For years, Ukraine has been one of the top choices for off- and nearshore software development. What are the reasons for its popularity? Why do foreign businesses hire Ukrainian developers?
This article discloses three reasons based on the experience of Onix-Systems (https://onix-systems.com/), a Ukrainian software development company that has been providing outsourcing services for almost twenty years.
Reason #1: Vast Pool of IT Specialists
Ukrainian 400+ universities and colleges are producing more technical specialists annually than, for instance, the Netherlands or Japan. Every year, 36,000+ graduates with degrees in IT-related fields join Ukraine’s IT workforce which currently stands at 185,000.
Ukrainian universities and schools actively launch specialized educational programs and innovation labs in close collaboration with IT companies. The latter do their best to attract youth to the industry and to nurture young IT talent. For instance, Onix-Systems partners with local institutions of higher learning, accepting interns and organizing meet-ups on various tech topics. The firm also provides opportunities for interested school children to have hands-on experience in creating products.
Reason #2: Variety of Services & Technologies
Ukrainian developers are skilled in various programming languages. More than 90,000 tech specialists have an excellent grasp of the following languages and platforms:
- C#
- C++
- JavaScript
- Unity3D
- PHP
- Scala
- Java
- Magento
- Node.js
- Python
- Ruby
- ASP.Net
Java, C#, JavaScript, PHP, and Python are the most popular languages. Ukraine is the first globally by the number of Unity3D game developers and C++ engineers and second when it comes to Magento, Scala, and JavaScript developers.
1,000+ software development companies in Ukraine are offering a variety of services, such as:
- web and mobile app development
- software development
- cloud development
- blockchain development
- UI/UX design
- quality assurance and testing
- big data and analytics
- dedicated team building
- SEO services
- R&D services
- IT consulting
For instance, Onix offers full-scope development expertise in web, iOS and Android development, VR/AR, UI/UX, and Internet of Things. (You can find detailed info on each of these directions on the website: https://onix-systems.com/services.)
Reason #3: Price-to-Quality Ratio
According to NUMBEO’s cost of living index, Ukraine is ranked 120th of 136 countries by the midyear of 2019. Despite the recent growth of software engineers’ salaries, Ukrainian prices are still dramatically lower than in Western Europe and the United States. The average hourly rate of a middle software engineer is $25-35 in Ukraine. (Onix-Systems offers $30/hour.) As a result, clients can reduce their total onshore costs by 50% when they transfer their IT production capacity to Ukraine.
Despite the moderate cost, Ukrainian developers have been recognized as effective and efficient specialists in the tech world thanks to their solid mastery of various IT technologies. According to UNIT.City’s tech ecosystem guide, Ukraine ranks:
- 1st in Europe in terms of the volume of IT services
- 7th in the world in terms of quality and efficiency of the IT freelance workers
- 24th among the 55 countries most attractive for IT industry
Ukrainian software developers and teams have a strong work ethic, solve problems creatively, and always remain on the cutting edge of the latest technology. The majority are regularly visiting various IT conferences and tech events.
To Recap
Ukraine is a place where clients are offered tailored solutions in traditional and emerging technologies at reasonable prices. The country has a large number of IT specialists who are highly skilled and work with various technologies. No wonder the number of clients, including international giants, that hire Ukrainian IT companies and developers is growing. The odds are high that Ukraine will remain a leading IT outsourcing destination in Europe for years to come.