DevOps outsourcing: How to get it right

More and more companies are looking for DevOps services to automate their operations, accelerate deployment times, and adopt the cloud. According to McKinsey, the global DevOps market was estimated at $10,4B in 2023 and is expected to reach $25,5B by 2028. DevOps was the second most demanded skill in 2023, which demonstrates the challenging task of hiring talent. Thus, many companies express great interest in outsourcing DevOps services.

As a company that has been delivering DevOps services for many years (50+ successfully completed projects), we understand how difficult it might be to find a reliable partner who can understand and meet your specific needs. This blog post covers fundamental guidelines for choosing a reliable IT services provider and features seven critical tips on making your DevOps outsourcing journey smooth and safe.

What is DevOps outsourcing?

Due to the extreme shortage of local tech talent in the USA, UK, and Western Europe, the demand for outsourced DevOps services is booming. Finding experienced DevOps engineers might be a tall order. That's why many companies use the DevOps as a service approach. DevOps experts help you set up the processes from scratch (e.g., build a CI/CD pipeline for the future product) or assess your current processes, offer ways to improve them, and help you implement all the necessary changes.

DevOps services can be adjusted to your needs and project specifications. And they typically cover:

• Cloud services (adoption, migration, and infrastructure);
• Delivery pipeline and Continuous Integration;
• Security audit and infrastructure;
• Optimization and automation of the processes, etc.

6 ways you will benefit from outsourcing DevOps operations

Whether you need to scale up the existing product, move it to the cloud, or set up an infrastructure, you will face an inevitable choice: either hire an expert locally or choose a partner to outsource these processes to. Here are six key reasons to opt for outsourcing DevOps processes:

1. Easier recruitment. Finding and hiring reliable DevOps engineers is a lengthy and expensive process, which, in some cases, can take months. On the other hand, an outsourcing company has a team of experienced specialists aboard and can pull additional resources from their reserve if needed.
2. Tech expertise. Specialists working for outsourcing companies have better expertise than their colleagues working on their own. Knowledge sharing, support from experienced teammates, and professional training are the benefits of partnering with a DevOps vendor.
3. Necessary certifications. Finding a DevOps engineer with all the needed certifications locally can often be a complex task, so companies sometimes choose to hire a person and train them, which (in a longer perspective) turns out to be even more expensive. On the contrary, outsourcing can help you find specialists with all the necessary certifications.
4. Experience and best practices. Typically, outsourcing companies have more expertise as they have tried and tested various solutions and approaches. They also properly document the solution, which helps to maintain it in runtime.
5. Additional competencies. Companies that offer DevOps services can also provide more specific specialists like database engineers, who are hard to find and usually are needed for a short period of time.
6. Accelerated time to market. Companies benefit from faster product releases when collaborating with an outsourcing vendor. Without time-consuming hiring and training, the DevOps outsourcing team applies best practices right from the start of cooperation.

Read more: Top 20 DevOps outsourcing companies in the world

7 tips for smooth DevOps outsourcing

DevOps outsourcing may be complicated, and it might be hard to trust your product to a third-party vendor. However, many successful companies such as SAP, Cars.com, Lebara, Basecamp, Orbus, and others have benefited from it. They moved their product to the cloud, set up the CI/CD pipeline, and improved overall performance. So, how to outsource DevOps engineers?

1. Define areas you can improve if you outsource DevOps services

Identifying key areas that call for improvement will help you find the right company to meet your specific business KPIs:

• Scalability. Having an environment that requires instant observation and support for further growth is the main area DevOps outsourcing can help you with.
• Cost audit. DevOps can help you optimize the costs for cloud-based solutions by choosing the best services for your business.
• 24/7 support. Using developers for on-call support of an application is not the best practice. DevOps can automate the process and let engineers focus on their jobs.
• Migration. When moving from a traditional data center to the cloud or in the case of cloud-to-cloud migration, DevOps can account for around 30% of the work that needs to be done.
• Big Data. If your software solution stores and processes large amounts of data, it is highly recommended to invest in DevOps to optimize data flows and their processing.

2. Assess related risks

It is crucial to consider these aspects to avoid potential risks:

• Legal issues. There can be legal restrictions for accessing PII by the third party, so DevOps vendors will need to have specific certifications, or they won't be able to support specific environments (real-data environment, aka production).
• Architecture vision. For effective DevOps outsourcing, there must be a high-level architecture vision and a roadmap. Remember, your choice of platform (such as AWS or Microsoft Azure) is a commitment that comes with specific requirements.
• Integration. DevOps outsourcing calls for extensive knowledge sharing and integration with development teams, which usually may take additional time.

3. Assess the tech expertise of the DevOps vendor

An experienced and reliable company should have long-standing experience in DevOps. It usually includes the following skills:

Cloud

Your vendor should have experience with both public and private clouds, as well as all related operations.

CI/CD

If a potential tech partner has extensive expertise in CI/CD tools, they can help you set up a proper CI/CD pipeline and, as a result:

• Reduce lead time (time between starting on a work item until it is deployed);
• Improve the quality of delivered services or applications.

Containerization

Containers have become the industry standard of computing infrastructure, replacing traditional virtual machines (VMs). If applied properly, this tool helps businesses to:

• Reduce workload by enabling DevOps teams to focus on critical tasks;
• Improve hardware utilization;
• Accelerate server provisioning;
• Create reliable backup systems by automating the data backup that occurs every minute;
• Ensure resource efficiency;
• Reduce IT overhead and management costs.

Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) offers a new take on traditional management of computing resources. What value do you get from IaC? To name a few:

• More precise and documented infrastructure;
• Infrastructure knowledge maintainability;
• Infrastructure unification between environments.

DevSecOps

DevSecOps is an approach that aims to ensure the security of applications and infrastructure. DevSecOps tools provide the following testing:

• Software composition analysis (SCA);
• Static application security testing (SAST);
• Dynamic application security testing (DAST);
• Interactive application security testing (IAST);
• Static code analysis;
• Vulnerability scanning.

Monitoring & Logging

Effective monitoring systems provide relevant insights, giving businesses a clear view of every application part. Monitoring aims to maximize availability by minimizing essential metrics measured in time. In general, there are several types of monitoring:

• Infrastructure monitoring;
• Network monitoring;
• Application monitoring.

While the specific tech stack for an individual project can vary, here are some examples of popular and widely used tools.

Release management

The release management process involves overseeing software development, testing, deployment, and support. In addition to the objectives and long-term strategic planning, it includes individual tactical steps to help reach those objectives.

Here are some advantages of this process:

• Provides a clear path for the development process from initial changes to production;
• Allows users to create workflows that lead to structured releases;
• Enables parallel development;
• Optimizes developer workflow without adding any overhead;
• Enables faster release cycles.

4. Check the tech stack of DevOps experts

You may need DevOps experts with different expertise. It depends heavily on your business needs, project requirements, and specific KPIs. However, ensure that the engineers you are hiring have expertise in the core areas mentioned above and have worked with specific tools that are (or will be used) on your project.

5. Select the suitable contract type

Choosing the ideal type of contract depends on project complexity, budget, and your control preferences. Understanding their properties is vital for making the right decision.

Time and Material (T&M). The T&M contact is a perfect choice when you are looking for DevOps services for short-term projects or projects with evolving requirements. Costs depend on time spent by contractor's employees, so you pay only for the work done. However, you should set clear objectives to avoid the risk of scope creep.

Dedicated team. This type of contract suits long-term projects requiring specialized expertise. A dedicated team can work as an extension of your in-house team, so you receive talented DevOps engineers without the burdensome and time-consuming hiring process.

Fixed price. The model is suitable for projects with clear goals and timelines. You pay a predetermined amount for the entire project, which provides cost certainty. However, it is not a flexible choice, so you should have a thorough plan to avoid misunderstandings and ensure successful delivery.

6. Opt for the right cooperation model or service

You should also explore cooperation models and opportunities they open to choose the most suitable for you. There are four engagement models outsourcing vendors offer:

Extended team. Team extension enables you to scale your internal team with outsourced DevOps engineers. It gives the opportunity to manage remote developers as they work with your in-house managers. This approach provides quick access to specialized skills, encourages knowledge exchange between teams, and offers flexibility to adjust the size of your development team as required.

Managed team. This engagement model allows you to outsource the entire team to a vendor. The managed team operates independently from your in-house team but communicates regularly with your product owner to ensure the solution aligns with your specifications. The model provides you with dedicated resources, strong collaboration, and business continuity, as well as allows you to control the development process.

Custom software development. By choosing this approach, you share your goals with an outsourced team and transfer all responsibility for completing the project development. They handle all the management and deliver a completed solution within a set deadline, maintaining regular communication with you for updates. This model allows you to reduce workload and maximize the provider's expertise throughout development.

Tech consulting. When you choose this model, the outsourcing consultant analyzes your needs and develops a road map of your potential solutions. Their insights and suggestions will navigate you through complex technology choices, empowering you to leverage their industry insights to enhance your tech strategy.

7. Choose a vendor with a proven record of successful DevOps projects

A reliable DevOps partner should have a proven track record of successfully delivered projects, as well as diverse expertise with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), technologies, and tools.

N-iX provides a wide range of DevOps services, including on-premises-to-cloud migration, cloud-to-cloud migration, infrastructure setup, and more. We partner with North American and European clients in fintech, telecom, retail, healthcare, etc. Our recent projects include:

• Design, development, and integration of a fully automated CI/CD pipeline and cloud migration for Lebara, one of Europe's fastest-growing mobile companies. We also implemented infrastructure and services using the Azure cloud provider and Microsoft automation solutions for delivery applications.
• Migration of legacy infrastructure to the cloud, setting up production and monitoring and implementing multi-tenancy for Orbus Software, a leading global provider of software solutions for enterprise architecture, business process analysis, and application portfolio management.
• Assessment of the existing DevOps processes, streamlining and standardization of CI/ CD processes, as well as help with configuration management and OS patching of all the products for a global telecom provider. We have worked with the client on setting up a DevOps Center of Excellence.
• Design and development of AWS infrastructure from scratch, environment optimization, and fully automated CI/CD for a Singapore-based fintech company.

Read more: DevOps engineering hiring guide: how to employ the best experts

Summary

Outsourcing DevOps services helps you tap into the tech talent pool way beyond your local one and achieve faster delivery and better results. However, the success of DevOps outsourcing depends on the expertise, experience, and knowledge of the company you choose to work with. Thus, when looking to outsource DevOps services, search for a reliable vendor and follow these tips. They will help to make your outsourcing journey smooth and risk-free.

Why choose N-iX for outsourced DevOps services?

• With over 60 DevOps experts on board, N-iX has extensive expertise in all DevOps, cloud services, and other related technologies.
• The DevOps outsourcing team at N-iX supports various technologies, including AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.
• We partner with North American and European tech companies and enterprises, including Lebara, Gogo, Currencycloud, TuneIn, Fluke Corporation, Travelport, and HotSchedules, to help them bring their businesses to the next level.