Development Digital Insights

These days, Fintech is becoming one of the world's fastest-growing industries. Every year, the number of new Fintech startups increases. In 2024, more than 13,000 such enterprises were recorded in the Americas.

Financial technologies include online banking applications, lending platforms, trading platforms, and robo-advisor apps for investing and budget planning. All these innovations demand top-notch Fintech solutions to serve customers, so aspiring Fintech startups need to find a talented team that can build an advanced product.

Key considerations when hiring

Before hiring a FinTech development company, it’s crucial to ensure the specialists have all the essential hard and soft skills. This way, the Fintech application project will have more chances to succeed. So, to hire reliable developers for your project, you need to understand the essential compliance requirements, which you will need to check. 

What are the must-have competencies of web development companies for Fintech?

• Technical knowledge. The company's developers must be well-versed in all the necessary coding languages, frameworks, technologies, and security norms. 
• Background in your niche. Check if a company has a portfolio of projects related to the financial field. 
• Familiarity with applicable finance legislation. The company must know industry norms such as PCI DSS and GDPR.
• Social skills. Seek a team that is able to ensure transparent communication, flexibility, well-organized teamwork, and attention to detail.

Experience in FinTech

Familiarity with the industry is obligatory for financial services development because the specialists must comprehend the main finance principles. A deep understanding of monetary standards and risk management allows developers to craft solutions that meet the niche requirements. Look for a company that has worked on apps or websites for mobile banking, budget management, cryptocurrency wallets, or other products related to Fintech app development. 

Technical Expertise

First of all, make sure the tech specialists know the necessary programming languages. For instance, frontend development for Fintech may require knowledge of JavaScript, libraries and frameworks such as React.js, adaptive and cross-browser layouts, as well as principles of responsive web design and great user experience. At the same time, Python paired with Node.js may be useful for backend development for Fintech.

Secondly, developers must ensure the product's security. To achieve this, they must understand finance APIs and data encryption protocols. Similarly, implementing secure coding methods and following best practices are critical to providing data security. Additionally, expertise in cloud and blockchain technologies can be vital for the safe and reliable launch and scaling of Fintech products.

In many cases, especially for lending platforms, a key functionality is digital credit scoring — the ability to assess a user’s creditworthiness based on real-time data automatically. Implementing such systems requires backend development expertise and experience working with financial scoring models, third-party data providers, and data compliance protocols. A development partner with proven experience building custom scoring logic can help you avoid regulatory risks and launch a more competitive product.

Security and Compliance Knowledge 

Fintech solutions must meet the latest regulations and standards for user data security. Since Fintech startups and online banks carry sensitive customer data, they are often victims of cyber attacks. That’s why there are legal regulations aimed at the safety of clients and ensuring secure accounting transactions. So, to get secure Fintech development services, check if a company has relevant experience and understanding of the best practices in data protection along with industry norms such as PCI DSS and GDPR.

Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is crucial for successful Fintech website development. A simple and streamlined interaction provides quick response, the ability to adjust tasks quickly, and full transparency of their implementation. Also, the tech team members must evolve their problem-solving skills, be adaptable, and demonstrate excellent collaborative skills. The last thing can be reached only by an experienced provider, so you should assess the management style in a company.

Research Potential Partners 

Before hiring a Fintech development company, conduct research on your own. A company must have a website providing all the information about its expertise, portfolio, and contact details. Besides, don’t forget to check customers’ testimonials to determine the quality of the services provided. Likewise, case studies of Fintech projects will best demonstrate a company’s expertise and outcomes achieved. 

Develop a Request for Proposal

When you already have a candidate for possible cooperation, the next step is to write a project proposal. Initially, you need to define the project's goals, target audience, desired functionality, and budget. This process will help your possible contractor fully understand your business demands and provide you with a personalized offer.

Conduct Interviews

While conducting a technical interview, ask detailed questions about the development process to check your possible contractor’s skills. Secondly, the organization's leadership style and structure should be analyzed. Inquire about any cross-functional initiatives the company has worked on.

It’s also important to find out who is on the team. In addition to the usual members of a tech team, such as a technical lead, developers, and QA testers, there should also be an expert who works on UI/UX design for Fintech. And, of course, don’t forget to ask about their previous experience in the niche and evaluate their grasp of your business needs and vision of the product.

Portfolio Review

When selecting a software development company, experience is a key consideration. And the easiest way to assess it is by checking the portfolio. Companies that have been on the market for a while usually have numerous projects. However, you need to pay the strongest attention to those connected to the Fintech industry. Check for mobile banking apps, home loan calculators, or trading tools technologies to make sure their design, usability, and the achieved results are close to your goals and needs. 

Conclusion

Developing a Fintech product is not an easy task. Besides the fact you need to retain customers by providing an outstanding service, you also have to worry about things like regulations and data security. That’s why it’s essential to learn how to recruit decent Fintech development specialists. By following the clues given above, you will be able to find suitable candidates.

What is a SaaS product?

SaaS (Software as a service) is a software distribution model in which a cloud provider hosts applications and makes them available to end users over the Internet. Therefore, SaaS applications are not set up and maintained by companies. A monthly subscription fee gives users access to the ready-to-use software. To make an analogy, the SaaS using process is like renting a vehicle, for which the lessor pays the price and uses it on demand. Nowadays, SaaS presents not as a service but as a necessary element at the center of the functioning of every second business.

Here are some statistics referring to SaaS software:

• The global SaaS market was valued at $237.48 billion in 2022, with projections to reach $908 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 18.7%.
• Over the last seven years, the SaaS industry's size has increased by approximately 500%.
• The U.S. SaaS market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.64% from 2023 to 2028, reaching over $186 billion by 2028.
• By 2026, it's anticipated that public cloud spending will constitute over 45% of total enterprise IT expenditure.
• Large companies (with over 1000 employees) use about 150 different SaaS products, comprising 70% of their total software usage.

Top Industries

Leading industries in SaaS adoption include healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, and retail.  This trend highlights the importance of cloud-based solutions in driving business efficiency and innovation.

• Manufacturing: Projected to surpass $19 billion in SaaS market value by 2026, with increased adoption of cloud solutions for supply chain, inventory, and production planning driving growth.
• Web and Video Conferencing: Expected to reach $7 billion by 2026, driven by remote work practices and advancements in IoT, AI, and video compression.
• The healthcare SaaS market: Is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.5% by 2028, driven by ongoing digitalization efforts, including the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and telehealth solutions.
• CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.43%, reaching $59.4 billion by 2027, driven by higher adoption among SMEs, cloud-based solutions, and a focus on customer engagement.
• EdTech (Educational Technology): Projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.1% through 2028, spurred by increased demand for virtual learning platforms and educational content.
• HR (Human Resources): Anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 15.8% up to 2028, with growth fueled by the need for efficient management systems, talent acquisition tools, and advanced analytics.
• Property Management: Expected to see a CAGR of 15.5% until 2028, driven by demands for automated rental management and enhanced tenant experiences.

Top Players

To get a clearer idea of what a SaaS product is, here is a list of the biggest SaaS companies known around the world:

• Microsoft Corporation;
• Adobe Inc.;
• Figma;
• HubSpot;
• Trello;
• Zoom;
• Slack.

Suppose you have experience using one of the above products. In that case, you can imagine how it works, why it is convenient, and how important it is to implement such SaaS platforms in your business.

Our company also deals with similar SaaS development services. We implemented the latest technology to build an innovative financial CRM system and booking beauty appointment platform, according to SaaS approach.

Benefits of using SaaS products

So, what are the benefits of this system for you? If you clearly understand what function SaaS products perform and your business purpose, you can formulate precise requirements for the end result of using this service. This section will list the main things that SaaS providers can offer for B2B and B2C businesses.

• You pay only for the resources and functionality that the company actually uses. There is no need to pay for the full range of services that a SaaS provider offers you. You're free to choose the necessary and critical features for your business and pay only for them.

• Economic benefit. This point can be viewed from two angles. First, you know exactly how much you'll have to pay for the subscription period, and you won't have surprises with the increased cost of the resources you've already paid. Second, you won't risk your investment in such a subscription. If your business needs a more powerful or extensive platform to deploy your capacity. You'll end your subscription to one product and switch to another without losing money.

