Company Overview: A premier custom software development, consulting and outsourcing company

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Company
Overview

August 2011

Contents
Message from the President .......................................................................... 3
General Information ...................................................................................... 4
Business Units ............................................................................................................... 4
Expertise ....................................................................................................................... 5
Domain Awareness ........................................................................................................ 6
Representative Clients ................................................................................................... 7
Certification and Technology Partnerships ...................................................................... 9
Engagement Models ....................................................................................10
Time-and-Material Engagements ...................................................................................10
Dedicated Development Center .....................................................................................11
Fixed Price Engagements ..............................................................................................11
Contract Documentation ...............................................................................................12
Engagement Models at a Glance .................................................................................... 13
Subcontracting and White Labeling ............................................................................... 13
Technical Infrastructure................................................................................15
Hardware and Equipment .............................................................................................. 15
Data Backup ................................................................................................................. 15
Security and Data Protection at a Glance ........................................................................ 17
Development Methodologies....................................................................... 18
Agile Methodologies .................................................................................................... 18
Other Iterative Approaches........................................................................................... 18
Prototyping ................................................................................................................. 19
Concurrent Development ............................................................................................. 19
Confidentiality and IP Protection ..................................................................20
Project Management....................................................................................21
Risk Management .........................................................................................................21
Release Management ....................................................................................................23
Change Management ................................................................................................... 24
Quality Management ................................................................................................... 24
Communication ............................................................................................................25
The iTechArt Difference ...............................................................................27
Appendix – Skills by Platform ...................................................................... 28

A premier custom software development, consulting and outsourcing company

Message from the President Page 3

Message from the President
During the first wave of outsourcing in the early 1990s, the three entrepreneurs that
were to become iTechArt’s founders worked as developers and project managers for
global IT companies. We had an opportunity to analyze the typical challenges facing this
business and were trying to figure out the best possible way to make IT outsourcing
more effective for clients. With this valuable experience under our belts, we decided to
start our own small IT company specializing in Java Technology. Two months later,
iTechArt had 3 contracts and was actively exploring other major technology platforms.
In Q2 2004 iTechArt signed a key long-term contract with a major security and data
control systems provider. Since then, iTechArt’s growth has been fueled by our
Sergei Kovalenko
Founding Partner and CEO commitment to providing highly focused software solutions.
In our view, succeeding in the highly competitive IT outsourcing market requires not only
“Efficient
extensive technology knowledge, but also solid project management expertise. Efficient
communication is the communication is the key ingredient of a successful outsourced software development
key ingredient of a project. While working with our clients, we prioritize process transparency and seamless
successful outsourced collaboration within and across project teams.
software development
By delivering quality and exceeding clients’ expectations, we cultivate long-lasting and
project.”
mutually beneficial business relationships.
We take the time to develop a deep understanding of our clients’ diverse needs, and,
year in and year out, have demonstrated our ability to meet their exacting requirements,
earning the reputation of a reliable IT service provider. Today, iTechArt helps major
companies from all over the world to grow, boost performance, optimize business
processes, and outperform competition.

Focus on Technology Startups
iTechArt has a particular focus on software product R&D for emerging technology
companies. So many startups have great technology but no real go-to-market plan or a
strategy. Moreover, in this age of stiff competition and rapidly changing markets
environments, start-ups are faced with a multitude of challenges, including limited
technology and process expertise, strapped budgets, or steep learning curves while
exploring new technologies.
Launching a business is not just about raising capital, but about building great teams. To
take advantage of unique market opportunities, startup companies need to reach talent
fast. At a certain point in our history, we had to face these challenges ourselves. Today,
we help technology startups accelerate innovation and assume market leadership.
Sergei Kovalenko, iTechArt CEO


General Information Page 4

General Information
iTechArt Group is a custom software development, consulting and outsourcing
General
Information
company headquartered in Iselin, New Jersey, with two business units in Eastern
• Business Units Europe and a team of over 300 professional developers with 2 500 man-years of
• Expertise collective experience working with a variety of technology platforms. iTechArt operates a
• Domain Expertise delivery and client support center located in Minsk, Belarus and a software development
• Representative center in Kiev, Ukraine. Leveraging deep domain knowledge and market-leading
Clients
• Technology
capabilities, iTechArt provides second to none outsourcing services and has already
Partnerships helped hundreds of companies improve their productivity and meet business challenges
of today and tomorrow.

