Outsourcing IT services is a way to cut expenditures, remedy a talent shortage problem, and increase the scalability of your project. So, no wonder many businesses from the US, UK, and other locations opt to partner with overseas vendors.
There are several major outsourcing destinations: Latin America, Asia, and Europe. In this article, we will focus on the latter, specifically Poland as an outsourcing destination. According to Emerging Europe's Future of IT Report 2023, the country boasts a talent pool of around 525,100 skilled professionals. Moreover, Clutch lists 730 IT companies in Poland.
But how to find a reliable vendor that can help you meet your specific business needs? What criteria are of prime importance when choosing among top IT companies in Poland? How do you make your outsourcing company selection process safe and smooth?
We've prepared a step-by-step guide to help you make an informed decision and choose a reliable provider among IT companies in Poland.
Overview of the IT market in Poland
Poland has numerous recognitions as a reliable outsourcing destination. Here are a few facts that reflect the growth of the Polish IT market:
- As stated by the Polish Investment & Trade Agency, Polish IT services exports are expected to reach $12.9B by 2026, which is a significant growth as compared to $9.6B in 2021;
- Sales of IT services exports continue to grow and are expected to grow from $7.49B in 2023 to $11.14B in 2028, according to the same source;
- Poland ranks 13th in the 2023 Kearney Global Services Location Index as one of the most attractive outsourcing destinations. The country has grown by nine positions since 2019;
- Local professionals rank high in several trusted developer surveys, including SkillValue (3rd position), Topcoder Country (7th place), and others;
- The Ease of Doing Business ranking places Poland in 40th place, recognizing its improved conditions for starting a business and contract enforcement.
Poland has several major IT hubs that house the most significant number of IT companies in Poland: Warsaw (the capital), Krakow, Wroclaw, Katowice, and Tri-city (combined area of Gdansk, Gdynia, Sopot). Now, we will view them in more detail.
Where to look for the best software engineering partner: Major IT hubs in Poland
1. Warsaw
As a capital, Warsaw houses almost a quarter of Poland's tech professionals, namely 103,000 developers. Moreover, the universities of Warsaw provide constant talent inflow to the market by annually graduating over 3,000 ICT students.
Nevertheless, the competition for talent in this city is fierce: the number of IT outsourcing vendors and various R&D centers is one of the highest in the country.
2. Krakow
Krakow houses over 56,000 software developers. Moreover, the tech talent pool in Krakow expands by 10% each year. Local tech universities like AGH University of Science and Technology, Krakow University of Technology, and Jagiellonian University support this process. These institutions collectively graduate over 2,350 ICT professionals annually. Significant players in Krakow's IT sector include IBM, Motorola Solution, Ericsson, and Nokia Networks, alongside half of the tech unicorns in the country.
Krakow is recognized as Poland's most business-friendly city, boasting the nation's top human capital. It leads in investment attractiveness and is renowned for its vibrant start-up ecosystem, encompassing incubators, technology parks, communities, and associations. Consequently, more than 150 startups have chosen Krakow as their development hub.
3. Wroclaw
Wroclaw, often referred to as the "Polish Silicon Valley," is among the top three IT centers in Poland. It employs about 51,500 development professionals, which constitutes around 12% of the sector's workforce. The city produces approximately 1,400 STEM graduates yearly, with Wroclaw University of Science and Technology standing out for its exceptional programs. This robust educational and professional environment has attracted over 200 tech companies to establish and expand in the Wroclawski Park Technologiczny.
4. Katowice
Katowice is home to approximately 40,000 tech specialists, making up 9.3% of the workforce in the sector, employed across over 180 technology companies. The city's educational institutions, including the University of Silesia in Katowice and Katowice School of Technology, offer various STEM programs, producing around 1,500 tech graduates annually. Additionally, Katowice is recognized as one of Poland's most technologically advanced cities, ranking alongside Krakow and Poznan in the CBRE EMEA Tech Cities list.
