It’s not a word I often use, but the new outsourcing partner I came to visit in Budapest could definitely be described as boutique. In total, they have less than 50 software developers (the largest Accelerance partners have more than a thousand).
But here’s the thing: they are all senior, no-nonsense engineers and architects who take on only the most difficult projects, with technical challenges best solved by a small tiger team of experts – the kind you’d hire locally, if you could find them.
I arrived in Budapest on a flight from San Francisco via Frankfurt, Germany. Catching a shuttle to my hotel from the airport was easy. In fact, I bought my tickets while waiting for my bags to emerge on the carousel.
Budapest is a beautiful modern city with old-world European charm. The days of being behind the Iron Curtain of communism are ancient history now. My hotel was directly across the Danube River from the Hungarian Parliament Building, the city’s spectacular Gothic Revival-style landmark. The next morning, it was a pleasant 10-minute walk to the office to begin the assessment.
This outsourcing partner is perfect for a company that needs to solve tough software architecture, performance or business-critical software problems. Their primary skill set is Agile development of complex Java applications, both from the perspective of back-end server applications and modern user interface design. They have also completed several projects using Python’s Django framework, and have them running on the Google App Engine.
The two founders have worked in the US and for European businesses; their technical knowledge is world-class and their English is perfect (almost everyone in Hungary speaks English).
On a later trip to Hungary, managing director Mike McAuliffe and I met a new outsourcing partner in Győr, a picturesque ancient city an hour from Budapest by train. Founded by two brothers, the company was working on an AR/VR 3D proof-of-concept build for a medical industry startup – typifying the innovation and exceptional software development talent Hungary has to offer. “They’re like Swiss watchmakers – extremely skilled from an engineering perspective,”says Mike. “Smart, focused and really heads-down on what they do.”
About 20 miles from Győr is the town of Pannonhalma, where a Benedictine abbey has towered over the countryside for a thousand years. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s worth visiting not only for the 13th century-basilica but the premium wines produced here by the monks – and served at the wonderful restaurant and wine bar next door, overlooking the abbey vineyards.
Outsource with Confidence with Accelerance
Accelerance travels the world to simplify your search for the best offshore companies – and we’re impressed with what Hungary has to offer. If you’re interested in outsourcing your software development, contact Accelerance to find out more.
For the latest analysis on outsourcing opportunities throughout Eastern and Central Europe, check out our 2020 regional guide.