• Accessibility to your team from anywhere. Any device your employees use - PC, laptop, mobile phone, tablet - can use the SaaS product.

• Shared use of the software by the entire team. There is no need to buy a subscription for each user within the same company; the only exception may be the limit of connected users.

• Centralized software updates. There is also no need to worry about updating the paid platform manually; the providers will do everything for the customer.

Business prospects with SaaS products

Enterprises incorporating SaaS products into their business concept are uniquely positioned to benefit from this growing trend. Here are some key business prospects with SaaS products, supported by statistics and numbers:

• Cost savings: SaaS service reduces businesses' need to invest in expensive hardware and software, which leads to cost savings. As a result, companies can save up to 20-30% of their IT costs.

• Scalability: According to 68% of companies, scalability is one of the main benefits of using SaaS. Therefore, a company can quickly increase or decrease its use of software as needed. 

• Security: SaaS products offer enterprises advanced security features to reduce the risk of data breaches, including encryption and multifactor authentication. 94% of enterprises report a noticeable increase in security after implementing SaaS.

• Competitive Advantage: 74% of companies claim SaaS gives them an advantage through the quick and cost-effective deployment of innovative software.

Summary

As you have already understood, SaaS products are not only an opportunity to effectively manage business processes and business as a whole but also a practical necessity, without which it will be easy to optimize work processes and implement large-scale projects without a platform for necessary control. 

By understanding what working principles SaaS is based on, you can maximize the potential of SaaS in your business and achieve greater success by 2030 and beyond.

In today's fast-paced world, managing apartment complexes requires efficient and optimized processes. A custom apartment management system can provide the perfect solution to address the unique needs of your property. Today, we will dive deeper into the process of building a custom apartment management system, including a review of existing systems, an exploration of useful features and an analysis of the potential integration of ChatGPT for enhanced functionality and renter satisfaction.

In order to create an effective custom apartment management system, it is crucial to thoroughly assess the specific requirements of your property. Consider factors such as the number of units, tenant communication preferences, rent collection methods, maintenance management needs, accounting processes, and reporting requirements. By gaining a deep understanding of these needs, you can design a solution that addresses them efficiently.

Existing Systems and Notable Features

Before starting the development process, it would be quite useful to review existing apartment management systems. This step allows you to gain insights into industry standards, best practices, and successful functionalities. Here are several popular systems worth considering:

1. Buildium: It’s a widely recognized property management platform that caters to various property types, including apartments. It offers a comprehensive suite of functionalities, including tenant portals, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, accounting tools, and robust reporting capabilities. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive design make it a popular choice among property management professionals.

2. AppFolio Property Manager: It’s a cloud-based property management platform that supports apartment management needs. It provides tools for online rent collection, lease management, maintenance requests, and accounting. AppFolio is recognized for its intuitive interface, mobile accessibility, and ability to optimize various property management tasks.

3. Yardi: It’s a leading provider of property management software with solutions tailored to multifamily apartments. Their software includes features such as vacancy management, lease tracking, maintenance scheduling, financial reporting, and integration with popular accounting software. Yardi is known for its scalability, industry-specific expertise, and wide adoption in the real estate industry.

By reviewing these systems and understanding their features, you can identify elements that align with your complex's requirements and incorporate them into your custom apartment management system. Conducting thorough research, reading user reviews, and consulting with industry professionals will help you make an informed decision and create a tailored solution for your apartment management needs.

To ensure your custom apartment management system maximizes efficiency and meets the needs of your project, consider incorporating the following trending features:

4. Tenant Portal: A secure online portal where tenants can access lease agreements, submit maintenance requests, view payment history, and communicate with the management team. This feature enhances convenience, improves tenant satisfaction, and fosters efficient communication.

5. Rent Collection Automation: Integrate online payment gateways and automated reminders for rent collection. This streamlines the process, reduces manual effort, and minimizes the chances of payment delays. It ensures consistent cash flow and improves overall financial management.

6. Maintenance Request Management: Implement a system that allows tenants to submit maintenance requests online, tracks the progress of requests, and provides real-time updates. This feature ensures prompt resolution of issues, reduces administrative burden, and enhances tenant satisfaction.

7. Accounting and Financial Management: Incorporate features for tracking rent payments, generating financial reports, managing expenses, and automating accounting tasks. This functionality simplifies financial management, ensures transparency, and facilitates efficient budgeting.

8. Document Management: Establish a centralized repository for storing and managing important documents, such as leases, contracts, and tenant records. This feature ensures easy access to essential information, reduces paperwork, and enhances overall organization.

9. Communication and Notifications: Integrate a system for sending automated communication and notifications to tenants. This can include reminders for rent payments, maintenance updates, community announcements, and emergency alerts. Effective communication strengthens tenant relationships and promotes a sense of community.

Stage of Development

When it comes to constructing a custom apartment management system, it’s important to carefully choose a programming language that aligns with your specific needs and even more important to find a proficient developer team. With a large selection of developer tools and technologies available, it's essential to select those that have consistently demonstrated maximum productivity. Drawing upon our extensive experience, we take great pleasure in presenting a thoroughly chosen array of highly efficient technologies that have repeatedly proven their relevance and usability over the years:

1. JavaScript: It’s is essential for front-end development and can be used with frameworks like React or Angular for building interactive user interfaces.

2. PHP: It’s a server-side scripting language commonly used for web development and has frameworks like Laravel that provide a solid foundation for building complex applications.

3. Database Management Systems: Selecting the right database management system (DBMS) is crucial for storing and managing data in your apartment management system. Some popular choices include:

• MySQL: An open-source relational database management system that is widely used due to its performance, scalability, and ease of integration.‍
• PostgreSQL: Another powerful open-source relational database system known for its robustness, extensibility, and support for complex queries.‍
• MongoDB: A popular NoSQL database that offers flexibility and scalability, making it suitable for handling large volumes of data and accommodating future growth.

4. Frameworks and Libraries: Utilizing frameworks and libraries can significantly speed up development and provide a solid foundation for your apartment management system. Here are a few examples:

• Laravel: A PHP framework known for its elegant syntax and extensive feature set, making it ideal for building complex web applications.‍
• Angular: It’s a JavaScript framework for building dynamic web applications. It offers a modular architecture, reusable components, and built-in features like routing and form validation. It's a versatile choice for complex front-end development.‍
• Bootstrap: A front-end framework that offers a collection of CSS and JavaScript components, enabling you to create responsive and visually appealing user interfaces.

5. API Integration: Integrating with external services and APIs can expand the functionality of your apartment management system. For example, you might consider integrating payment gateways, geolocation services, or messaging platforms to enhance tenant experiences and streamline operations.

6. Version Control Systems: Utilizing version control systems like Git or Mercurial can help you manage and track changes to your codebase effectively. This allows for collaboration among developers, easy bug tracking, and the ability to roll back to previous versions if needed.

7. Cloud Services and Hosting: Consider leveraging cloud services like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform for scalable and reliable hosting of your custom apartment management system. Cloud services offer benefits such as easy scalability, high availability, and robust security measures.

The Potential of Integrating ChatGPT

One exciting possibility for enhancing your custom apartment management system is the integration of ChatGPT. It can serve as a virtual assistant within your system, providing various benefits. 

Tenant Support and Assistance 

ChatGPT can handle common renter inquiries, provide information about complex policies and procedures, and offer assistance with general questions. This feature reduces the burden on property management staff, provides instant responses, and enhances tenant satisfaction.

Language Translation 

With ChatGPT's language translation capabilities, renters with different language preferences can communicate effectively. It can translate messages, notices, and announcements into multiple languages, ensuring comprehensive and persistent communication.

Maintenance Request Sorting 

ChatGPT can enhance the efficiency of the maintenance request process by assessing and prioritizing incoming requests, gathering necessary information from tenants, and categorizing the requests based on their level of urgency. This enables property managers to effectively manage and allocate tasks, leading to quicker response times.

Rent and Payment Assistance 

ChatGPT can assist renters with questions related to rent payment methods, due dates, and payment history. It can provide automated reminders, generate payment receipts, and address payment-related concerns, improving the overall rent collection process.