5. Tri-city
The Tri-city metropolitan area, comprising Gdansk, Gdynia, and Sopot, comprises 35,000 IT specialists, representing 8.1% of the sector's workforce. This region boasts over 60 IT companies and produces over 1,000 tech graduates annually from institutions like the Gdansk University of Technology and the University of Gdansk. Notable companies such as Amazon, Intel, Nike, and GetResponse, among others, have established their offices in this vibrant tech hub.
Now that you are familiar with major IT outsourcing hubs in Poland, here are some steps to help you choose a reliable vendor.
How to choose an outsourcing company in Poland?
- Clearly define your budget, business KPIs, and expectations you have towards an IT company in Poland;
- Create a long list of IT companies in Poland you will analyze, taking into account their service quality, expertise, and security standards;
- Consider the size of your potential outsourcing company in Poland, as midsize and large vendors with more than 250 experts on board are more likely to have enough recruitment capabilities and resources you need internally;
- Look for a company with a strong portfolio of software products similar to yours, preferably in your industry.
Now let's dwell on more specific criteria for choosing a trusted software development partner in Poland.
Read more about IT outsourcing companies in Poland
Criteria to choose an IT company in Poland
1. Browse through directories
Dedicated websites or directories such as Clutch, GoodFirms, and others allow anyone to research IT vendors worldwide. Why should you use them to choose an IT company in Poland?
First, you can narrow your search to the key services you need. If you are interested in custom application development, browse a list of companies that provide specific services. You can also look for companies in a particular location—for example, an outsourcing company in Poland or another spot.
What’s more, respectful directories like Clutch scrutinize and verify vendor profiles, so if a profile is verified, a company and its expertise are reliable.
2. Consider the size of shortlisted companies in Poland
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Small vendors
The main advantage of cooperating with a small provider is the lower cost of services. These companies are usually less experienced, so their services are cheaper than those of more reputable ones. Also, small companies are very enthusiastic. To get the client’s attention, they usually go the extra mile to please their customers.
However, smaller companies need more internal resources to scale up a team quickly. Also, they cannot boast a powerful employer brand, as highly skilled employees are less likely to join small, little-known companies.
What’s more, despite the smaller cost, cooperation with the small vendor is financially risky, as if one of the projects fails, they can quickly go out of business due to the lack of resources to keep them running.
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Midsize vendors
They are usually more experienced and have enough expertise to work with well-funded startups and large companies. They can successfully manage product discovery for new projects and long-term partnerships.
Also, such companies have a more substantial brand reputation, so it is easier for them to recruit skilled professionals for your project. Moreover, they are more likely to have resources to satisfy your business needs internally.
However, their talent pool still needs to be improved, so it might be difficult for them to assemble a large team (10+ experts) instantly.
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Large vendors
Such companies usually have diverse expertise and experience in different industries. They have a vast talent pool internally, so that they can scale up momentarily. This is your option if you need to extend your team with many professionals at once.
If such a vendor needs more resources, they will quickly find top-notch experts for your project due to the renowned employer brand. Many developers are interested in working in a company with a famous name. Also, prominent vendors can handle massive projects requiring many experts due to the internal talent pool.
The general rule of choosing the vendor size is to cooperate with a company that is size-compatible with your business. This increases the chance of successful cooperation, as a company of your size is familiar with your business challenges and will help to handle them.
3. Browse through the tech portfolio
To understand if the outsourcing company in Poland has the necessary experience and expertise, browse through its website. Search for solutions that the company has developed for other clients, case studies, etc. This information will help you understand the key technologies the IT company in Poland specializes in, the industries it serves, and the types of companies it typically cooperates with. Look for the solutions that match your industry or the tech stack you need.
Read more about a software development team in Poland
4. Consider IT companies in Poland with strong employer brand
We have already briefly mentioned the importance of the employer brand in the recruitment process. Skilled professionals are more likely to choose to work for a renowned company than a small one.
