provider, or running live events, a well-chosen streaming engine can provide a seamless, secure, and high-quality viewing experience for your audience. It’s time to embrace the power of video streaming engines and take your video content to the next level.

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Later today, at the “Sneak” Adobe Max event, Adobe will introduce its latest innovation, Project ResUp. According to The Verge, this AI-driven tool is capable of upscaling low-resolution videos, enhancing their quality and clarity.

Enhancing video quality with AI

Project ResUp, still in its preview stage, uses artificial intelligence to upscale videos, making them sharper and clearer. The technology aims to transform low-quality footage into high-definition content, a game-changer for video editors and content creators.

Adobe is expected to demonstrate the tool’s capabilities during the event, showcasing its potential in enhancing older, grainy videos. The Verge, having had an early look at the tool, reported significant improvements in the clarity and detail of upscaled videos.

The anticipated announcement of Adobe’s Project ResUp is yet another glimpse at the future of the tech industry — and at the company’s intention to leverage AI in its suite of tools. As video content continues to dominate online platforms, the demand for high-quality visuals has never been greater. Adobe’s new tool could be a boon for creators looking to revitalize older content or enhance current projects.

While Project ResUp is still in the pre-launch phase, its potential impact on the video editing industry is exciting. As major industry players continue innovating with AI, tools like this highlight the expanding possibilities of technology on the horizon.

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I’ll start by taking you to the world of Startup X, a passionate team of entrepreneurs who believed they had the next big thing in the world of software as a service (SaaS). They poured their hearts and souls into creating an innovative product fueled by the desire to make a difference in the lives of their target audience.

However, despite their best efforts, they struggled to gain traction. They faced the disappointment of seeing their hard work go unnoticed and the frustration of feeling like they were missing something crucial. That’s when they realized they needed help.

Do you find yourself and your project in a similar position? Pouring your heart and soul into a project only to see it fall flat? It’s disheartening, but sadly, this is one experience that many startup founders face. The good news is that there’s hope!

Startup X reached out to a product design services provider, and with their help, they were able to turn their fortunes around. The product design team helped them identify their users’ pain points and redesign the product to provide a more seamless customer experience. The impact was nothing short of miraculous.

I understand the struggles that come with being a startup founder. I know how it feels to be passionate about an idea and watch it struggle to take off. In this article, I’ll share some best practices and real-life examples of successful product design for SaaS companies. The goal is to create products that meet but exceed the expectations of your audience.

Why Is Design Important for SaaS?

Design plays a crucial role in the success of SaaS products, whether it is a SaaS application or SaaS website. It makes the product more user-friendly and can also help build trust with customers and differentiate the product from competitors in the SaaS market.

Research has shown that good design can impact a company’s financial performance!

According to a design study spanning 10 year conducted by the Design Management Institute, design-driven companies outperform the S&P 500 by 228%!

So, if you’re running a SaaS company, never skimp on design! Here are some more reasons why design is essential for any SaaS model:

1. User experience

The success of a SaaS software product largely depends on how well it meets the needs of its users.

Design helps create an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it easier for users to navigate the product and perform the desired actions.

A well-designed SaaS application can reduce the learning curve, enhance user satisfaction, and increase the chances of retaining customers.

1. 2. Branding

The design of a SaaS product can help communicate the brand’s value proposition, personality, and identity.

A visually appealing and consistent design can help create a strong brand image and differentiate the product from competitors.

3. Functionality

Good design helps ensure a SaaS product is visually pleasing and functional. A well-designed product takes into account usability, accessibility, and scalability, which are all essential for a successful SaaS product.

4. Trust and credibility

A poorly designed software-as-a-service product can create a negative perception of the brand and reduce trust and credibility. On the other hand, a well-designed product can build trust and credibility with users, making them more likely to recommend the product to others.

How to Design a SaaS Product for Startups (A 6-step Approach)

To successfully design a SaaS product, you must understand your users deeply. Here is a 6-step approach that can help you achieve that:

1. Understand the User

A SaaS design done without the user in mind is an effort in futility! It’s the most reliable recipe for disaster!