Conclusion

Building a custom apartment management system tailored to the specific needs of your project is a worthwhile investment. By thoroughly assessing your requirements, reviewing existing systems, and incorporating trending features, you can create an efficient, user-friendly and comprehensive system. Choosing the right programming language, finding a proficient development team, and integrating technologies like ChatGPT can further enhance capacity of your project. With a custom apartment management system in place, you'll have the means to effectively manage your property, improve tenant satisfaction, and achieve overall success.

The right tools in software development can make or break your setup fundamentals, especially when it comes to open-source control systems. If we take GitHub, it thrives as a collaborative hub for open-source innovation and hosts giants like TensorFlow and React. About 58% of GitHub users adopt third-party Actions. 

Meanwhile, GitLab attracts teams that value privacy and automation. About 73% of its users use the built-in CI/CD pipelines. 

But what is the difference between GitHub and GitLab on a deeper level, and why does this choice matter in 2025?

• Community: By late 2024, GitHub hit 4.5 billion contributions globally. For context, that’s 12,328 commits per minute.
• Trust: Over 90% of Fortune 100 companies use GitHub for key code. They appreciate its ecosystem for scalability and easy third-party integrations.
• Network: GitHub has over 1 million active monthly contributors from North America, Brazil, India, and China. This setup makes cross-border teamwork easy, which is great for distributed teams.
• Compliance: GitLab reduces audit prep time by 40% for regulated industries like healthcare.

This article breaks down the key features, security protocols, and real-world performance. It helps you choose the right platform for your 2025 strategy. Focus on what matches your goals, not just the latest trends.

Git vs GitLab vs GitHub: The Basics

Both platforms are made to streamline software development. They provide various tools for version control, continuous integration, and teamwork. Let's start with a closer look at each platform.

What is Git?

Git is a free and open-source distributed version control system used by teams worldwide. It works equally well for minor fixes and large projects. Unlike older systems, 

Git gives every developer a complete project copy, making teamwork faster and more flexible. Git runs smoothly even on basic computers, outperforming tools like Subversion and Perforce with features like cheap local branching, convenient staging areas, and multiple workflows.

Key Features of Git

• Distributed Development: Each developer has their full local copy of the repository and all its history. This allows offline work and eliminates reliance on a central server.
• Snapshots Over Diffs: Git keeps data as snapshots of the entire project. This method helps with efficient storage and quick retrieval.
• Branching and Merging: Git lets developers create lightweight branches. This way, they can experiment on their own. Later, they can merge changes easily into the main codebase.
• Performance: Git is optimized for speed, which makes operations like committing, branching, merging, and comparing versions highly efficient.
• Collaboration: Its distributed nature allows multiple developers to work simultaneously without conflicts. Changes can be reviewed, tracked, and merged quickly.
• Data Integrity: SHA-1 hashing checks every file change. This ensures the data stays intact and avoids corruption.

What Is GitLab?

GitLab is an open-source DevOps platform. Built on Git (the same system GitHub uses), it’s designed to help teams manage every step of creating apps or programs—from brainstorming ideas to launching updates. It offers project planning, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), security testing, and monitoring.

From conception to implementation, GitLab leads the way and helps teams reduce the development cycle from weeks to minutes. As a result, teams cut costs, accelerate time-to-market, and create more secure and standards-compliant software.

Who Created GitLab?

Frustrated by too complex or unreliable tools, GitLab co-founder Dmytro Zaporizhets decided to build something that just worked. In 2011, right from his home in Ukraine, Dmytro teamed up with Valeriy Sizov to create GitLab. Their first code commit on October 8, 2011, marked the start of a platform that would grow into a global DevOps powerhouse.

What began as a personal project to simplify collaboration has since transformed how teams worldwide build, test, and deploy software.

Many wondered—is GitLab owned by Microsoft? No, GitLab is not owned by Microsoft. The owners of GitLab Inc. include institutional investors, internal shareholders of the company, and a broad range of private investors. Microsoft acquired GitHub in 2018, one of the most popular code-hosting platforms. However, they remain independent companies despite GitLab and GitHub operating in a similar field. GitLab continues to operate separately, offering its own set of tools and services for DevOps.

Features of GitLab

• Planning. Powerful tools help unite all process participants. They set up work using epics, groups, stages, and roadmaps. You can also see progress in real-time.
• Maintenance. Built-in issue tracking and support system for continuous feedback within DevSecOps processes.
• Design Management. Centralized storage for project materials helps teams work together. It allows them to improve the product quickly during development.
• Requirements Control. Established requirements management system.
• Product Quality. Track testing, analyze results, and adjust processes directly on a single platform.
• Wiki. Each GitLab project comes with its own wiki. This allows users to easily create, store, and manage documentation alongside their code.
• Text Editors. GitLab offers two types of editors: Plain Text Editor (PTE) and Rich Text Editor (RTE). Both are key to the Knowledge Group's plan to turn GitLab into a full AllOps platform.
• Value Stream Management. The system tracks key metrics throughout all stages of development. It analyzes how efficient the process is and finds bottlenecks. Comparing best practices among teams helps improve workflows. This leads to faster, more valuable solutions for users.
• DORA Metrics. Tracking and visualizing DORA metrics helps teams make smart, data-driven choices. This boosts efficiency in their DevOps processes.
• DevOps Reports. GitLab’s flexibility makes it suitable for both small teams and large enterprises, providing simple and effective management from Waterfall to DevSecOps.

Pros and Cons of GitLab

GitLab vs GitHub remains among the best solutions for DevOps due to their extensive automation capabilities and user-friendly tools for efficient team collaboration.

What Is GitHub?

GitHub is a platform for code storage, collaboration, and version control. It allows you and other developers to collaborate on projects, coordinate changes, and improve the code. The GitHub website and app have version control, source code management, and change-tracking features.

The fundamentals of the platform are the Git system. GitHub serves as a space for developer to interact and share their projects. It remains the most popular version control system (VCS) in programming due to its user-friendly interface, open structure, and ease of use.

Who Created GitHub?

The idea of GitHub originated in 2005 thanks to Finnish-American software engineer Linus Torvalds. Looking for an efficient way to manage Linux code, he created Git, which took just over a week. Git became a distributed version control system with open-source code.

Unlike previous solutions that stored code in a single repository, Git allows each user, regardless of location, to view the source code, history of changes, bug fixes, and integration plans. GitHub developed this idea by creating a single open platform for developers to collaborate to view different projects and improve their code.

The gap between the creation of Git in 2005 and the launch of GitHub in April 2008 became a period when new users gradually learned the system. Their work was coordinated by the lead maintainer, Japanese programmer Junio Hamano. Torvalds acknowledges that Hamano made the most significant contribution to Git's improvements.

Features of GitHub

• Community: GitHub is known for its active developer community and many open-source projects.
• GitHub Copilot: GitHub offers an AI-powered code completion tool called GitHub Copilot that provides code suggestions directly in the editor, significantly increasing developer productivity.
• Packages: GitHub integrates package management into the platform, allowing users to host and manage software packages and use them as dependencies in other projects, all within GitHub.‍
• Security and code scanning: GitHub provides security tools like Dependabot for automated dependency update code and secret scanning.‍
• Integration with third-party tools: GitHub offers many integrations with popular development tools such as Slack, Trello, etc.
• Community: GitHub is known for its active developer community and many open-source projects.
• GitHub Copilot: GitHub offers an AI tool known as GitHub Copilot. It gives code suggestions right in the editor, which helps developers work faster and more efficiently.
• Packages: GitHub lets users manage packages right on the platform. You can host your software packages and keep them organized. Plus, you can use these packages as dependencies in other projects, all in GitHub.
• Security and code scanning: GitHub has tools like Dependabot. It automates updating dependencies and scans for secrets.
• Integration: GitHub easily connects with third-party tools like Slack and Trello.

Pros and Cons of GitHub

Let's consider the key differences between GitHub vs GitLab.

Git vs GitLab vs GitHub: Similarities

Both platforms from our GitLab vs GitHub comparison have a lot in common, making them popular choices for developers:

Thus, we conclude they have many similarities when comparing GitLab vs. GitHub.

Key Difference Between Git, GitHub, and GitLab

Are GitHub and GitLab the same? Despite the similarities, there is a critical difference between Git, GitLab vs GitHub:

Thus, consider these differences between Git vs GitHub vs GitLab when working on your project.