However, there is one more aspect: the employee turnover rate of your vendor-to-be. That refers to the percentage of people who leave an organization during a certain period. If this rate is high, such a vendor will likely not provide comfortable working conditions, professional growth, training opportunities, fair compensation, etc.
Pay attention to this aspect to avoid an urgent search for a professional in the middle of the project.
5. Take into account the awards and certifications
Established IT companies in Poland typically have certifications from major tech partners. For example, a company working with .NET needs to have a Microsoft certificate. This guarantees knowledge and experience within the given tech stack.
Membership in various associations, chambers, and business communities is also a good sign. Take into account industry awards and ratings, such as Global Outsourcing 100, which recognizes the best outsourcing companies. For example, N-iX has earned recognition through various industry awards, including being listed in the CRN Solution Provider 500, named in the Global Outsourcing 100 by IAOP, featured in the ISG Provider Lens™, and highlighted among Modern Application Development services providers by Forrester.
6. Don't overlook the security compliances of an outsourcing company in Poland
International regulations and security standards are vital to ensure strong data protection, so reliable vendors must comply. For instance, compliance with ISO 27001 means implementing administrative and physical controls to ensure data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. PCI DSS compliance is mandatory for a vendor accepting card payments and storing, processing, and transmitting cardholder data.
To comply with security standards, IT vendors undergo internal and external audits regularly. Reliable outsourcing providers cooperate with authorized third parties to perform regular cybersecurity assessments. For example, Bureau Veritas runs audits for ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 audits for N-iX. Also, we comply with GDPR and PCI DSS.
7. Look through the websites of the chosen vendors
Reliable IT companies in Poland always keep their website running. Here are a few aspects you need to pay attention to when browsing your potential vendors' website:
- A company overview page with the critical information on it;
- Expertise, technologies, and services they offer;
- A tech portfolio;
- Locations of the company's offices;
- Cooperation models they offer and approaches to software development;
- Job offerings and the careers section;
- Latest updates on their blog.
8. Pay attention to the reviews and client testimonials
Checking out customer reviews is also one of the ways to narrow down your list of potential partners. You can find recommendations on social media, Google, and Clutch. Also, look for client testimonials on the website.
Employee feedback is vital as the company’s brand image will affect its recruitment capabilities. If there are many negative reviews about your potential partner on social media, it is an alarming sign for you. So, it is essential to go through employee reviews.
Read more about Polish software developers
Wrap-up
Outsourcing offshore development services in Poland is a great way to expand your business. However, it works only if you do it right. Remember to:
- Narrow down the list of IT companies in Poland based on the detailed vendors' profiles;
- Discuss the legal and procedural aspects of cooperation before signing the contract;
- Oversee the knowledge transfer and first weeks of the partnership.
Why choose N-iX to outsource your IT operations?
- Extensive experience: With over two decades in the industry, N-iX has a proven track record of delivering high-quality software solutions and engineering services.
- Access to global talent pool: N-iX employs over 2,200 professionals across 25 countries, offering a diverse and experienced talent pool to address a variety of technological needs.
- Wide range of services: Specializing in cloud, data analytics, embedded software, IoT, AI, Machine Learning, and other tech domains, N-iX is equipped to handle complex and varied IT projects.
- Strong industry partnerships: Having worked with dozens of industry-leading enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, N-iX has established strong partnerships and a reputation for creating significant business value.
- Local and global reach: With a presence in Poland and other strategic locations globally, N-iX offers the perfect blend of local expertise and global reach, ensuring comprehensive support for clients' international and local IT requirements.
- Commitment to innovation: N-iX is dedicated to leveraging modern technology to solve business challenges, driving operational efficiency, and fostering revenue growth for its clients.
- Customized solutions: Understanding that each business has unique needs, N-iX emphasizes creating tailored solutions that align with specific client objectives and industry standards.
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