Application Development & Maintenance

Application development outsourcing allows organizations to adapt to the rapid technology advancements and evolving business processes. Outsourcing of software development allows them to fulfill the need for newer customized solutions or the transformation of existing systems to state-of-the-art environments, while retaining embedded business processes, rules and logic.

Key Drivers for Application Development Outsourcing

Worldwide, the primary challenge for organizations is adapting to new technology advancements in underlying application infrastructure and successful application development and deployment. In addition, IT faces the challenge of stringent budgets and aggressive timelines for any development initiative.

This entails adopting strategies that lead to maximum flexibility and effective techniques to manage applications early on in the development stages ensuring a long and productive application life. As an application development outsourcing partner, Datalink can deliver benefits beyond cost savings.

Advantages of Datalink’s Application Development Services

Datalink is a leading offshore IT vendor with proven capabilities in offshore Application Development Services (ADM Services). As a preferred application development outsourcing vendor, we have delivered significant benefits to our global customers. Datalink's custom application and development process encompasses all of the phases of the software development life cycle (SDLC), from translating business needs into project requirements through the implementation and post-production user support. An established offshore delivery model supported by technical and domain excellence characterizes Datalink's Offshore Application Development Services. This enables our clients to achieve flexibility, scalability, quality and a reduced time-to-market. We work closely with our clients to ensure that we meet the service levels on the most critical CTQ parameters of 'on time', 'within budget' and 'defect free' application development.

Our suite of Application Development outsourcing service offerings includes:

  • Offshore product development
  • Custom application development
  • New application development
  • Rapid application development.

Our array of Application Development and Management Services encompass the following:

Application Development: Enterprise application development requires high precision engineering to meet diverse client requirements such as automation, compliance, customer innovation, alignment with the industry, and integration with various business portfolios and multiple information channels. Our engineering solutions and engagement models allow customers to reduce cycle time, minimize the impact on operations and achieve a timely return on investment.

We offer clients a range of development solutions in emerging as well as proven technologies. From consulting to smooth cutover, we provide customers with an uninterrupted, integrated umbrella of solutions, followed by technical and functional support. Datalink provides solutions for the following sectors;


  • Development of web and portal applications.
  • Development of middleware applications for ensuring end-to-end application and data integration.
  • Development of composite applications for making current applications ready for the future
  • Development of mobile applications including design, support & maintenance and verification & validation services.

Application Management: We provide high-quality application support services to help customers achieve operational excellence. Our methodology and processes have been refined and perfected over the course of multiple support engagements with global clients. We manage releases and provide SLA-based maintenance, production support and enhancement services using our global delivery model.

Maintenance

Datalink has extensive experience in supporting complex, mission critical applications. During steady state support (Level 3 support) Datalink consultants focus on providing “perfective” maintenance, where the objective is to make the applications under maintenance support more robust and defect-free.

Level 3 support starts when Datalink assumes complete responsibility for Application Maintenance and support. Requests are generally analyzed and categorized as:

  • Defect Fix
  • Data-Fix
  • Analysis/R&D
  • Testing – (which involves only testing the application)
  • Production support

Based on the request classification, support as applicable is provided. The major activities include:
  • Log request
  • Acknowledge receipt
  • Determine request priority jointly with client
  • Identify request as either Defect-Fix or Functionality-Change request

Client service requests are accepted, logged and then prioritized; Prioritization is accomplished in consultation with the client and the Datalink Client service management coordinator.

The Datalink team handling 3rd Level Support would be split between offshore and the client location working seamlessly as one unit to handle all support activities. Normally, the requests are routed to offshore via the onsite personnel. Depending on the criticality and turnaround time of the request, it is handled by onsite or sent offshore. This process can be clearly defined during the transition phase after discussions with Datalink’s Client.


  • Simple Defect - Fix requests are the requests that have been classified as such after root cause and impact analysis. They do not involve any functionality change and do not have any impact on the system. Often, adjusting a few lines of code or completing minor modifications to existing programs fix the defect. These code fixes are handled by the onsite or offshore team depending on the criticality of the request.
  • Data-Fix requests pertain to requests for fixing data that has been corrupted due to program defects, aborts etc. An example is deleting all obsolete parts in a database. These may be processed manually or through a tool/program developed specifically for the purpose.
  • Analysis/R&D requests pertain to requests of such nature from the customer. The customer may require the maintenance team to analyze a problem, search for material from the library/internet etc., or develop a small prototype for a system that the customer is developing.
  • Testing requests pertain to running specified test scripts after setting up the environment, and reporting to the customer. These could typically be User Acceptance Test scripts.

Datalink is open to working with Performance Levels for the support. As Datalink’s familiarity with the applications increase, clients can anticipate improvement in performance parameters. Thus, Datalink also suggests that Datalink Client review the Performance Levels periodically and modify the SLA’s.


Application Enhancements

Datalink has deep-rooted, process-driven and proven methodologies for application enhancements. Application enhancement requests are normally classified into major enhancements and minor enhancements; Datalink follows standard processes to handle these requests. Once allocated, Datalink takes on responsibility and accountability for these requests from preliminary analysis through, planning, development, integration, and testing to user acceptance support. In several client environments we also support promotion to pre-production and/or production environments, based on the client’s service requirements.


  • Minor Functionality Change requests have a minor impact on the system functionality. These requests result in modification of a program or a set of programs or new programs for simple database changes. Minor enhancements follow most of the stages depicted in the figure above, though some of the activities in various stages – e.g. system testing – may be omitted.
  • Major enhancements have an impact on a large section of the system. These requests typically involve addition of new modules, interfaces, data tables and modification to existing system components for seamless integration. The typical lifecycle processes and the activities in each stage are shown below.