According to Statista, the number of IoT devices is growing and is expected to reach over 29B connected devices by 2030. The embedded software market is expected to reach $173B by 2032 as a result of a rise in demand for electromobility solutions for electric vehicles and solutions for various wearable devices.
The high demand for embedded software development services, in turn, leads to an acute talent shortage. According to LinkedIn, companies from the US struggled to fill 6,320 vacancies in the field as of May 2024.
No wonder that more and more companies are looking for embedded software developers overseas. But where to hire embedded engineers, what skills are required, and how to choose a reliable provider? Let's find out.
Why outsource embedded development?
Automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, telecom, and other industries benefit from embedded solutions the most. However, businesses in these industries struggle to hire embedded engineers to develop new solutions.
The increasing demand for embedded software makes embedded software specialists highly valuable in the labor market. Glassdoor states that an embedded systems developer makes, on average, $55K a year in the UK and $149K in the US.
For businesses that are looking both to introduce innovations and optimize costs, finding a reliable offshore or nearshore partner looks like a viable solution. The IoT Signals report by Microsoft presents the information that 47% of businesses surveyed do not have enough experienced embedded software experts to implement IoT solutions. That's why more and more businesses are looking for embedded software engineers in IT outsourcing destinations.
Read more: 5 fundamental rules of outsourcing embedded software projects
Where to look for the best embedded software developers?
Usually, companies consider outsourcing destinations such as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Latin America as spots with vast talent pools and high development service quality.
Embedded software developers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Businesses often search for embedded software providers in Central and Eastern Europe since the region offers reasonable pricing without compromising quality. In addition, CEE is known for its strong tech education and a vast talent pool of qualified engineers. In terms of embedded solutions development, there are around 36,800 embedded engineers in Central and Eastern Europe, according to LinkedIn. The CEE locations with the largest number of embedded software experts are Poland and Romania, with 12K and 10K experts residing in each country, respectively. They are followed by Hungary and Ukraine, which are home to around 4,500 and 4,200 specialists specializing in embedded software development.
Embedded software engineers in Latin America
Another attractive destination for enterprises searching for well-versed engineers is Latin America. Due to a vast talent pool of roughly 2M tech experts and government initiatives to support the tech industry, the region is emerging as a prime outsourcing destination. According to LinkedIn, approximately 8,300 embedded developers are based in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico lead in numbers, being home to around 2,900 and 2,800 embedded software developers. The rest of the countries, including Costa Rica, Colombia, and Chile, house less than 1K embedded engineers each as of May 2024. However, the increasing interest in IoT solutions and embedded software development drives more tech workforce towards connected infrastructure technology every year.
How do you choose a vendor for embedded software development?
Here are vital steps and selection criteria you should consider while choosing a vendor to hire embedded developers from:
- Compile a long list of embedded software development vendors you will analyze according to their service quality, expertise, and security standards;
- Keep in mind the size of your potential partner from which you will hire embedded engineers, as midsize and large providers with over 250 experts on board are more likely to have recruitment capabilities and resources you need internally;
- Look for a company with a substantial portfolio of successful embedded and IoT-related projects in different industries;
- Gather honest customer feedback about shortlisted companies: you can use Clutch, GoodFirms, vendors' websites, etc., to find objective client reviews and testimonials;
- Ensure your potential vendor complies with key international security regulations, such as ISO 27001:2013, PCI DSS, ISO 9001:2015, and GDPR;
- Assess the skills of embedded systems developers your potential partner employs.
Requirements for qualified embedded systems developers
The tech stack of embedded software experts differs between projects and depends on product complexity and specific requirements. However, embedded systems developers need to have experience with algorithms, design patterns, data structures, and control systems. They also need expertise in software architecture and prototype design, firmware, hardware testing, and system integration.
Embedded software developers have to ensure the ultimate security on the project. Each stage of both software and hardware development needs to correspond to a wide range of security standards and regulations. For example, embedded software in the healthcare industry has to be as secure, reliable, and quick as possible.