Business Units
iTechArt’s executive management team and the North America sales division are based
at our Iselin, NJ headquarters, which is the centre of corporate finance management,
marketing, business development and business analytics. The iTechArt headquarters is
a key element of the corporate structure which coordinates strategic planning, corporate
communications, human resources as well as tax and legal issues. Our headquarters
team includes executive management and the U.S. business development division.
The Minsk delivery and client support center is our main development branch, where

Figure 1 - iTechArt Business Units

the bulk of the development work is performed. The iTechArt delivery and client support
center comprises several technology-specific departments and the European business
development division.
iTechArt also has a development center in Kiev, Ukraine, which is primarily focused
on solutions for the telecommunication industry. The Kiev team delivers predictive



network impact analysis for communication service providers. Leading telecom
companies from around the globe rely on our software in order to deliver superior
customer experience to their subscribers.

Expertise

Service Areas Practice Areas

Custom Software Development Enterprise Platforms
- End-to-end custom software − Microsoft .NET
development − Java EE
- Application customization & − C/C++
extension
- Project recovery Business Intelligence

Enterprise Mobile Development − Oracle BI
− IBM Cognos
- Mobile data access and field − TIBCO Spotfire
worker solutions for enterprise − Microsoft BI
clients
- Mobile client solutions and Rich Internet Applications
product development services for − Adobe Flex & AIR
ISVs − Silverlight & WPF
Application Modernization − TIBCO General Interface
- Optimization and reengineering Middleware
- Platform migration
− TIBCO Messaging
- Application integration
− Microsoft Message Queue Server
Testing & QA − IBM WebSphere MQ
- Specialized testing services − Microsoft BizTalk Server
- Independent validation and Web & Intranet
verification
- Dedicated testing labs − Microsoft SharePoint 2007/2010
− IBM WebSphere Portal
Software Maintenance
− CRM System Implementation
IT Staff Augmentation − Web CMS Implementation
Mobile
− Android
− BlackBerry
− iPhone OS & iOS
− Symbian
− Windows Phone & Windows Mobile
and others



Domain Awareness
Successful software solutions enable businesses to improve operational efficiency and
entice returning customers by providing superior service. In order to deliver genuinely
useful solutions, iTechArt is committed to maintaining a high level of domain awareness,
serving clients with different industry backgrounds and business needs. iTechArt’s
domain expertise embraces, yet is not limited to, the following areas:

Digital signage network management
Multimedia content management
Marketing and Advertising Predictive planning
Campaign management
Reporting and analytics

E-commerce and m-commerce
Storefront solutions
Inventory management
Retail
Interactive product configurators
Point of sale solutions
CRM

Time tracking
Appointment management
Healthcare Point of care solutions
Paperless record management
Clinical decision support

Personal identity verification
Remote device management
Security
Out of band network management
Encryption and authentication

Online trading
Real-time data feeds
Finance
Portfolio management
Analytics

Information portals
Insurance Data collection and CRM
Workflow automation

iTechArt also has vast experience working with other industries, including Media and
Entertainment, Restaurants and Hospitality, Education, Real Estate,
Manufacturing, Telecom, and many more.



Representative Clients

Track Record
iTechArt has an extremely diverse client base, from internet startups to non-profit
organization to global corporations. Just a few examples of the countless companies we
iTechArt has delivered have worked with include GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc, friendlyway AG, 15miles, and
over 250 solutions to
Commdevices, Inc.
businesses across Europe
and North America.

Figure 2 - iTechArt Clients by Location

GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc.

In early 2010, iTechArt was selected as a strategic
outsourcing partner by GAIN Capital Holdings, Inc., a
pioneer in online forex trading. GAIN Capital provides execution, clearing, custody and
technology products and services to an institutional client base including asset
managers, broker/dealers and other financial services firms. GAIN also operates
FOREX.com, one of the largest and best-known brands in the retail forex industry
servicing customers in over 140 countries.