Git, GitHub, and GitLab Cost in 2025

Let's look at Git vs GitHub vs GitLab in 2025.

• Git—free, open source.
• GitHub is offered with plans starting from $4 per user per month.
• GitLab vs GitHub is the more expensive platform, with plans starting at $21 per user per month.

This price difference between GitHub and GitLab reflects GitLab's focus on integrated DevOps features and enterprise-grade solutions. That is why it is higher. However, it's important to note that GitLab offers a transition price of $24 per user per month for existing Premium customers renewing within the first year after the price increase.

Git vs GitLab vs GitHub: Which Is the Best Option?

In short, the choice between GitLab vs. GitHub depends on your project's specific needs. However, diving deeper, we will see that GitHub is widely favored for open-source projects, individual developers, and small to medium-sized teams. This is because of its large community, ease of use, and extensive third-party integrations. These features make it ideal for quick collaboration and straightforward workflows, particularly for those who put accessibility and a vibrant ecosystem first.

On the other hand, GitLab caters to large enterprises and teams that look for a robust, all-in-one DevOps platform. Its built-in CI/CD pipelines, self-hosting flexibility, and advanced project management tools streamline complex workflows. Plus, many organizations with intricate development and deployment needs hugely benefit from GitLab. 

Meanwhile, hosting options differ: GitHub operates exclusively in the cloud, while GitLab offers both cloud-based and self-hosted solutions, granting greater control over infrastructure.

GitHub’s strength lies in its vast array of third-party plugins and integrations, which simplify extending functionality. Meanwhile, GitLab emphasizes deep, native integration with DevOps tools, reducing reliance on external services. For open-source collaboration or rapid project initiation, GitHub remains the top choice. On the other hand, GitLab excels in managing advanced CI/CD processes and meeting enterprise-scale demands, positioning it as the go-to for teams needing end-to-end DevOps automation and customization.

After all, selecting a platform hinges on your project’s unique needs—not just features. Evaluate team size, integration requirements, and CI/CD workflows to choose the best fit.

GitLab and GitHub Alternatives

In fact, GitLab and GitHub are not the ones that thrive in the effective management of repositories. Some of the alternatives of GitLab and GitHub are:

• Bitbucket: Offers integration with Jira, making it convenient for teams that use this tool for project management. In addition, Bitbucket supports Mercurial, which can be helpful for teams using this version control system.‍
• SourceForge: This site is famous for open-source projects and has an extensive software archive. It allows users to host projects and provides tools for version management and code collaboration, which makes it attractive for open-source developers.‍
• Azure DevOps: This is a comprehensive platform for DevOps from Microsoft that provides a complete set of tools to manage application development, testing, and deployment. Azure DevOps integrates with other Azure services, making it an excellent choice for organizations already using Azure infrastructure.

Conclusion

Undeniably, both GitLab and GitHub stand as powerful tools for managing repositories that have transformed how software is developed and shared. 

GitLab excels with its DevOps toolkit and granular control, while GitHub offers a streamlined developer experience and unmatched open-source reach. In addition to these two popular options, it is worth mentioning other platforms such as Bitbucket, SourceForge, and Azure DevOps, each with its characteristics and advantages. 

To find out which will fit your needs perfectly, evaluate the specifics of your project, integration requirements, and number of participants. With the right choice of platform, you can boost the team's efficiency, ensure the final product's quality, and contribute to the success of your project as a whole.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses and individuals constantly seek innovative ways to optimize their processes and enhance productivity. One key solution that has gained significant attention is custom-made software. Tailored specifically to meet unique requirements and objectives, it offers a large number of benefits compared to off-the-shelf alternatives that can limit your business's growth potential. Today, we are diving into the world of custom-made software, its advantages, and how it can revolutionize how businesses and individuals operate.

Understanding Custom-Made Software

The purpose of custom-made software is to offer a unique solution that aligns precisely with your needs and goals. Unlike standard software, which provides general functionality for a wide range of users, custom computer software is designed to align perfectly with unique workflows, business models, and user preferences. It is created from scratch, allowing complete control over its features, design, and integration capabilities.

Custom software can grow and evolve with your business. It can be designed to handle increased workloads, incorporate new functionalities, and seamlessly integrate with existing systems, ensuring long-term scalability and adaptability.

As for the user experience, it’s also optimized for your specific needs. Custom application software enhances efficiency and productivity by focusing on usability, intuitive design, and personalized workflows, leading to higher user satisfaction and engagement.

Mass-market software often includes unnecessary features and complexities, making it less efficient and harder to learn. Custom-developed software overcomes these challenges by offering user-friendly interfaces, streamlining processes, and automating repetitive tasks, significantly boosting productivity.

The advantages of custom-written software are that it offers enhanced security measures, guarding against potential vulnerabilities and ensuring heightened data protection. That is achieved through the implementation of strong encryption, access controls, and user authentication mechanisms, enhancing the security of sensitive data in custom-made software.

Planning Your Project and Managing Costs

Outline the Project Parameters

Clearly define the scope of your project by identifying the key features and functionalities required. Prioritize the must-have features and separate them from nice-to-have ones. That helps manage costs and ensures the development team focuses on the most crucial aspects.

Finances

Determine a realistic budget for your custom-made software development project. Consider complexity, development time, resources required, and ongoing maintenance costs. Discuss your budget with potential development partners to ensure alignment and feasibility.

Development Approach

Consider adopting an Agile development approach, such as Scrum or Kanban. Agile methodologies emphasize iterative development, allowing flexibility, frequent feedback, and continuous improvement. This approach helps manage costs by delivering software incrementally and adjusting priorities as needed.

Collaboration

Maintain open and transparent communication with your development team throughout the project. Regularly discuss progress, address concerns or changes, and provide timely feedback. Effective collaboration ensures that the software aligns with your expectations and minimizes the risk of costly rework.

Consider Long-Term Maintenance

Discuss post-development support options with your development partner and consider the need for future updates, security patches, and feature enhancements.

Unlike ready-made software that may require additional licensing fees or customization, a custom software tailoring solution that eliminates the need for unnecessary features and ongoing expenses. By partnering with a reputable development team and strategically planning your project, you can ensure the successful delivery of a custom-made software solution that meets your specific needs and unlocks new opportunities for your business.

How to Choose a Developer Team

When searching for a custom-made application software development partner, it is crucial to consider their knowledge, background, and previous work when evaluating their suitability. Look for developers with a deep understanding of your industry and a proven track record of delivering successful custom software solutions. Collaborating with an experienced development team will ensure a smooth and efficient process, resulting in a tailored software solution that meets your requirements and exceeds expectations. 

Define Your Requirements

Clearly articulate your goals, functionalities, and budget before approaching a developer team. That will help you communicate your needs effectively and evaluate potential partners.

Look for Relevant Experience

Seek a developer team with experience in your industry or a similar domain. They will understand your unique challenges and have the expertise to deliver a solution that meets your specific requirements.

Check Portfolios and Client Feedback

Review the portfolios of custom-made software development teams to assess their previous projects and the quality of their work. Request references and reach out to past clients to gain insights into their experience working with the team.

Evaluate Technical Expertise

Assess the technical skills and proficiency of the developer team. Look for certifications, proficiency in relevant programming languages and frameworks, and a track record of successful software development projects.

Additionally, when considering developer teams for your custom software project, it's worth noting that specialists from Eastern European countries such as Ukraine or Poland are renowned for their high qualifications and expertise. For the reason that IT industry in these countries has experienced rapid growth and development over the years, resulting in a rich talent pool of skilled professionals.

Here are some reasons why specialists from Eastern Europe can be a valuable choice for your custom software development needs

High-Quality Expertise

Eastern European specialists are known for their strong technical skills, proficiency in programming languages, and up-to-date knowledge of industry best practices. They often possess advanced computer science and engineering degrees, ensuring high expertise.

Cost Efficiency

While offering exceptional skills and expertise, Eastern European specialists generally charge lower rates than their counterparts in North America or Central Europe. This cost advantage can be significant when working within a tight budget or seeking to maximize the value of your investment.

Communication Skills

English proficiency is widespread among IT professionals in Eastern Europe. That makes communication with the development team efficient and effective, ensuring smooth collaboration throughout the project.