As for technologies, advanced knowledge of C or C++, Qt, STL, and embedded Linux is often critical in embedded projects. What's more, some projects may call for knowledge of Java, .NET, Python, JavaScript, and Node.js.
The main goal of embedded software engineers is to exploit the hardware's capabilities to bring the maximum benefit to the end user. That is why embedded software developers have to possess solid knowledge of the hardware they work with. An advanced embedded systems developer must understand how hardware components function to build solutions for a specific device.
When it comes to building a team for embedded projects, the core specialists that cover full-cycle embedded software development services with C++ are:
- Two-four C/C++ embedded developers (Lead, Senior, and Middle);
- At least one hardware designer (Senior);
- One or more embedded QA specialists (Senior).
Skills that make a highly qualified embedded systems developer:
- Three-five years of experience with C/C++ programming;
- Knowledge of both basic protocols, such as I2C, SPI, UART, and LIN, and advanced protocols, such as SATA, PCIe, USB, CAN, and MOST;
- Strong expertise in General-Purpose Operating Systems (GPOS), such as Linux, as well as Real-Time Operating Systems;
- Experience with microprocessor and microcontroller architectures;
- Knowledge of networking technologies, including Ethernet, TCP/IP;
- A strong understanding of the different types of memory, including RAM, ROM, and Flash.
Partnering with embedded developers from N-iX: Success stories
Embedded software development is widely used in automotive, manufacturing, energy, aviation, and many other spheres. Global companies have chosen to partner with N-iX and utilize embedded software to their competitive advantage. Let's view these success stories in more detail.
Extending the development capabilities and improving time to market for a leading medical technology company
Weinmann Emergency is a Germany-based enterprise that develops ventilation and defibrillation solutions for emergency medicine. The company partnered with N-iX to gather a strong team of embedded engineers and seamlessly integrate them with their team within a short time frame. Our client wanted to hire embedded systems developers with healthcare project experience.
N-iX experts have worked with the client's on-site team, adhering to Scrum methodology and Agile best practices. Our professionals have been working on embedded Linux firmware development with C++ using the Qt framework. As a result of collaboration, our engineers have expanded the core product's functionality, released a new version of MEDUCORE Standard² firmware, and implemented predictive maintenance of the device.
Thanks to the rapid team scaling and streamlined development, Weinmann Emergency was able to significantly improve time to market.
Expanding market reach by developing a new solution for an international telematics vendor
Our client is a global leader in smart telematics solutions aimed at optimizing fleet operations and management. They needed a team of experienced embedded software engineers to develop a new solution that would streamline fleet management processes as well as grow the customer base.
After N-iX gathered a team of dedicated experts, we started with thorough research and feasibility studies. The project scope spanned full-cycle product development services, including product feature assessment, solution architecture design, development, and support. One of the key tasks was to implement the OEM-based Linux connectivity gateway and integrate this gateway with a Google Cloud-based IoT platform and the client's existing services. Additionally, our team developed an Android application for rugged tablets, enabling drivers to manage all services efficiently.
The collaboration brought business value to our client, enabling them to certify the product and attract new customers.
Why should you choose N-iX to help you partner with the best embedded software engineers?
- N-iX employs over 2,200 tech specialists in 25 countries across Europe and the Americas, including Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Colombia, and other locations, which allows you to tap into an extensive talent pool of top engineers;
- Our embedded expertise covers hardware and firmware development. N-iX specialists ensure embedded software and hardware components successfully handle both internal and external factors that affect their performance;
- Our teams are skilled in embedded firmware development for consumer electronics, wearables, and industrial automation solutions;
- N-iX has a strong portfolio of embedded projects, including cooperation with industry leaders, such as Weinmann Emergency, Egston, Dahrwin, and many others;
- Our embedded software developers possess advanced knowledge of C/C++ as well as other low-level programming languages commonly used in embedded solutions;
- N-iX professionals build embedded products that meet international standards, including radiated emission, levels of electromagnetic interference conducted, and others.