Friendlyway AG

Friendlyway AG is one of Euro pe's leading companies
providing interactive internet kiosk and digital signage
solutions to a number of high-profile customers, such as
BMW, MTV, Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Boeing, Siemens, and Fortis. iTechArt
collaborates with Friendlyway on a large proportion of its IT and product development
projects.



15miles

15miles is a stand-alone interactive search marketing division of New
York-based TMP Directional Marketing (TMPDM). TMPDM is the
world's largest local search agency specializing in offline, online and
mobile solutions. iTechArt partners with 15miles in custom application development and
legacy system migration and re-engineering.

Commdevices, Inc.

CDI is a global provider of network security
solutions to customers including AT&T, Bank of
America, British Petroleum, Credit Suisse, Saudi Telecom, and Verizon. iTechArt
provides software evolution and on-going maintenance services for the company's core
software products.

A Selection of Other Notable Clients



Certification and Technology Partnerships
We have been working hard to keep abreast of the latest technology and seeking
certification and partnerships opportunities that are critical for supporting our clients and
providing them with advanced software solutions. Our partnerships reflect our business
focus, underpin our identity in the market, testify to our maturity as a technology service
provider, and enable us to gain access to vendor-provided training resources.

iTechArt has been awarded the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
status, which is the highest level of recognition within the Microsoft
Partner Program. Our proven competencies span Custom
Development Solutions, Data Management Solutions, SOA and
Business Processes. The Gold Certified Partner status underscores
our solid expertise in Microsoft technologies, our proven ability to
meet customers’ needs, and our overall impact in the global IT
marketplace.

As an IBM Business Partner, we provide customers with e-business
solutions encompassing the entire portfolio of IBM’s products and
technologies. Our expertise enables us to accelerate time-to-value
for businesses reliant on these technologies for supporting their
business processes.

Our Oracle ISV partner status enables us to spend less time and
resources on development, deployment and support for Oracle’s
technologies, bringing solutions to market quicker and serving our
Clients in a highly efficient manner.

We rely on the Adobe Certified Expert credential as a reliable
benchmark of proficiency with Adobe’s market-leading technologies,
such as Flash, Flex, and AIR and are committed to encouraging our
employees to gain this recognition.

iTechArt has substantial experience developing enterprise-ready
mobile applications targeting rugged Motorola devices, most notably,
the MC70 and MC75 series portable computers. Motorola’s
PartnerSelect ISV program, designed to support companies
providing enterprise mobility software solutions and services for
Motorola smartphone and enterprise digital assistant (EDA) devices,
offers extensive technical and engineering assistance and access to
testing facilities and pre-release equipment, as well as to a vast
community of Motorola solution partners.


Engagement Models Page 10

Engagement Models
Engagement Business models and organizational approaches are negotiated individually with each
Models client to best meet their specific needs. The applicability of a particular engagement
• Time-and-Material model depends on a number of factors, including the scope of a project, its estimated
Engagements duration, and the type of service provided.
• Dedicated
Development
Center Time-and-Material Engagements
• Fixed Price
Engagements Applicability
• Contract
Documentation The Time-and-Material model is selected when the extent and duration of a project
• Engagement
cannot be accurately estimated in advance, which is the case with open-ended or
Models at a Glance
• Subcontracting and
iterative projects. The client pays for the actual labor hours at pre-determined rates.
White Labeling
Time-and-Material arrangements provide more flexibility while managing change, and,
as a rule, assume a relatively high degree of involvement on the part of the client, who
often remains responsible for providing the required documentation, coordinating overall
project activities, and assigning tasks.

This model is the typical choice for staff augmentation and product co-sourcing projects,
but can also be employed for large, dynamically evolving initiatives managed by
iTechArt single-handedly.

Figure 3 - Time-and-Material Engagement Model

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Invoicing

Invoices are submitted on a monthly basis via email and are payable within fifteen days
upon receipt. All invoices are accompanied with tabulations of time spent on project
tasks. Notifications of payment are always appreciated.

Dedicated Development Center
Applicability

For clients managing ongoing projects that require long-term commitment and stable
teams with advanced technology-specific skills, iTechArt offers engagements based on
the Dedicated Development Center model. Dedicated teams are fully integrated with the
client’s in-house IT or product development team, accountable directly to the client, and
usually engaged over a prolonged time span.