The Development Process: Steps to be Followed When Building a Custom-Made Software

Requirements Gathering: Clearly define your goals, objectives, and functionalities. Discuss your vision with the developer team to ensure a shared understanding of the project scope.

System Design: The system design phase begins once the requirements are established. That includes designing the database structure, determining the architecture, and mapping the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) elements.

Coding and Implementation: Qualified software engineers write the code, ensuring that the software meets the design specifications and incorporates any necessary integrations.

Backend Development: The backend is the "behind-the-scenes" part of the software that handles data storage, logic, and interactions with the frontend. Common technologies used in backend development include Node.js, PHP, and NestJS.

Frontend Development: The frontend is the visible part of the software users interact with. Technologies such as JavaScript, ReactJS, Angular, and Vue.js are commonly used for frontend development. These frameworks enable the creation of dynamic, responsive, and user-friendly interfaces.

Design: Design encompasses both the UI and UX aspects of the software. UI design focuses on the visual elements, while UX design ensures a seamless and intuitive user experience. Good design enhances usability and engagement.

Quality Assurance (QA): It involves thorough testing to identify and fix any bugs or issues. That ensures that the software functions correctly and meets the defined requirements. Testing is conducted at various stages of development to maintain high-quality standards.

Project Management: Project management ensures that the development process stays on track and meets deadlines. It involves effective planning, resource allocation, risk management, and stakeholder communication.

Deployment and Maintenance: Once the software has undergone thorough testing, it is deployed and available for use. Ongoing maintenance and support are provided to address any future needs or updates.

Here is a List With Brief Descriptions of the Key Technologies in Custom Software Development

Databases (DB): DB store and organize data used by the software. Popular database options include relational databases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) and NoSQL databases (e.g., MongoDB, Firebase).

React Native: UI software framework for building cross-platform mobile applications. It allows for code sharing and rapid development across iOS and Android platforms.

ReactJS: ReactJS is a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. It allows for component-based development, reusability, and efficient rendering, resulting in fast and responsive web applications.

Angular: It’s an efficient JavaScript framework for building scalable and feature-rich applications. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and features for building complex frontend applications.

Vue.js: It’s a progressive JavaScript framework known for its simplicity and flexibility. It allows developers to adopt its features and scale applications as needed incrementally.

Node.js: Runtime environment that enables server-side JavaScript execution. It provides a scalable and efficient platform for backend development.

PHP: Widely-used scripting language for server-side development. It is known for its simplicity, extensive library support, and compatibility with various database systems.

Ionic Framework: Popular framework for building hybrid mobile applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It offers a single codebase for multiple platforms, reducing development time and costs.

Summary

In summary, custom-made software offers unmatched benefits in today's technology-driven world. By carefully selecting a competent developer team and following a well-planned development process, you can create a cost-effective solution that meets your unique needs, improves efficiency, and enhances user experiences. By following these guidelines, you can access the total capacity of tailored solutions for your business and unlock the full potential for growth and success!

Perhaps you are one of those people who believe that any experienced software engineer can be involved in any project. But in reality, it doesn’t work like that: depending on your task, you may need different expertise from the core members of your development team. Below, we will highlight existing types of software development and briefly consider their specifics.

Types of Software Development

The division of software development into types primarily depends on the platforms for which the created project is intended, that is, the user environment where it will be deployed. This could be a web browser, cloud, mobile, desktop, IoT, or embedded operating system. There are also platform-independent solutions that can be run on several operating systems without any restrictions. 

Ultimately, the deployment environment turns out to be one of the main factors influencing the choice of the project’s technology stack, and, therefore, the developers themselves, who have the appropriate expertise.  

Web Development

Web development involves creating different types of software – web applications and websites – that run through an Internet browser. Along with this, you have to understand that to implement your web solution, you will need several specialists at once whose scope of work will be concentrated within the following subtypes of web development.

Frontend Development

Frontend development concerns the creation of that part of the project with which the end user directly interacts. In particular, this consists of creating a user interface as well as functionality that is performed without the participation of a server and database.

Backend Development

Backend development lies in the implementation of the business logic of the project and its connections with the database/databases. This is its server part, which is hidden from the eyes of end users.

Full-Stack Development

Full-stack development involves a combination of frontend and backend development, but unlike them, it requires the participation of more general specialists who are well-versed in both server and browser technologies.

Mobile App Development

Mobile app development is aimed at the implementation of projects for mobile operating systems – usually iOS and Android. At the same time, there are also cross-platform projects that work equally well regardless of what OS is installed on the end user’s device.

iOS App Development

iOS app development involves creating applications completely tailored to work on the iOS operating system. Such projects require developers to have knowledge of Objective-C, Swift, and Java programming languages, as well as platform-native technologies and tools.

Android App Development

Similarly, Android app development is aimed at projects tailored to the specs of the Android mobile OS. To do this, developers need to have strong programming skills in Java and Kotlin, and be able to work with the Android Toolkit.

Cross-Platform App Development

Cross-platform development allows developers to cover several mobile platforms at once. In this case, they create a universal code base based on a single technology stack, regardless of which OS will run on user devices. From a business perspective, cross-platform projects allow you to achieve faster launch and lower budget since instead of several separate applications and teams that will work on them, you can hire just one that will create a software solution that can be simultaneously deployed on numerous platforms.

Embedded Software Development

Embedded software development involves creating solutions to control machines or devices that are more primitive than computers, called embedded systems. This software development model is completely tailored to the specific hardware on which the software solution runs and has significant restrictions on the consumption of its resources.

Desktop Application Development

Desktop application software development consists of creating applications that are used to work offline on user PCs and laptops. Instead of applying the computing power of servers on the hosting provider's side, they rely entirely on the resources of the user device on which they are installed.

DevOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

DevOps is a set of interaction practices between developers, testers, and other IT specialists in a project team needed to increase their performance and improve the quality of the work results. Typically, DevOps is applied to launch new versions of software regularly. In turn, CI/CD is one of the DeOps techniques, which consists of automating the software development process to ensure a recurrent development life cycle with a continuous delivery of the program code.

IoT (Internet of Things) Development

IoT development, also called M2M development, is aimed at creating software for systems where devices exchange data with each other without human intervention. These could be physical security systems, smart home and smart city solutions, logistics systems, and so on.

Cloud Development

Cloud development involves creating software that is run on a remote web server using a subscription-based delivery model. From the point of view of end users, this approach ensures the high availability of such software products since they only need to have access to the Internet.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Development

While the development of augmented reality solutions involves using the camera of a smartphone or tablet on the user's device (this is necessary to overlay digital objects in the user's real environment), virtual reality solutions also need the use of special wearable devices, such as VR glasses. 

Blockchain Software Development

Blockchain software development involves the creation of decentralized platforms, consensus protocols, smart contracts, and other blockchain-related solutions. Although this type of development became popular thanks to crypto projects, today, it covers a long list of niches, from logistics and healthcare to insurance and finances.

API Development

API development is the creation of software tools that allow independent software components to interact with each other using a set of definitions and protocols. Typically, APIs are used to integrate systems, services, and applications to ensure seamless and secure data exchange between them.

Choosing the Right Development Type

At the very beginning of the article, we already indicated that the deployment environment is the main factor influencing the types of software products that you should focus on creating. However, there are also a number of other aspects that will help you make the correct choice. These may include the following:

• Project needs and objectives – they will help your team to define not only the tech stack but also the most suitable software development methodologies (usually, they are related to Agile)
• Your business niche – it can be finance, healthcare, entertainment, e-commerce, industrial, education, logistics and supply chain, or something else
• The resources you have – the specialists you’ve already hired, the project budget, access to data that will operate your software solution, etc.

As for small projects, they are usually dedicated to web development, mobile development, or desktop development — in such software development types, the talent pool is usually wide, and you will be able to choose specialists with the optimal ratio between expertise and rates. However, don't forget that choosing development services that are too cheap may mean you end up having to redo the project from scratch because it doesn't meet your expectations.