Here are what to do on the journey to design a SaaS product to be able to understand your user:

• Conduct user research: By doing this, you can better understand what your users need and what challenges they face. You can conduct user research through surveys, interviews, or usability testing. And it’s a great way to get direct feedback from your potential customers2.
• Create user personas: User personas are fictional representations of your target users. They can help you understand their goals, motivations, and behaviors. Creating user personas can also help you design a product that meets the needs of your prospective audience.
• Use data analytics: Data analytics can provide valuable insights into how users interact with your product. By analyzing user behavior and usage patterns, you should be able to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven design decisions.

2. Make an Appealing User Interface Design

• The user interface is the face of your software-as-a-service product. And it’s often the first impression users have of your brand.
• A well-designed UI can make it easy for users to navigate your product, complete tasks, and achieve their goals. In contrast, a poorly designed user interface can lead to frustration, confusion, and, ultimately, user churn.
• Investing in UI design can also help differentiate your product in the SaaS market. By creating a unique and visually appealing interface, you can capture your audience’s attention and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

3. Best practices for UI design

When it comes to designing UI for your SaaS product, there are a few best practices to keep in mind:

• Keep it simple: A cluttered and confusing interface can lead to frustration and user churn. Keep the interface simple, intuitive, and easy to navigate.

• Prioritize user experience: Focus on creating an interface that meets the needs of your audience and provides a seamless customer experience. Conduct user testing and gather feedback to ensure your interface meets user needs.
• Consistency is key: Maintain consistency throughout your interface regarding design elements, layout, and interaction patterns. This will help create a cohesive and familiar user experience.
• Pay attention to visual design: A visually appealing interface can significantly impact the user experience. Use color, typography, and imagery strategically to create a unique and memorable interface.

Some examples of effective UI from top SaaS companies

Some SaaS software services have achieved great success through effective user interface design. Here are a few examples:

• Asana: Asana’s UI design is clean, simple, and easy to navigate, making it a favorite among users. The design of the SaaS platform is consistent, with straightforward typography, whitespace, and a cohesive color scheme.

• Slack: Slack is one of the best digital products on the market. Part of the reason is that the SaaS website is visually appealing, with a vibrant color palette and playful illustrations. The interface is intuitive, with a straightforward layout that makes it easy for users to find what they need.

• Canva: Canva, a graphic design SaaS platform, has a visually stunning UI design with design that emphasizes the user’s creative output. The interface of the SaaS website is easy to use, with straightforward navigation and a consistent design.

By following best practices and drawing inspiration from effective user interfaces, you can create a SaaS platform with an interface that meets and exceeds user expectations.

Build a Seamless User Experience

User experience design is creating a user-centric product that meets user needs and goals, according to Techloging.com. A well-designed user experience can increase user engagement and drive customer loyalty. A SaaS UX design that is intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable can significantly impact user satisfaction, retention, and overall success.

Investing in UX design can also help differentiate your product from competitors. By providing UX that exceeds user expectations, you can create a memorable and positive experience, encouraging users to stay and recommend your product to others.

Best practices for UX design

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when making a seamless UX design for your SaaS product:

• Conduct user research: Conduct user research to understand your audience’s needs, goals, and pain points. Use this information to inform your design decisions and create a product that meets user needs.

• Create user personas: Create user personas that represent your targets. This can help you better understand your users and design a user experience that meets their needs and goals.

• Prioritize usability: Prioritize usability by creating an easy-to-use, efficient, and intuitive product. Focus on building a user experience that allows users to complete tasks quickly and without confusion.

• Feedback and guidance: Provide users feedback and advice throughout the customer journey. This can help users understand what actions to take next and reduce frustration and confusion.

• Continuously iterate: Iterate and improve the user experience based on customer feedback and the most relevant data. This can help you create a UX design that evolves with user needs and expectations.

