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Thought Leadership

We are software craftsmen

One of the most difficult things for businesses is finding that one thing, that makes them really different than anybody else. For being in business at all. The true reason why somebody else should partner with you. The actual value that you add.

And once you have found what makes you special, it is even more difficult to explain it in simple terms. Because sometimes is it actually a lot of things coming together in perfect harmony that makes the difference, not just one thing.

We always say: we are software craftsmen.

OK, so what does that mean?

Think of A Stradivarius.

Stradivarius is the name for the most famous Violins ever built. A Stradivarius is one of the famous string instruments (violins, violas, cellos) built by members of the Italian family Stradivari, particularly Antonio Stradivari, during the 17th and 18th centuries

“Stradivarius violins are considered to be the best ever built, with a sound that is unmatched even by todays, computerized production processes in building violins. The few remaining ones are sold for millions. There are numerous theories and stories about the secret behind Stradivarius, and the trick that he used to build his violins.”

So what was the trick? How the heck was he able to build the best violins ever?

Did he have a big company behind him, with a large production plant? No.

Did he have a secret, that died with him? No.

He was just a guy building violins the best he could, in a small production facility, behind his house.

If you would ask him what the trick was: he would probably frown, saying what do you mean the trick, I don’t think there is a trick.

If you would ask him: but if there is no trick, then how come you are able to do this, and others not?, he would probably say: I don’t know, I have been doing this whole my life, I just build violins.

However, if you were to ask him: ‘So what kind of wood do you use? Then his eyes would probably start to shine. And he would say: Oh, that is nice that you ask, because I always use This kind of tree, nothing else, The rest is no good. And by the way, you never cut the tree in winter, only in the months of May and April, because that’s the best timing. Oh, and I almost forgot: never use the part to close to the trunk, but always 6 feet higher. That’s better for vibration.

He would probably have a story like that for each part of the violin, like the strings.

The point is: there is no trick, there is only experience, passion and craftsmanship. Collectively, they make a difference.

That is why we are who we are, and why we make a difference. That is Do-How.

We are software craftsmen with vision.

The software world is undergoing tectonic shifts. Software products are transforming to Cloud-Only and SaaS solutions to deliver continuous business value, innovate faster, gain operational excellence and be part of multiple platform ecosystems. Software businesses are quickly adopting a cloud-native, services-first approach enabled by micro-services and containers. In this fast changing landscape, we help extend software craftsmanship to granular services that constitute products and platform ecosystems.

In spite of the tectonic changes happening all around us, at our core we remained the same, with undiminished passion for creating innovative software products. We help build great software products through creativity, skill, and collaborative innovation. We also believe that innovation can’t be driven with a project-mindset, as others try to do.

We envision a connected world, in which, every business will be a digital business, driven by software. Even non-IT businesses will transform into IT businesses, and build new software-driven IP, which means that software expertise will be key for success in a connected landscape.

What makes us unique and standout?

Just like there is no single-trick behind a Stradivarius violin, there is no single factor that makes us special and unique. A combination of 25 + years of experience and insights of our leadership team in building innovative, enterprise-class, complex software for leading product companies and global markets, has helped us develop a unique blend of software craftsmanship and product expertise.

We have bundled this collective do-how expertise and insights into TOP Cloud, a unique co-Innovation platform, that helps our customers take full advantage of our capabilities.

We help software businesses succeed in a disruptive environment. With coMakeIT as a strategic partner, software businesses can rapidly build innovative software products, modernize their technology, reduce time-to-market, and transform products into a platform.

Our software craftsmanship makes us unique and that’s why we standout.

thought leadership cloud transformation

“Gartner predicts that by 2019, more than 30% of 100 largest software vendors’ new software products will complete the transition from cloud-first to cloud-only, meaning their investment will be shifting away from on-premises to cloud-based services.”

It’s been nearly a decade since the first major public cloud platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS) hit the market, and it is remarkable that in this relatively short period of time, cloud has become the new normal, and is no longer seen as a disruptive technology paradigm. If you are a software business offering traditional applications in an on-premises, licensing mode, you can safely assume that, it is just a matter of time before enterprises i.e. users of your software will adopt a cloud-ready application from a nimble-footed competitor. Therefore, cloud transformation is no longer a matter of choice, but is a matter of survival, as well as a critical business need. In this digital era which demands anytime, anywhere, any device access of software services, only a cloud-first approach will enable you to meet these business and technology goals.saas paas iaas

Source: Microsoft Azure

Choosing a cloud service model

The cloud transformation journey starts with the first step of choosing the appropriate cloud service model, based on one’s business and technology needs. One must choose from the cloud stack, which comprises of a trio of cloud computing (also distinct business) models, that are differentiated on the basis of key players, resources, value created, costs, and revenue streams:

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic cloud-service model that provides computing infrastructure (servers, storage, network bandwidth, software licenses etc.), as a service in a subscription mode. IaaS serves the needs of the IT organization, and dispenses with the need for businesses to make upfront investments in the technology infrastructure. This is an asset-light model, where businesses don’t have to worry about technology obsolescence, as it is the responsibility of the service provider to ensure flexibility and scalability of the technology infrastructure.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a model where the software application is delivered as a service over the internet, and businesses access the service through a web browser. The great advantage of this model is the ability to serve multiple businesses from a virtual environment, and the ease of delivering any changes, upgrades, and modifications to the software through a click-to-deploy model. In a SaaS model, businesses don’t get locked into expensive long-term contracts for software support and maintenance, and the vendor secures a recurring stream of subscription revenue, which is valued far more than one-time licensing income.