Trends in Software Development

Finally, let's take a brief look at the technologies that will be trending in the coming years and which ultimately can provide a strong competitive advantage to your project:

• Artificial intelligence and machine learning – today, these technologies find a wide variety of applications, from personalized search results and chatbots to smart analytics and forecasting
• Augmented and virtual reality – we have already mentioned these two trends above, so we would like to emphasize that their implementation becomes more and more affordable to project owners 
• Internet of Things – we also talked about this trend above; its relevance is explained by the possibility of on-site data collection from devices to which the user does not have physical access
• Personalized user experience – in general, it can be achieved not only with the help of machine learning but also through predefined algorithms
• Blockchain – it’s needless to say that the number of blockchain software development projects is growing every day, and currently, they cover not only the crypto industry

Conclusion

Now, after reading this article, you will be able to understand what type of project you can classify as and what specialists you will need in your project team. At the same time, whichever of the above-described examples of software development you choose, you can always contact us, and we are guaranteed to implement your business idea according to your requirements.

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If you have ever used ChatGPT to find answers to your text queries or DALL-E to generate images, you are already familiar with generative AI. In a nutshell, this type of artificial intelligence is capable of creating unique text, images, and other media as a response to a user query, using training datasets. Despite the advancement of such solutions, they are not without their drawbacks. In particular, one of the key problems with using such solutions is, unsurprisingly, the privacy of user data, which we will actually discuss below.

What Are Some Challenges of Generative AI

So, what are the challenges of generative AI? Let's find out right now.

• Ethics of generative AI models. The ethics of models used by generative artificial intelligence means, first of all, the absence of bias in their responses, as well as ensuring their objectivity and transparency. In practice, providing the first two properties can be difficult – mainly because a service provider developing an AI model usually has limited data samples. As for transparency, it also indirectly depends on the size of the data samples – the more limited and narrowly specialized they are, the greater the risk that the generated solution to the user problem will not consider generally accepted provisions and axioms.
• Using someone else's intellectual property. Generative AI always uses some sample of data for training. This data, in turn, may be protected by copyright – therefore, there may be a difficulty in transferring ownership of the generated content. Actually, this highlights a larger issue that questions the integrity of the use of AI, especially for commercial purposes. If we add to this the blurring of the geographical boundaries of laws related to the generative AI applications, it becomes clear that the solution to this problem must be taken at the international level.
• Potential harm from generated responses. Some organizations in the healthcare, financial, legal, and other sectors, using generative AI, expose their consumers to certain risks – the fact is that the answers it produces may contain potentially dangerous recommendations. Moreover, due to the possible differences in the context of user queries, identifying those answers that can cause harm to users can be quite difficult. That is why, along with the careful development of generative AI models, it is also important for these organizations to pay attention to the implementation of other mechanisms that would set delimitations for the generated answers.
• Compliance with generally accepted user data privacy policies. Finally, if you plan to gradually expand the geographic reach of your AI solution, you will need to ensure that it meets the user data security and privacy standards in the region where the specific user is located. Specifically, these may include the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (EU AI Act), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and so on. But that’s not all: currently, due to the popularization of AI in various fields, a lot of new legislative provisions are being developed, such as the UK’s AI and Data Protection Risk Toolkit, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, China’s Generative AI Measures, India’s Ethical Guidelines for AI in Healthcare and Biomedical Research, and so on. That’s why long-term fixing user privacy issues in generative AI solutions may be quite challenging.

Solutions for Data Security in Generative AI

In this section, we propose to understand how you can overcome the above-described obstacles in AI data security or, at least, mitigate the consequences of encountering them.

• Creating ethical AI solutions. Data for training models is collected from people who may introduce their own biases. Moreover, AI itself can create biases according to its own algorithms for interpreting the data used for training. Thus, to ensure the transparency of the answers produced by a solution based on generative AI, it is important to additionally implement algorithms for comparing this data with third-party reliable sources of information. 
• Introduction of comprehensive data security AI mechanisms. Any data considered to be someone else's intellectual property and used by generative AI for learning may cause harm or loss to its owners who provide it. To prevent this, you should take care in advance of non-disclosure of your users' information and, as an option, provide them with clear and understandable notifications about for what purpose, by whom, and how their data may be used by your software in the future.
• Eliminating harm from generated responses. To ensure that the responses made by your AI-powered solution are safe for end users, you need to pre-define the rules and parameters that the AI ​​must follow when generating them, as well as implement checking and verification mechanisms to make the generated content safe. And, of course, do not forget to introduce an AI and data security system for monitoring your solution’s operation, which would allow you to fix situations with potentially harmful responses – this will give you a direction for further optimizing your training model. 
• Compliance with AI regulations. The first thing to start with is to ensure reliable user data access control and compliance with the most strict encryption and privacy standards. However, due to the constant discovery of new vulnerabilities even in the most reliable generative AI security mechanisms, you will need to conduct regular checks and audits of the operation of your AI driver solution. Finally, you will need to train the team working on your project on generally accepted rules for using AI and data for its training.

Conclusion

Now, being aware of the most common generative AI security risks, you can start working on your project, keeping it with all necessary policies and standards in time. Also, if you are looking for a service provider to delegate secure AI development without unnecessary doubts, feel free to contact us.

Getting started with the ChatGPT 

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Many of you have heard about Artificial Intelligence from OpenAI - ChatGPT. No wonder because all the social networks and the Internet, in general, are full of headlines about a newfangled tool that conquered the whole world with its capabilities. Before we give a more detailed description of this tool, let's go over the basics of this technological wonder.

To get started with the chat, you need to register in the system. The process is similar to registration in social networks and takes little time. And then, you just need to enter a request on the principle of communication with a live person. In fact, he can answer any of your questions, but keep in mind that the request must be accurate and precise. The robot will catch the context of the request and give you a text response.

The model uses a neural network architecture called a transformer, trained on a large corpus of text data. The transformer learns patterns and connections between words and phrases in the text data, which allows it to generate new connected and grammatically correct text.

ChatGPT is changing the world by making communication more accessible and efficient. Using natural language processing, it can understand language much higher than traditional methods. This means that ChatGPT-based chatbots can respond to users more naturally and human-likely.

ChatGPT areas of opportunity

OpenAi has transformed the digital world with ChatGPT. With it comes more and more opportunities for developers, marketers and designers, business owners, office workers, and others. The ability of AI chatbots to understand our language makes interacting with technology more accessible.

Let's look at ChatGPT areas where it can be most helpful:

Blogging

If you have a blog or plan to create one, this tool is handy. It helps you generate blog topics, rubrics, and texts for them. We recommend making additional edits to the generated texts to add individuality and better promotion in search engines.

Content marketing

Marketers can safely draw ideas and inspiration here with a well-formulated query to the system. This is not a panacea for all marketer's problems but a great helper for creating creative content or themes. It's essential to use GPT-generated content as a starting point and to carefully review and edit the text to ensure that it meets your standards and accurately represents your brand or message.

Chatbots

When a business needs to communicate with customers or effectively put the process of ordering goods or services - chatbots are the perfect solution to close this issue. Since chatbots and ChatGPT are identical, you'll have no problem incorporating them into your business. And the GPT tool will compose questions and answers for prospective conversations with your customer.

Trading 

It can collect market data to identify patterns and predict future market trends, analyze social media and news articles to determine market sentiment and identify potential risks in the market, which can be used to make strategic decisions to minimize losses and maximize profits.

Code writing

In addition to plain text, this chatroom can even write code for a program. Users have already tested it to write code for Angular, Python, and other developing technologies. And HTML/CSS is a piece of cake.

Incredible things that you can do with the help of ChatGPT

ChatGPT has revolutionized research and development with its idea generation, data analysis, and simulation creation capabilities. It can generate natural text that sounds like it is spoken by a human, providing personalized support in various sectors, from healthcare to customer service. In addition to these powerful features, ChatGPT offers excellent benefits for market research and automating tasks such as content creation or customer interaction on social media sites. Pretty impressive right?

The basic list of what you can create with it includes the following items: 

Text Generation

ChatGPT can generate human-like text of any complexity. It can be used to create creative works, scripts, articles, stories, poems, and other forms of text content. 

Translation to other languages

Just enter the desired text and specify a request for its translation with the specific parameters, if any, for translation.

Text Summarization

ChatGPT can summarize significant lengthy texts into shorter versions explaining the main points and thoughts. 

Ending a text

If you have a beginning of a text or a code, you can complete it in your desired direction by specifying this in the chat request. Be as specific as possible in your request, so the answer matches the expected result.

Answering questions

ChatGPT can answer questions based on the context you set, which is helpful for customer service chatbots. Also, it provides information on a wide range of topics.