Some examples of effective user experiences

Some SaaS platforms have achieved great success through effective UX design. Here are a few examples:

• Dropbox: Dropbox provides a seamless user experience by making it easy to store, share, and access files across devices. The user interface is intuitive, with straightforward navigation and feedback throughout the customer journey.

• HubSpot: HubSpot provides a comprehensive user experience with marketing, sales, and customer service tools. The UI of the SaaS website is consistent, with a clean and easy-to-navigate design that prioritizes usability.

• Zoom: Zoom provides a user experience that lets users quickly and easily join and host video meetings. The interface is straightforward, with clear instructions and feedback that guide users through the process.

Develop a Unique Brand Identity

As a SaaS startup, you’re entering a crowded and competitive market. And one of the best ways to stand out is by developing a solid brand identity that resonates with your targets.

Your brand identity is more than just a logo or a name. It’s the essence of who you are as a company. It sets you apart from the competition and helps you connect with your customers.

Think about it – when you hear the name “Apple” or “Google,” what comes to mind? Their brand identity is so strong that it’s immediately recognizable. And it’s helped them become some of the most successful companies in the world.

However, developing a brand identity isn’t just about creating a logo or picking out some colors. It’s about understanding your target audience, defining your values and mission, and creating a consistent voice and tone across all touchpoints. It’s about building trust and connecting with your customers beyond just your product.

By developing a strong brand identity, you can differentiate yourself from competitors, build brand loyalty, and establish a unique and recognizable presence in the market. So don’t underestimate the power of a well-crafted brand identity – it could be the key to your success as a SaaS startup.

Best practices for developing a brand identity

Here are some best practices to consider when developing a brand identity for your SaaS platform:

• Define your brand values: Define your SaaS business model, brand values, mission, and vision. This will help you create an authentic brand identity that resonates with your audience.

• Understand your target audience: Understand your target’s needs, preferences, and pain points. This can help you create a brand identity that speaks directly to them and differentiates you from competitors.

• Choose a brand name and logo: Choose a brand name and logo that are memorable, distinctive, and easy to recognize. Ensure your brand name and logo align with your brand values and messaging.

• Develop a brand voice and tone: Develop a brand voice and tone that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target audience. Use this voice consistently across all marketing materials and communication channels.

• Create brand guidelines: Create brand guidelines that outline your brand identity elements, including color palette, typography, imagery, and tone. Ensure that these guidelines are followed consistently across all touchpoints.

Some examples of effective brand identities

Below are examples of SaaS products that have developed effective brand identities:

• Slack: Slack has developed a brand identity that is playful, friendly, and approachable. The brand name and logo are simple and memorable, and the brand voice and tone are conversational and engaging.

• Mailchimp: Mailchimp has developed a brand identity that is playful, colorful, and distinctive. The brand name and logo are memorable and easily recognizable, and the brand voice and tone are fun and approachable.

• Canva: Canva has developed a brand identity that is creative, inspiring, and empowering. The brand name and logo are simple and memorable, and the voice and tone are upbeat and enthusiastic.

How to design SaaS UX?

SaaS UX is about making your SaaS software or website as easy and enjoyable as possible. Following these tips, you can create a SaaS UX that your users will love.

• Put the user first: Always keep the user in mind when designing your SaaS UX. What are their needs? What are their pain points? How can you make their experience as easy and enjoyable as possible?

• Keep it simple: Don’t overload users with too much information or features. Focus on the most important things and ensure they are easy to find and use.

• Use clear and concise language: Avoid jargon and technical terms that users may not understand. Use plain language that is easy to read and understand.

• Use consistent design elements: Use the same fonts, colors, and icons throughout your software-as-a-service user experience. This will help create a cohesive and user-friendly experience.Test your UX with users: Get feedback from users early and often. This will help you identify any usability issues and make improvements before you launch your SaaS product.

Design for Scalability

Imagine you’re building a SaaS product. You’ve put in the hard work, and it’s starting to take off. You’re getting more users, more traffic, and more demand.

