One of the most common questions in the technology industry is “buy or build?”. Also known as make or buy, the expression is related to whether organisations should develop software in-house or purchase it from a third-party vendor.
When it comes to the needs of businesses that want to leverage telecom software along with text, voice and video, the process of developing a solution becomes far too complex.
The question still stands: build your own or buy?
Fabrizio Salanitri, CEO of HORISEN, shares his thoughts on the topic:
“Initially, it is essential to consider the company’s resources in terms of budget and sufficient experienced staff for software development.”
“Although investing in third-party software might look like a more expensive option beforehand, the costs for this ready-made solution are much more transparent and predictable. It is highly unlikely that you overcome your budget with unforeseeable issues on the development side.”
When building software from scratch, organisations might fail to predict costs during development and afterwards.
Testing new features, software malfunctions are maintaining security levels are one of the most challenging aspects of building a solution.
Add the maintenance costs to the equation, and you get a pretty cumbersome endeavour.
“The company whose primary mission is not to gain a competitive advantage by building a cutting-edge technology solution but rather to achieve competitive parity and overrun their competitors can make less profit during the development phase due to the fact that their employees are less available for day-to-day business.”
“These projects can take much longer than planned so the company might face a great financial challenge”, adds Salanitri.
Buy all the way?
Software solutions developed by third-party vendors have already gone through testing and quality assurance phases which critically lowers the risk of failure.
In most cases, third-party vendors offer software maintenance, support, upgrades and security upkeep already included in the price, enabling organisations to plan their budget more efficiently.
Many companies retreat to building their own solution, fearing they won’t find one that meets all of their needs. However, the reality is different.
Salanitri says: “One of the most common misconceptions regarding this issue is that only in-house solutions can be customised and tailored specifically for the individual business. At HORISEN, customer experience is one of the most important aspects so our solutions are highly customisable based on customers’ preferences.”
As data breaches and cyberattacks have almost become a daily occurrence, organisations also have put effort into building a foolproof solution, which often is the most challenging stage of development. But is the struggle worth it?
“There should not be compromises regarding the security of the software, especially when sensitive data is in question. Even though building one’s own firewall of safety might seem like a good idea, it takes very deep knowledge in this specific field in order to do so successfully.”
“HORISEN gathers a team of security specialists who regularly scan its products for vulnerability and potential security threats since that is its main daily business.”
In a few words, if your organisation does not have enough resources to develop its solution, it’s better to consider buying software from a supplier and avoid all the risks.
Make the right decision – buy software and save your resources for day-to-day business. Click here to discover how HORISEN can help you find the perfect solution that meets your business needs.