So what's the bottom line: replace or implement?

In recent months, discussions about ChatGPT taking over all spheres and professions, which are somehow related to the content, have been raging on the Web. Such drastic changes will certainly not happen soon, and here's why:

• ChatGPT can be great for dealing with fundamental customer service issues and providing quick information, but more complex or sensitive issues require human involvement. Customers want a personalized experience, so real people answering their questions are still needed.

• ChatGPT can't provide a different level of empathy, judgment, and problem-solving than a human customer service representative. In addition, its responses are limited to pre-programmed scripts that need to be more flexible for different customer needs rather than people who can offer more adaptive solutions.

• ChatGPT can help improve customer service, but it will never replace the value of human interaction and expertise.
  

As AI continues to evolve, there will be an increasing need for individuals who can design, develop, and maintain these systems. AI also creates new job opportunities in data science, machine learning, and robotics. These jobs require specialized skills and knowledge that are in high demand. People may need to adapt to new roles that require more advanced skills, such as managing and maintaining AI systems.

That is why it makes sense to talk not about replacing the central employees with a chat room but introducing AI technology into the company. It should not be a substitute for specialists, but a technical addition, which will increase the work process's efficiency and help you find new ideas and rely on when making business decisions. Moreover, the chat cannot exist separately from the person because its system needs to be updated, cleaned, and worked with when necessary. There is a possibility of creating a collaboration of human and AI that significantly increases the productivity of any company.  

Summary

ChatGPT is a powerful and unique tool that can be incredibly useful in many contexts. However, as with any technology, it is essential to use it responsibly and to be critical of its limitations and potential biases. It has already brought significant benefits, such as increased efficiency and productivity, improved decision-making, and quality of life. 

In any case, we should not rely solely on the work of Artificial Intelligence. It is important to critically evaluate its results and format it to the necessary level. After all, no one has yet been able to recreate the human mind. So use this tool wisely, maximize work quality, and simplify your workflow. ChatGPT handles this perfectly.

No matter how ambitious your goals are when you first think of creating a custom software solution, strict budget and deadline constraints can easily dash them. So, what should you do in this case?

Specifically, before your tech team starts implementing a healthtech solution, you can choose two different paths for them: native and cross-platform mobile app development. In the vast majority of cases, in this area, the second option can cover all the needs and requirements for the project without harming its critical aspects, such as usability, performance, reliability, etc. At the same time, you will be able to launch your product on the market faster and save your financial resources. 

However, such a development process is somewhat different from the one that precedes the launch of several native applications. Below, we'll cover how these differences can impact critical aspects of your project and share insights that help you fix them.

Best Practices for Cross-Platform Development in Healthcare

Since cross-platform app development involves adapting a healthcare solution to multiple platforms at once, it is important for the team to adhere to the following best practices to ensure the proper quality of the resulting solution.

Compliance and Security

The first thing you should probably start the development process for the healthcare industry is to ensure compliance with generally accepted standards and policies. The most common among them are HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and GDPR (EU regulation aimed at giving citizens control over their personal data). Along with that, software engineers must use standard security mechanisms such as encryption, integration of secure connection certificates, etc. Ultimately, it is better to check the requirements for medical software development according to the legislation in force in a particular region – this way, you will not face any fines and bans.

User Experience (UX) Design

Now, let's talk about user experience in health apps – it should be smooth regardless of the platform they are running on. Since many healthcare mobile applications are positioned as an alternative to offline services from legally operating medical institutions, they must comply with accessibility rules that are described in detail in WCAG 2.0. These guidelines allow developers to implement seamless interaction with medtech solutions for people with all kinds of disabilities. Depending on the type of medical tasks assigned, you will need to ensure that your healthcare app UI/UX design meets WCAG 2.0 requirements to the appropriate level.

Performance Optimization

Nowadays, high performance is considered one of the key aspects ensuring the app’s survival in the market; however, in the healthcare sector, this parameter is much more critical since someone's life may depend on it. Indeed, if your digital solution involves an urgent call to a doctor, lags in its functioning may end tragically for some of the users. At the same time, it is believed that native applications work faster than those created in the process of cross-platform or hybrid app development. This is not true – such modern development tools as React Native, Flutter, Ionic, and many others allow teams to build software with complex business logic without reducing its speed. Of course, these frameworks will not handle resource-intensive gaming applications, but, most likely, this is not the original task. Whatever approach and technology stack you choose, your team involved in software development for healthcare will need to spend some time testing the application before launching and ensuring that it works equally effectively on all platforms.

Testing and Quality Assurance

Yes, we have already outlined the importance of this process above, but we will repeat it once again: no application can be launched for public access before it has passed a series of tests, both with the participation of the team itself and involving focus groups assembled from representatives of the target audience of your software. The most common types of testing are modular, integration, functional, acceptance, system, smoke, and so on. Each of these types takes place at a certain stage of development (and has to be performed on each platform separately), but the amount of code covered by test cases and the number of iterations will directly depend on the established deadlines. 

Integration

Finally, it is worth saying a few words about integrating your app with existing third-party products and services that your organization already uses. This is usually necessary to expand the functionality of the former and, in particular, to ensure seamless data transfer between applications. However, while the vast majority of modern custom healthcare solutions integrate via API, it is quite predictable that your team will face some issues if you use legacy software. For this, an additional middleware will have to be developed – it will take responsibility for converting data to the required format and back.

Conclusion

In general, as you may know, cross-platform development is cheaper than native development, because most of the code is reused between platforms, and you do not need to hire two separate teams to create native software for each of them (in particular iOS and Android). Moreover, with the right approach, frameworks such as Ionic allow you to build both mobile cross-platform and web applications, reusing most of the code, which, in turn, speeds up and reduces the cost of development for mobile and web platforms, respectively.

So, now, knowing the specifics of developing solutions using cross-platform app development tools, you will be better informed about how to ensure their proper quality and control each stage of their creation. However, if you would like to outsource this complex task without unnecessary doubts so as not to spend too much time on supervising, feel free to contact us.

In today's world, companies are actively seeking ways to automate and optimize their business processes with the help of software. When choosing how to implement such solutions, the question arises is whether to create custom software or buy a ready-made solution. Both approaches have their cons and pros, but each has its own application for a specific purpose. The final decision on the choice between these approaches will depend on the client's individual needs and the business goals.

Let's look at both approaches in more detail, which may help to choose favor of one of them.

Build custom software

The essence of this approach is that the company orders software product development from an IT company's specialized development team. It has a clear plan of action and a list of requirements for the future product. Also, a digital product created from scratch can fully automate specific business processes of the client company, taking into account the specifics of the industry.

Pros of the approach

Tailored to individual needs

The company will receive a solution fully customized to its unique needs and requirements. That can be registration forms, buttons, visual elements, individual blocks, custom graphics or dashboards, unique designs, and more. The company can also define the required functionality, architecture, design, and integration with other systems according to specific business processes.

Flexibility and scalability

The customer company controls the whole development process and can make changes and expansions as needed. That allows them to respond quickly to changes in business requirements and scale the system as the company grows.

Security 

Developers can implement data protection mechanisms and use advanced encryption methods to ensure high security in the finished system.

Ability to integrate

The development of a digital product from scratch provides the ability to fully integrate with the company's other systems. That allows for efficient data exchange between different systems and increases the overall efficiency of the client's company.

Ownership of intellectual property

The company has complete intellectual property rights associated with the created product. That gives the company control over it and the ability to develop and monetize it further.

Cons of the approach

High price

The development of any product usually requires a significant financial investment. A company must consider the cost of hiring experienced developers, conducting requirements analysis, designing, developing, testing, and supporting the product. That can lead to significant costs, especially for smaller companies with limited budgets. Nevertheless, a business development investment quickly pays off for the company. 

Development duration

Creating software is a lengthy process, especially for complex and large-scale projects. The time required for requirements analysis, design, development, and testing can be significant, which delays the implementation and use of the finished product in the business.

When a business needs custom development from scratch

Customized needs

If a company has unique business needs that cannot be met by ready-made solutions on the market, developing a customized digital product allows them to create a solution that fully meets the requirements and goals of the company.

Competitive advantage

A unique software solution created specifically for a company can provide more efficient and innovative functionality, an engaging user experience, or improved processes, which helps stand out in the market and attract new customers.