But as your product grows, so do the challenges. How do you keep up with the increasing demand? How do you ensure that your product is always available and reliable? And how do you do all of this without breaking the bank?

The answer is to design your product for scalability.

So, what is scalability?

Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increasing demand without sacrificing performance, reliability, or user experience. In other words, your product can grow without breaking.

Factors that ensure scalability

Several factors contribute to scalability, including:

• Design: The way your product is designed can have a big impact on its scalability. A well-designed product will be easy to scale, while a poorly designed product will be more challenging.

• Infrastructure: Your product’s infrastructure can also impact its scalability. A scalable infrastructure can handle increasing demand, while a non-scalable infrastructure will not.

• Processes: The processes you use to manage your product can also impact scalability. A well-defined and efficient process will make it easier to scale your product, while a poorly defined or inefficient process will make it more challenging to scale.

How to design for scalability

There are several things you can do to design your product for scalability. Here are a few tips:

• Use a modular design: A modular design is where the product is broken down into smaller, independent components. This makes adding new features, fixing bugs, and scaling the product easier.

• Use cloud infrastructure: The cloud infrastructure is a scalable and reliable way to host your product. There are several different cloud providers to choose from, so you can find one that meets your needs.

• Use load balancing: Load balancing is a technique for distributing traffic across multiple servers. This helps to ensure that your product is always available, even if there is a sudden increase in demand.

• Use a scalable data storage solution: A scalable data storage solution is a solution that can handle large amounts of data. This is important for products that collect a lot of data, such as social media platforms or e-commerce sites.

• Automate repetitive tasks: Automating repetitive tasks can help to improve efficiency and reduce the risk of human error. This can free your team to focus on more critical tasks, such as developing new features and improving the product.

Measure for Success

So, how do you know if your SaaS design project is successful?

It’s a question that every SaaS startup founder or product manager wants to be able to answer with confidence. After all, you’ve put a lot of time, effort, and money into building your product, and you want to ensure that it’s meeting the needs of your users and generating revenue for your company.

SaaS startups can track several key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of their product design projects. Some of the essential KPIs include:

• Monthly recurring revenue (MRR): MRR is the total revenue a company generates from its monthly SaaS subscriptions. MRR is a crucial metric for measuring the growth of a SaaS business.

• Customer churn rate: Customer churn rate is the percentage of customers who cancel their monthly SaaS subscriptions. A high customer churn rate can indicate problems with the product or that the company is not effectively marketing its product to potential customers.

• Customer acquisition cost (CAC): CAC is the money a company spends to acquire a new customer. A high CAC can indicate that the company is spending too much money on marketing or its inefficient sales process.

• The average revenue per account (ARPA): ARPA is the company’s average revenue from each customer. ARPA can be used to measure the profitability of a SaaS business.

• Customer lifetime value (CLV): CLV is the total amount of revenue that a company expects to generate from a customer throughout their relationship with the company. CLV can be used to measure the long-term value of a SaaS customer.

Tools for measuring success

In addition to tracking KPIs, SaaS startups can also use various tools to measure the success of their product design projects. Some of the most common tools include:

• User surveys: User surveys can be used to gather user feedback about the product and its features. This feedback can improve the product and make it more user-friendly.

• A/B testing: A/B testing compares two different versions of a product or feature to see which one performs better. This can improve the product’s conversion rate and increase the number of new users who sign up for a free trial or purchase a subscription.

• Heatmaps: Heatmaps represent how users interact with a website or app. This information can be used to identify areas of the product that are confusing or difficult to use.

• Session recordings allow you to watch a video of a user interacting with your product. This can identify areas of the product that are frustrating or difficult to use.

FAQs

How to build a SaaS product architecture?

The standard procedure needed to design a SaaS product architecture includes the following:

• Define your goals and requirements. What do you want your product to do? Who are your target users? What are their needs?

• Choose the right technology stack. What programming languages, databases, and cloud platforms will you use?

• Design your architecture. How will your SaaS product be structured? What are the different components? How will they interact with each other?

• Implement your architecture. Build your software using the technologies you’ve chosen.