Figure 4 - Dedicated Development Center Business Model

Invoicing

The client is billed monthly based on size of the dedicated team. Invoices are submitted
via email and are payable within fifteen days upon receipt. Notifications of payment are
always appreciated.

Fixed Price Engagements
Applicability

The Fixed Price model is best suited for projects with stable, clear-cut requirements that
can be fully specified and estimated. Costs, deliverables, and delivery schedules are

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defined in the Development Agreement in sufficient detail; requirements and
implementation specifics are outlined in the accompanying technical documentation.

Fixed Price projects often span the entire concept to market value chain, including
design, implementation, QA, technical writing, and customer care.

Figure 5 - Fixed Price Engagement Model

Invoicing

For larger Fixed Price projects, the client is billed following the delivery of each project
milestone. Thus a common payment scheme is as follows: 30 percent after the alpha
release, another 30 percent after the beta release, and the remaining 40 percent after
the final release.

Short-term projects, on the other hand, may require a 50-percent prepayment, with the
rest due upon delivery.

Contract Documentation
Obligatory contract documentation for each project includes a Consulting / Development
Agreement and a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Agent and framework agreements can be
drawn up if required.

All agreements are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State
of New Jersey, USA.

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Engagement Models at a Glance
Client
Scalability / Duration / Involvement /
Billing Delivery
Adaptability Recurrence Administrative
Burden

Long-term or
Monthly,
Time-and- loosely defined
based on
Material Advanced projects, Moderate / High
hourly
Contracts recurrent or non-
rates
recurrent

Monthly,
Dedicated Prolonged Offsite,
based on
Development Advanced projects, ongoing High onsite or
hourly
Center or recurrent hybrid
rates

Well-defined
projects with a Lump sum
Fixed Price
Limited clear-cut Low / by
Contracts
schedule, chiefly milestone
non-recurrent

Subcontracting and White Labeling
iTechArt offers subcontracting and white label services for businesses seeking to reduce
software development costs, shorten lead time, and augment their expertise.
With our white label partner program, we enable technology consultancies working on
behalf of their customers, software vendors, and a variety of professional service
providers to add value to the product and service offerings marketed under their brand:

− Develop new software products or add capabilities to the existing ones
− Provide better and more complete services to customers
− Get faltering software projects on the right track
− Explore new technology and additional service areas with minimal extra
investment into training and infrastructure
− Allocate more time and resources to core business activities
− Cope with product backlogs at periods of peak activity

Using flexible collaboration and staffing arrangements to provide seamless virtual
extensions to clients’ in-house teams, we have served dozens of European and US
based companies. We focus on establishing sustainable, long-term business
relationships: some of our partnerships are built upon over three years of continued
close collaboration.

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Acting in the client’s best interest, we guarantee confidentiality, data security, and IP
protection, giving our partners the confidence of knowing that our involvement in their
projects will not be disclosed unless they choose otherwise. Any references to iTechArt
will be removed from all the project documentation and associated materials prior to
delivery.

Partnering and Subcontracting with iTechArt

To learn more about the specific types of services available on a subcontracting/white
label basis and discuss partnership opportunities, please contact our business
development representative. Please make sure to provide your corporate profile
brochure along with your request to help us understand your needs better and suggest
the most adequate collaboration approach.

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Technical Infrastructure Page 15

Technical Infrastructure
Technical Hardware and Equipment
Infrastructure
• Hardware and Workstations 258 PC (Intel Platform)
Equipment 42 Mac (Intel Platform)
• Data Backup
• Security and Data Dedicated Servers 25 (Intel Platform)
Protection at a
Glance Virtual Dedicated Servers 50 (VMWare Platform)
3Com network equipment
Zyxel equipment – 1 GB /100 Mb
10 GB Network connection
CAT-5e and CAT-6 Ethernet Cables
LinkSys Wireless Access Point
Data Warehouse RAID10 and RAID5
Fiber channel 10x10 Mb
Internet Channels
Fiber channel 10x10 Mb
DSL channel 4x4 Mb

Data Backup
For centralized data management, security, and data backup, iTechArt Group relies on
the Veritas BackUp Exec Technology, which has the following advantages:
− Back-up agents supporting various platforms.
− Simplified data management thanks to single instance storage functionality
− Secure and reliable data storage: any platform and supplier information and
backup copies are easily identified, cataloged and restored.
iTechArt’s data backup policies cover all internal and project-related data:
− Active Directory / system state
− Mail server data and related IIS metadata
− Project-specific data, including source code, documentation, bug tracking and
testing data
− Microsoft SQL Server databases
− Web and FTP content

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All data are backed up to local safe storage on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and
subsequently moved to remote safe data storage.