Long-term strategy

Instead of relying on third-party vendors and ready-made solutions, a company can create a product that it can control, develop and scale according to its needs and changes in the business.

Business process optimization

Specialized software allows companies to automate routine tasks, improve interaction between departments and increase the company's efficiency as a whole.

Buy ready-made solution

Ready-made software solution usually has a wide range of functionality that can be applied to various business tasks. That allows companies to save development time and start using the software almost immediately after purchase. When choosing a ready-made solution, a company should carefully evaluate its functionality and flexibility to ensure it meets its basic requirements.

Pros of the approach

Customizable functionality

That includes adding modules, integrating with other systems, and customizing program parameters. 

Time-saving

Digital turnkey products are already developed, tested, and ready to use. Purchasing this product saves the company's time they usually spend on requirements analysis, development, and testing solution.

Fast start-up

Ready-made digital products have already been developed and tested, allowing companies to use and benefit quickly. The company can quickly incorporate the product into its business processes and get results without waiting for development to be completed.

Low costs

Buying a ready-made digital product is usually cheaper than developing a solution from scratch. In this case, the company avoids the high costs of hiring developers, requirements analysis, and the development process, which can significantly reduce costs and improve budgetary performance.

Proven solution

Ready-made digital products are usually thoroughly tested and have a proven track record. By purchasing such a product, a company gets a proven solution that has already been used by other customers and has demonstrated its effectiveness.

Cons of the approach

Business process mismatch

The turnkey solution may not meet the company's exact needs or require additional customization and integration with existing systems. In some cases, the company may need help adapting the turnkey solution to specific business processes, which can result in a loss of time and resources.

Limited customization and integration

Ready-made digital products may offer limited customization and integration with other systems or applications to meet unique customer requirements, which may require additional modifications.

Vendor dependency

Buying a ready-made product can create dependence on the supplier of that product. The company will rely on the vendor for support, updates, and bug fixes if any are encountered. If the vendor is unable or unwilling to continue to develop and support the product, the company may find itself in a quandary.

High licensing costs

Buying a ready-made solution can incur significant licensing costs, especially if the company plans to use the product on several workstations or for a large number of users. That can impact the company's budget and reduce financial efficiency.

When a business needs to buy a ready-made digital solution

Urgency

When a company has urgent needs for a specific functional solution, buying a ready-made product can quickly meet those needs. That is especially true if there is no time or resources to develop their solution.

Limited budget

If a company has a limited budget to develop its digital solution, buying a ready-made product can be more cost-effective. It avoids the cost of development and hiring developers and reduces the risks associated with budget and development time.

No need for unique features

Buying a ready-made digital solution may be enough if a company doesn't require specific features and capabilities only available when developing its solution. If the solution offers all the features the company needs, it can avoid developing and testing its product.

Narrow specialization 

Some industries have specialized, ready-made digital solutions designed for specific vertical markets or industries. In such cases, buying such a solution specifically tailored to the needs of an enterprise may be preferable because it already meets that industry's specific requirements and standards.

Summary

Ultimately, choosing between creating custom software and buying a ready-made solution depends on a company's specific needs and goals. If a company has unique business processes or needs full software customization, custom software creation may be preferable. That will allow the company to get a solution that best meets its requirements and contributes to optimizing business processes.

However, ready-made software may be the best option if a company requires a faster, more cost-effective solution. It is essential to carefully study the market for this kind of solution to choose the one that best meets the company's needs and is flexible enough to adapt to individual requirements. It's also important to consider company resources, budget, and timeline.

Ideally, companies can combine both approaches, using ready-made solutions as a foundation and complementing them with custom development to meet unique needs. For example, a company might purchase an off-the-shelf customer relationship management (CRM) system and complete it with the custom development of a module specific to its industry or business process. That strikes a balance between efficiency and flexibility.

Webflow is an all-inclusive web design platform that permits users to create responsive websites without requiring any coding skills. It merges the simplicity of drag-and-drop editors with the flexibility of coding to present a straightforward web design experience to users. Webflow is particularly beneficial for small businesses, startups, and freelancers who need to establish professional-looking websites swiftly and resourcefully.

What website types can be created with Webflow?

The possibilities are practically limitless! Webflow lets you create almost any kind of website:

• Corporate websites; 

• Portfolios;

• Blogs for web designers or photographers;

• E-commerce websites for online sales;

• Landing pages that attract customers or business card sites with job information;

• Educational tool. 

Essential features that Webflow offers to users

Webflow offers users several key features, including a drag-and-drop interface, responsive design, CMS integration, animation and interaction, and SEO optimization. Marketing agencies, online stores, and creative companies are the industries that most often use the web flow builder. Let's take a closer look at these features:

1. Thanks to its drag-and-drop interface, Webflow simplifies the process of design creation. With this amazing tool, you can drag and drop elements directly onto the canvas and arrange them in any way that works best for your project - no coding required! But if you want to improve your coding skills, you can add custom code to your designs and be more creative.

2. Websites in Webflow look great on any device - large, small, or full-size. You have the ability to preview how your design looks on different screens to ensure perfect responsiveness across all devices.

3. CMS integration allows users to create and manage dynamic pages, content, collections, and custom fields without coding.

4. Bring your design to life with Webflow's easy-to-use interactions and animations! You get hover, interaction, and animation effects in one place to make any project fun and interactive.

5.  You can add meta titles and descriptions, customize images and content, or create sitemaps to maximize your SEO optimization efforts.

6. With Webflow, you can build and manage an online store connected to platforms like Shopify or Foxy without ever leaving your site.

Regardless of the industry or business, Webflow is a great choice for building customized websites, web applications, and landing pages. Its versatility and integration with other marketing tools make it ideal for companies of all sizes.

What industries most often use this platform?

Webflow is quickly becoming the tool of choice for web designers and developers, startups, small businesses, e-commerce stores, and nonprofits that prioritize design and user experience over development efficiency. A popular choice for those who prioritize design and user experience. It is used by creative agencies, small businesses, and online stores. In addition, the low learning curve makes it extremely affordable and ideal for non-profit organizations or educational institutions looking to promote their cause or educate their audience. In short, Webflow is an incredibly powerful tool with a lot of flexible options for web designers/developers, regardless of the size of the industry.

Create your website with Webflow in 5 steps

We would like to share with you our experience of how we have built a website on Webflow.

Step 1

Ask yourself: "What do you want to do?". Start your project with one of the ready-made Webflow templates or create something completely new.

Step 2

Think about the page structure, add blocks and elements necessary for each page. For example, on the home page, you can add a banner to welcome visitors, write customer reviews, or showcase services and products. On the About page, you can post information about your company, photos and videos of employees, etc.

Step 3

Design a website layout in Webflow with the controls. Move, resize, and change colors on elements to your heart's content. 

Step 4

Fill your website with content. Don't forget about high-quality photos and videos, unique text, and SEO keywords. 

Step 5

Before submitting, you'll want to make sure your website is mistake-free. Webflow has a quick and easy error checker to scan for issues like broken links, misplaced content, etc.

Your website is all set to go live! Webflow gives you the option of using your own domain or their subdomain.

Did you know that our website is built on Webflow?

We took a while to pick a platform for publishing. We carefully weighed the pros and cons of other platforms when choosing to publish on Webflow. Despite other platforms' benefits, Webflow was our choice because of its performance-oriented design and flexibility & customization. It's designed for performance, which translates into faster loading times and a smooth user experience that keeps your audience engaged. Webflow also gives us maximum flexibility to create original websites tailored to each client—from design, layout, functionality & UX - so you get exactly what you need from your website. We are confident that Webflow is the best choice for our clients due its quality features, speed & customizability; it guarantees a high-performing site that gets results!

Summary

To summarize, Webflow is the perfect choice for website development. It offers design flexibility, a user-friendly interface, powerful SEO tools, mobile responsiveness, and fast, secure hosting to help you achieve your business goals. Do you want to create a stunning and professional website that will attract the attention of your audience and help you grow your business? Our team of experts will make it happen in no time with Webflow - without compromising on quality. With our team and powerful tools, we'll help you create the perfect online presence in no time. Contact us today to learn more about how we can build the perfect website for you with Webflow.

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