• Test and deploy your product. Make sure it works as expected and that it’s secure.

• Monitor and improve your SaaS product. Collect feedback from users and make changes to improve the product over time.

That’s it! Following these steps, you can build a SaaS architecture to help you achieve your business goals. Here are some additional tips to keep in mind:

• Use a cloud-based platform. This will make it easier to scale your SaaS product as your user base grows.

• Use microservices architecture. This will make your service more scalable and resilient.

• Implement security measures. Make sure your SaaS design is secure from unauthorized access.

• Monitor your SaaS product. Collect data on how existing and new users use your SaaS application or website and make changes to improve the user experience.

Conclusion

Creating a successful SaaS startup product can be challenging. I’ve helped you navigate the twists and turns of the product’s design with a deep understanding of your users.

By identifying the pain points of your target customers and creating a product that addresses their needs, you can now make a seamless user experience that will set your startup apart from the competition.

Featured Image Credit: Provided by the Author; Thank you!

The post Product Design for SaaS Startups: Best Practices and Examples appeared first on ReadWrite.

Mozilla fixed a critical zero-day vulnerability affecting its Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client via emergency security updates.

The security flaw in question — CVE-2023-4863 — stemmed from a heap buffer overflow in the WebP code library.

“Opening a malicious WebP image could lead to a heap buffer overflow in the content process,” Mozilla said in an advisory published on Tuesday, adding: “We are aware of this issue being exploited in other products in the wild.”

The not-for-profit software developer addressed the zero-day exploit for:

• Firefox 117.0.1
• Firefox ESR 115.2.1
• Firefox ESR 102.15.1
• Thunderbird 102.15.1
• Thunderbird 115.2.2

The details surrounding the WedP flaw being used in attacks have not been shared, but users have been strongly advised to update their versions of Firefox and Thunderbird.

Google already patched Chrome

Mozilla software was not alone in using the vulnerable WebP code library version.

Google patched its Chrome web browser on Monday while warning that “an exploit for CVE-2023-4863 exists in the wild.” Its security updates have been rolling out and are expected to cover its entire user base in the weeks ahead.

Apple and The Citizen Lab identified the flaw

Apple’s Security Engineering and Architecture team first reported the flaw on Sept. 6, alongside The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School — the latter famous for identifying and disclosing zero-day vulnerabilities.

Citizen Lab recently identified two zero-day vulnerabilities used to deploy NSO Group’s infamous Pegasus mercenary spyware onto up-to-date iPhones. Apple patched the vulnerabilities last week before backporting them to older iPhone models — such as the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7 and iPhone SE.

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Unity remains undeterred in its plan to implement new install fees despite backlash from game developers. According to the platform holder, “more than 90% of our customers will not be affected by this change.”

Unity’s response on X (formerly Twitter) comes a day after the popular game engine announced it would begin charging a runtime fee on Jan. 1, 2024 — provoking questions about multiple installs and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, among others.

The platform holder has since clarified that it will only count “net new installs” starting Jan. 1 and that developers won’t pay fees on re-installations, fraudulent installs, game trials, streams and charity-related installs. It also said fees for Game Pass installs will be passed on to Xbox.

Game devs remain unhappy about new Unity fees

Despite Unity’s response, game developers continue to urge Unity to change its plan — which many argue affects smaller indie titles the most.

“Buy Cult of the Lamb now, because we’re deleting it on Jan. 1,” the well-received game’s official X account stated.

“I bet Steam, Epic, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will love having waves of developers pulling their games,” Among Us developer Innersloth’s Forest Willard wrote, adding: “Innersloth has always paid Unity appropriately for licenses and services we use. I’m not a discourse guy, but this is undue and will force my hand.”

Willard also responded directly to Unity’s X account by stating that “Unity now needs to give this up and make obvious reparations in the opposite direction if there can be any hope of regaining trust in the future.”

Among Us is one of the most successful games that use Unity. Other popular titles using the engine include Genshin Impact, Beat Saber and Pokémon Go.

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