Differential backup Daily

Full weekly backup Every Saturday

Full monthly backup On the 1st of every month

Figure 6 – Backup Data Storage Locations

External Access
iTechArt clients access project-related information via DMZ, which provides a scalable
environment for exposing internal project resources to remote users. Additionally, we set
up VPN environments that enable project staff to connect to clients’ remote local area
networks seamlessly and securely.

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Security and Data Protection at a Glance

− Data backup testing and verification
− Data access policies and permission-based
Data Protection
access
− Network password policies

− Regular software and platform updates
− Firewall protection
Network Security − Network encryption
− Corporate antivirus software
− Personal device usage policies

− Redundant data storage using the RAID
technology
Physical Security and
− Access control and video surveillance
Contingency Procedures
− Infrastructure monitoring
− Emergency power supply system

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Development Methodologies Page 18

Development Methodologies
Development In managing software development projects, we adhere to internationally recognized
Methodologies standards and proven practices. For each individual project, approaches and
• Agile methodologies are selected depending on the client’s specific needs and in-house
Methodologies routines. Most commonly, we opt for agile methodologies. However, linear approaches
• Other Iterative can also be selected if warranted by the context at hand.
Approaches
• Prototyping
• Concurrent Agile Methodologies
Development
Built upon the values of collaboration, agile methodologies provide an efficient approach
to managing the complexity of the software development process. Agile methodologies
assume cyclic, iteration-based process models focused on the continuous delivery of
working software. Although iterative delivery is the hallmark of these methodologies,
their key differentiating characteristic as compared to other non-linear approaches is
rather the emphasis on direct face-to-face collaboration and comprehensive stakeholder
involvement. Thus, the software is evolved iteration by iteration, with its working
versions continually verified by end users. Stakeholder feedback provides the basis for
adapting subsequent iterations. Overall, agile methodologies make it easier to manage
change and control a whole range of implementation risks.
An agile team may include software engineers, product managers, business analysts,
QA engineers, interaction designers, technical writers, and other specialists as per the
project scope.
Due to the uniqueness of each project, as well as to the fact that we often work as part
of remote teams with established process approaches, we do not make restrictive
decisions by selecting a single preferred agile framework. In contrast, we have
experience implementing a whole range of frameworks, such as Scrum, MSF for Agile,
or RUP.

Other Iterative Approaches
Certain contexts warrant the use of iterative approaches that combine elements of both
linear and cyclic methodologies. Being oriented at frequent incremental delivery, hybrid
iterative approaches ensure a high level of flexibility in managing change, while at the
same time being applicable in situations where the adoption of an agile mindset is not
feasible, whether culturally or organizationally.

With hybrid iterative approaches, the development process assumes a preliminary
requirement gathering phase and is split into iterations, three to five weeks each, that
incorporate all the stages of the conventional linear process (planning, implementation,

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Development Methodologies Page 19
testing, verification, and deployment) and deliver subsets of the target application that
have immediate value to the end user.

Iterative development, whether in its agile or hybrid forms, allows discovering and
resolving issues early in the project, minimizing risks, and verifying the implementation
process.

