Growth of Software Development Outsourcing to Drive Related Industries

Quality assurance management services expanding

(Manila, Philippines, September 5, 2008) – Rapid growth of the Philippines software development industry is catalyzing the development of related support sectors such as quality assurance (QA) management and testing, said Nora Terrado, country manager of Headstrong, a global consulting and IT services film.

According to the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), the Philippine software industry is growing rapidly at an annual rate of over 30%. That target will translate into an increase of US$1 billion in annual revenue and 60,000 new jobs by 2010.

“International companies make up the bulk of the customer base for software development services providers. These clients require service providers to follow strict quality standards. As result, QA management has become a critical practice for software development companies,” Terrado said. At Headstrong, Terrado said its Delivery Assurance Group (DAG), a dedicated team that handles software QA management, is becoming an important component of the company’s value proposition as software QA testing is fast emerging as a standalone service offering.

Headstrong’s DAG is staffed by domain experts, business analysts, QA metric specialists and special-skill consultants who evaluate, ensure and maintain product quality and standards-based processes. The unit was set up in the mid-1990s initially as an internal resource to ensure quality service delivery in Headstrong’s Manila Global Delivery Center (GDC). As the software industry has evolved, QA or test analysts, have become increasingly critical for the software development process, prompting Headstrong to strengthen its QA capability and begin offering its services to local and international clients.

According to company executives, DAG has been instrumental in demonstrating Headstrong’s capability to prospective clients. “DAG has performed an important service internally to support Headstrong’s development processes. Our Manila GDC earned its 9001:2000 ISO Certification in 2004 and CMMi Level 3 rating as a result of its work. We are now working to achieve a CMMi Level 5 rating for Development v1.2,” said Salud Domagas, Headstrong’s DAG head.

Domagas said DAG services have also been extensively tapped for clients in the financial services industry. “The QA management process for these clients consists of proactively assisting IT teams from project conception to completion, tracking and evaluating progress in terms of compliance to quality standards, while providing the necessary process infrastructure framework and delivery assurance initiatives at the organization level,” Domagas explained. “It is always an extensive and intensive process.”

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About Headstrong

Headstrong is a global consulting and IT services company that applies its expertise in business processes and technology across key verticals in the Capital Markets Industry. Headstrong’s client base in the financial services industry includes the top 10 investment banks. It provides domain-focused solutions across capital markets business areas – Wealth & Asset Management, Prime Brokerage & Securities Financing, Equities (Cash and Derivatives) and Fixed Income (Mortgage Backed Securities, OTC Derivatives and Commodities). Headstrong delivers solutions in Business Process Definition, Systems Integration, Application Development, Application Outsourcing, QA and Testing Services and Knowledge Process Outsourcing. Headstrong helps its clients realize value from their business and technology initiatives while leveraging a steadfast heritage (as James Martin + Co) of strong methodologies and global program management. Headstrong is headquartered near Washington DC, with a global presence across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. For more information, visit www.headstrong.com or e-mail us at information@headstrong.com.

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