Platform as a Service (PaaS) is a service model that provides a virtual platform to develop, deploy, and manage application lifecycle for solutions that are consumed over the internet. In this model of cloud computing, one can access on-demand environment for rapid development, testing, delivery and maintenance of software applications, in other words the entire platform from software development to delivery. PaaS caters to the engineering /product development needs of a business, and is a variant of SaaS with additional architectural and utility components, and is typically used for rapid development and deployment of mobile and web-based apps.

Choosing a cloud deployment model

In addition to selecting an appropriate cloud service model, one must also choose a cloud deployment model for delivering these services:

Private Cloud, is a mode of deployment where the cloud computing infrastructure is operated exclusively for a single business or customer. In this model, the cloud computing service will be delivered through a private network, and the associated infrastructure can be either located physically with the business or can also be hosted by a third-party service provider.

Public Cloud, is where the computing services are delivered and accesses through a public network that is open for all. In this deployment model, a third-party service provider owns and supports all the underlying infrastructure including all hardware, software, and network bandwidth. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud are some of the well-known Public Clouds.

Hybrid cloud is a composition of two or more clouds (private, community or public) that remain distinct entities but are bound together, offering the benefits of multiple deployment models. In this deployment model, sharing of the underlying infrastructure and seamless service delivery across public and private networks is facilitated by technology. Hybrid cloud is increasingly becoming popular for its flexibility, and for some businesses, offers the additional comfort of multi-tiered security and data protection.

Factors influencing choice of service and deployment models

Choosing the appropriate model of cloud from a service and deployment perspective is a strategic decision, that must take into account business and customer needs, impact on operations and efficiency, and which service and deployment models will deliver the greatest benefits. The following factors must be considered in selecting the right mix of cloud service and deployment models:

  • Impact of the service on operations, delivery, and customer relationships
  • Impact on architecture and technology
  • Impact on business capabilities and revenue streams
  • Resource utilization, data needs, security, control, and TCO
  • Cloud-ready application architecture

Traditional software applications often have tightly-coupled, monolithic architecture, which must be re-engineered for deployment as cloud services. This is perhaps the biggest challenge one will face in the cloud transformation journey. The following application architecture concepts must be incorporated into the design or re-engineering of the cloud-ready applications:

  • Loosely coupled with multi-tiered
  • Service, and API-based architecture
  • Extensible data model with security
  • Support for multi-tenancy
  • Flexible components
  • Design for performance and scaling

Ability to integrate with industry-standard cloud platforms and consume third-party services that can extend the functionality of the core application, is also becoming a key differentiator in a market driven by a platform ecosystem.

Cloud transformation strategies

The complexity of transforming traditional software into cloud-ready applications will vary a great deal based upon factors such as the current software stack and application architecture, target architecture and technology stack, choice of deployment models, resource availability, time, and cost. Based on these factors, one must choose the appropriate cloud transformation strategy, which could vary from low-complexity options such as re-hosting or re-factoring to high-complexity options such as re-architecting and replacing.

Cloud transformation methodology

We, at coMakeIT have combined all our Do-How expertise and evolved a holistic and unique methodology to help our customers in their cloud transformation journey. The infographic shown below, gives you a high-level overview of our approach.

ADM

Reiterating the case for cloud

Acknowledging the fact that cloud is the new normal, businesses must either migrate their traditional on-premises based software applications to the cloud or adopt a cloud-first (or even cloud-only) approach for building new applications. To reiterate, cloud transformation offers a multitude of benefits as outlined below:

  • Recurring revenues from a subscription model, which are far more attractive and valued by financial markets than licensing revenue
  • Deliver better end-user experience
  • Reduced infrastructure and application maintenance costs due to shared infrastructure, yielding significant lowering of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
  • Achieve enhanced scalability, flexibility, and anywhere access through cloud-based deployment & infrastructure
  • Scope for mass customization
  • Ability to deliver flexible components and services, which can be part of multiple applications and platforms, as opposed to monolithic applications
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Webinar: We are launching a new initiative in the form of periodic webinars on topics of relevance to our customer ecosystem. The first webinar on the theme: Technology Modernization is scheduled for 15th February, 2018. This webinar will be delivered by our CTO and EVP, Sashikanth P

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A special group completes a decade with us: In a small ceremony, Steven and Kiran, co-founders of coMakeIT recognized a special group of employees, who have completed a remarkable 10-year tenure with us. The longevity of this incredible group is a tribute to our values, culture, opportunities for growth, learning, and a great work-life balance. A big thank you to this wonderful group for being a part of our incredible journey over the past decade.

10 year anniversary

Kids carnival & Kids week: In mid-December, we hosted a carnival with various fun activities for the children of our employees. Toddlers were entertained with games and music at our office, while kids in the age group 5-7 went on a trip to the Hyderabad Zoo, and kids in the 8-14 age group were taken on a field trip to learn pottery. Needless to say, kids across all age groups had a blast, as you can see from this photo gallery. Spread across December and January, as part of a Kids Week, we hosted a Painting/Art/DIY workshop, as well as a Robotics workshop, which were thoroughly enjoyed by the participating children.

kids carnival

Wish Tree: This wish tree transformed our people into secret santa(s) for kids with special needs (of Shraddha Saaburi School in Hyderabad, India). It is wonderful to see the entire coMakeIT family coming together to make the wishes of those kids come true – puzzles, bangles, hairbands, cricket set, laptop, video games and loads of other goodies. We are so proud to witness the care, compassion, and empathy of our people in sharing the holiday cheer and spirit.

wish tree

Wall-of-Art: In an effort to encourage our employees to showcase their creative talent, we are hosting a rolling competition for the best painting or art work. We are amazed to see the diversity, talent, creativity, and skill of our people. You can browse the amazing works produced by our employees for the Wall-of-art.

wall of art

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Tarang logo 1