Prototyping
Another approach that can be used to ensure alignment and minimize rework is
prototyping, which is helpful both as a proof-of-concept technique and as a way to
handle complex or vaguely defined parts of cyclic software projects.
Initial proof-of-concept prototyping is a common activity undertaken as part of projects
with a clear-cut set of requirements (often managed using the Fixed Price engagement
model). Together with supporting documentation and presentation materials, proof-of-
concept prototypes visually represent the future system and enable the client to
determine whether it would be able to answer their requirements before the
implementation process is launched and change becomes more problematic. A
preliminary prototyping stage helps elicit the previously overlooked and unverbalized
requirements, thus leading to more reliable scope and schedule estimations and giving
the client the confidence of being able to control the direction their project is taking.
Prototyping activities also have their place in the context of complex incrementally
delivered projects or evolving software systems, where prototypes are instrumental in
quickly exploring the possible solutions and ensuring functional adequacy and
completeness. The resulting prototypes may or may not be used as the basis for the
actual application, but they do facilitate informed design- and implementation-level
decisions.

Concurrent Development
The concurrent development approach is a fundamental concept underlying agile or
other iterative methodologies in that it gives due prominence to the collaborative nature
of an efficient software development process, where project tasks are completed in
parallel, issues are viewed from different perspectives and resolved collectively, and
everyone on the team are enabled to have their say.
In our software development projects, seamless collaboration is achieved both by
means of cultivating the collaborative mindset and by providing an adequate workplace
environment for knowledge management and version control. As a result, efficient
collaboration enables superior productivity and better product quality, while collapsing
the implementation cycle and keeping the costs down.

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Project Management Page 20

Confidentiality and IP Protection
iTechArt is committed to safeguarding intellectual property, trade secrets, and any other
sensitive information obtained from clients and partners throughout its business
activities. iTechArt enforces confidentiality and security policies to prevent project-
related information from being intentionally or accidentally disclosed to third parties
within or outside the company

Confidentiality Agreements

We sign collective mutual NDAs with each client. If necessary, the client can also
request that individual NDAs be signed by the employees engaged in a particular
project.

Furthermore, confidentiality agreements are signed by everyone our staff upon
employment.

Intellectual Property Rights

Unless otherwise specified, intellectual property rights are retained by the client upon
project completion.

Security

iTechArt is takes full responsibility for protecting proprietary or confidential project
materials, including technical documentation, reports, and software source files from
unauthorized access, using the following steps:

− Password security
− Permission based access restricted to the project team only
− Firewall and antivirus security
− Encrypted data transfer
− Physical security and access control

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Project Management
Project Risk Management
Management
The uncertainty inherent to software development requires the application of a reliable
• Risk Management
• Expertise risk management plan. iTechArt is committed to minimizing risk conditions from the
• Domain Expertise earliest phases of the software development lifecycle to safeguard project success in the
• Representative face of risks of various nature, whether known or unknown, that can jeopardize product
Clients quality and lead to schedule or budget overruns.
• Technology
Partnerships
Categories of Risks

Technical risks include those associated with the adoption of a new technology,
platform or development approach; unrealistic performance benchmarks, vague or
poorly specified project goals, flawed requirement management processes or
inadequate technical infrastructures.
Project management risks can emerge due to insufficient planning, inefficient time and
resource allocation, unregulated decision-making processes, or poor communication.
Organizational risks are caused by business process inefficiencies.
External risks include legal and regulatory compliance issues, as well as
communication or cultural barriers.

Risk Management Workflow

Our risk management strategy and, as a result, the respective workflows are based on
a number of concepts:

− Risk assessment is the process of evaluating the context of a project and
identifying potential risks. To identify risks at the earliest stages of the project
lifecycle, we rely on a combination of standardized checklists based on our
previous experience with analogous projects, assumption analyses completed by
project managers at the planning stage, brainstorming sessions, and subject-
matter expert advisory. Once the risks are identified, we move on to the risk
analysis step.
− The purpose of risk control is to develop step-by-step action plans so as to
reduce or eliminate risks altogether. Risk management planning involves
developing risk management strategies for each category of risks, assigning
responsible persons, and establishing timelines. Risk resolution is accompanied
by continuous risk monitoring, so emerging risks would be identified and dealt with
in a timely manner.

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Common Risk Factors and Mitigation Steps

Although software development are by definition associated with a high degree of
uncertainty and vary significantly in terms of the risks involved, there is a category of
common problematic areas that typify a large proportion of software projects.
Generalizing from our extensive project work, we have developed a set of best practices
for managing the most commonly encountered risk factors.

