iLAB Project Services has established an office in the Western Cape to provide its range of software quality assurance solutions to the many software development companies active in that market.
"The Cape has more than its fair share of software developers," says iLAB Project Services MD Debbie Nelson. "These embrace small to large development houses and full-blown internal development teams run by large corporations. Some of the largest projects in the country are being managed in Cape Town, and by opening a branch we will be adding value to existing and potential clients."
iLAB has appointed Luke van Ees to manage the Cape branch. He has just returned to SA after an extended spell in the European market, where he worked in financial services before lengthy stints in business consulting at Arthur Andersen and product sales at MicroStrategy.
"There is a notion that software development and quality assurance can be delivered remotely, even virtually," notes Nelson, "but that`s not possible.
"Many of the problems clients experience in development arise from a disconnect between user requirements analysis and coding. Our Cape branch will allow us to be in regular touch with all members involved in the software development lifecycle."
Cape Town`s development focus is disproportionate to its actual contribution to the South African economy. While it typically averages between 15% and 20% of the gross national product, depending on industry sector, it is a software development hub for the country. This is due to a number of factors: a long record of innovation from the universities; strong financial services, retail and petroleum market sectors; and a lifestyle conducive to the stimulation and creation of intellectual capital.
iLAB Project Services works with development teams to ensure their applications are bug-free, match business needs, and are delivered on time and within budget - best-practice research shows that up to 80% of projects fail against any one of these measures. It does this through its own quality assurance model, iQFramework, which controls risk by integrating quality management techniques with advanced project management practices to improve products, processes and productivity.
iLAB Project Services` own quality assurance model, iQFramework, controls risk by integrating quality management with advanced project management to improve products, processes and productivity.
iQFramework is based on the Capability Maturity Model (Committee) and the Prince 2 project management methodology. It supports ISO standards and is geared toward preventing defects and yielding built-in quality of products and services.
"Our goal is to work in parallel with development teams through the life cycle, to provide customers and end-users with the assurance of quality software," adds Nelson. "We have experienced strong interest from local customers and have already had successes in the Cape, which we will soon be reporting on."
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