Risk Factors Risk Management Approaches

− Detailed technical specification
Unclear or ambiguous
deliverables − Prototyping and continuous client feedback
− Iterative, milestone-based delivery to ensure
that the solution fully meets the client’s
requirements

Unclear or ambiguous − Task assignment based on detailed technical
requirements to the project team specifications
− Project plan development and approval
− Efficient communication to ensure that those
on the team have a clear understanding of
their tasks as part of the project

Unstable requirements − Well-defined and mutually approved
requirement management process
− Requirements sign-off by the client
− Compensation based on the Time-and-
Material business model

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Risk Factors Risk Management Approaches

Unrealistic performance − Well-defined and mutually approved
requirements performance benchmarks
− Well-defined standards to be applied in order
to meet the performance criteria
− Feasibility prototyping for performance-
sensitive components
− Stress testing

Miscommunication − Communication management plan
− Regular (daily / weekly) status reporting
− Conference calls and open meetings
− Remote access to project-related
documentation and the code base (if
applicable)

Unfamiliar technology − In-house training
− Knowledge exchange and onsite training
− Phased delivery, starting with critical
functionality

Inaccurate cost estimation − Detailed technical specification
− Requirement management processes to
ensure that the client’s requirements are fully
met
− Requirements signoff by the client
− Multiple independent project estimations

Schedule overruns − Detailed technical specification
− Project plan documentation
− Task tracking and reporting
− Daily / weekly status meetings
− Well-defined change management
processes

Release Management
Each software release is supplied with functional specifications and project plan
documentation. A configuration management plan can also be created to define the
specific terminology and criteria for project status evaluation.

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Change Management
Any changes that can affect software requirements, project schedule or budget are
negotiated and agreed upon with the client. Depending on the type of engagement,
responsibility for change-related decisions rests with either the project manager or with
the client, the latter being the case with Time-and-Material engagements.

Quality Management
To gain the competitive advantage, businesses need to innovate fast. However,
compressing development cycles can make software quality particularly problematic. To
help clients meet these challenges and deliver robust, maintainable software solutions,
iTechArt relies on mature quality assurance and control practices rather than relegating
software quality to the status of a mere afterthought.

Since quality is defined relative to each unique context, first of all we focus on eliciting
and documenting user needs. Moreover, a disciplined agile process methodology
enables us to eliminate a wide range of quality-related issues, including functional
defects, performance and scalability issues at earlier stages.

Our quality assurance approach underpins the entire process from beginning to end and
encompasses the following aspects:

− Proven architectural approaches, design patterns and best practices
− Comprehensive QA involvement from the earliest phases of the development
lifecycle
− End-to-end testing using both manual and automated techniques
− Iterative delivery and feedback-driven processes
− Established collaboration processes and risk management policies
− Seamless communication

Quality control policies, processes, and activities are recorded in the relevant
documentation and include all the relevant details, such as resource allocation,
implementation specifics, and evaluation metrics. The overall quality assurance
methodology is continually monitored and adjusted whenever necessary.

Our end-to-end quality management approach translates into tangible business benefits:

− Reduced immediate costs through better development productivity, less rework,
and better use of resources
− Reduced lead time
− Reduced long-term costs through improved software stability and maintainability
− Increased value for the end user
− Increased competitiveness for commercial software products

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Communication
Miscommunication, belated involvement, and lack of trust account for a large
percentage of project failures, which is especially the case with geographically
distributed teams.

iTechArt’s process approach is designed to compensate for the common communication
bottlenecks, ensure responsiveness, minimize latency in decision-making, and establish
collaborative environments for seamless teamwork.

The applicability of individual communication approaches may vary depending on
whether the staff on the team or co-located or distributed, as well as on the delivery
mechanisms employed.

External Communication

External communication approaches span both client-vendor interactions and
collaboration within non-collocated teams.

Local Representation Direct personal interaction (face-to-face meetings, mutual
visits, or onsite representation) is particularly valuable at
the early phases of the project cycle, either to negotiate
engagement models and process-related details, or to
enable those on the project teams to gain insight into the
inner workings of the client’s business in order to build a
better understanding of their software needs.

Reporting − Daily and/or weekly status reports
− Status meetings and conference calls

Daily Remote − VoIP, email, and IM (Windows Live, Skype, Yahoo, etc.)
Collaboration − Issue tracking, knowledge management and
collaboration software
− Remote web or VPN access to the project source code
and documentation
− Ad hoc or status update meetings
− Web conferencing (GoToMeeting, etc.)

Working Language

By default, English is used for project-related documentation, emailing and messaging
team-wide. Other languages, including German, French, and Dutch, can also be used if
required.

`


Availability and Communication Schedules

For non-collocated teams, working hours can be adjusted to minimize the time zone
gap. Specific communication routines are agreed upon and regulated by the project plan
and company policies. In case of emergency situations of any kind, timely notification
and prompt resolution are guaranteed.

Internal Communication and Collaboration

Internal communication approaches are defined and regulated by company-wide
policies, as well as methodology-specific requirements for each particular project team.

Internal Corporate − Policy documentation and newsfeeds via the
Communications corporate intranet
− Weekly management meetings
− Departmental meetings

Project Team Collaboration − Project plans and other technical documentation
and Reporting − Team collaboration via SVN and Microsoft Office
Project Server
− Knowledge management via a Confluence-based
wiki
− Daily and weekly status update meetings
− Daily and/or weekly status reporting
− Daily face-to-face collaboration
− Communication via IM and email

`


The iTechArt Difference Page 27

The iTechArt Difference
Technology Expertise

− Technological diversity (modern / legacy; proprietary / open source)
− Inside-out understanding of individual platforms
− Upwards of 2,500 man-years of collective experience
− Continuity of expertise and knowledge transfer
− Industry standards and best practices

Domain Awareness

− Upwards of 250 projects delivered to businesses and organizations across industries
− Market responsiveness
− Focus on unique business needs

Process Efficiency

− Local representation
− Project management expertise
− Tried and tested methodologies
− Stakeholder involvement

`


Appendix – Skills by Platform Page 28

Appendix – Skills by Platform
By Experience Level
Platform Total
Novice Advanced Expert
Web .NET 106 29 60 17
Ruby on Rails 7 2 2 3
Technology MOSS 13 4 3 6
Delphi 8 2 3 3
JavaScript 49 19 20 10
Perl 7 3 2 2
PHP 12 2 4 6
Flex & Flash 9 2 3 4
Silverlight/WPF 14 2 8 4
ActionScript 7 3 2 2
Operating MS Server 2000/XP/2003 102 3 75 24
Linux 11 6 3 2
Systems MAC OS X 21 9 7 5
Application MS Commerce Server 7 2 3 2
Oracle Application Server 10 2 5 3
Servers WebLogic 7 3 2 2
WebSphere 9 3 4 2
Database DB2 8 2 4 2
MS SQL Server 70 29 26 15
MySQL 33 14 14 5
Oracle/Oracle DBA 7 2 3 2
Mobile iPhone 38 13 11 14
Windows Mobile 19 3 9 7
Platforms Android 27 9 7 11
Symbian 10 2 5 3
Blackberry 11 3 5 3
Component ATL 8 2 4 2
COM/COM+ 8 3 3 2
Technology Java EE 37 10 17 10
JavaBeans 14 3 4 7
JavaSpaces 11 3 3 4
JMS 13 4 4 5
Java SE 38 14 12 12
C++ 29 9 9 11
Programming VC++ 14 3 6 5
C 18 2 3 3
Languages / C# 106 29 60 17
Development Java 37 10 17 10
Tools 9i Oracle JDeveloper 7 2 2 3
VB.NET 10 3 4 3
MFC 9 4 3 2
QA Tools QuickTest Pro 10 3 3 4
TestComplete 11 2 4 5
Selenium 9 2 5 2
WatiN, WatiJ 7 2 3 2
JUnit 6 2 2 2
NUnit 8 3 3 2
JMeter 6 2 2 2
Visual Studio 2010 Ultimate
8 2 4 2
Testing Tools

`


200 MIDDLESEX TPKE, Suite 304
Iselin , NJ 08830 USA

outsourcing@itechart.com

Phone +1 (732) 734 6525

Fax +1 (732) 817 7085

http://www.itechart.com

`

Company Overview: A premier custom software development, consulting and outsourcing company

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