FAQ’s

1. What is IsThmus’ experience with outsourcing?

As a leading technology nearshore provider of software development and testing services, IsThmus was founded in 2003 as a spin-off from a company serving the financial services industry. IsThmus has worked in more than 10 industry verticals, including security, banking, mobile, healthcare, real estate, logistics and chemical, to mention a few. With over 300 successful projects, IsThmus’ clients include small and middle-sized companies as well as Fortune 500 and multinational corporations.

2. What is the IsThmus services offering?

IsThmus provides a full spectrum of software services, rendering its customers stronger, empowering them to reach their business objectives by being more responsive to their customers and to the competitive environment. We offer application development, application maintenance, testing, architecture and Project Management services.

3. What is the Software Development expertise of IsThmus?

IsThmus has deep expertise developing custom applications that run in different environments and platforms including the web, desktop, mobile and SOA applications . Our principal expertise is in Java and Microsoft technologies. However, we also execute projects utilizing other technologies such as RoR, LAMP, RPG, and more.

Our main expertise resides with Java and Microsoft technologies; however, IsThmus has also worked projects utilizing other technologies such as RoR, LAMP, RPG, and some others.

4. What are the Software Testing Services that IsThmus offers?

IsThmus offers specialized QA & Testing services for different platforms, operating systems and applications using a range of testing techniques.
This is a stand-alone service that goes from developing and executing a complete testing plan with test scenarios, test cases and test scripts to executing any part of an existing one. IsThmus has a specialized QA and Testing team of engineers with a deep understanding of the software development cycle. Our testing services include the following:

• Basic Support Testing (localization & documentation)
  • Application Functional Testing
  • OS Compatibility Testing
  • Manual and automated testing
• Stress/load/performance testing
• Test process consulting

IsThmus has a structured and proven testing methodology that is used and customized depending on the project needs. Different types of testing can be performed either remotely or onsite according to your needs. All the testers at IsThmus are specialized software engineers who can read code and not just perform functional testing; additionally, many of them are CSQA certified.

We have extensive experience in the methodologies and technologies:

Bug Tracking

• Bugzilla
• Trac
• TeamTrack
• VSTS
• Jira

Test Case Management Tools

• HP Quality Center (Test Director)
• Rational ClearQuest
• Mercury

Performance/Automation

• Testing Tools
• Rational Robot
• Test Complete
• Selenium Core and RC
• IBM Rational Functional Tester
• BadBoy
• Jmeter
• HP Quality Center
• Load Runner
• Watir
• VSTS
• Visual Studio

5. What are the methodologies used by IsThmus to manage development projects?

IsThmus has experience with two main methodologies or approaches for projects development and management; the traditional Waterfall approach, where a Project Management methodology is applied based on the Project Management Institute (PMI) standards, and the Agile programming approach where Agile Project Management is the basis.

Furthermore, IsThmus offers a flexible methodology approach. If the client already has a custom development methodology in place, IsThmus will adopt it and, if required, will propose solutions that guarantee maximum returns.

IsThmus processes ensure efficiency, transparency and manageability in every engagement involving a formal Quality Management System that is always being improved and updated. The company has been working with the best practices in the industry at a corporate-wide level.

6. How is communication and collaboration managed?

IsThmus has a “client-centric” approach with permanent and direct interaction in English throughout all levels of the company. So when speaking with our project managers, QA, architects or members of the executive management team, no translators or onsite facilitators are ever needed.

7. How does IsThmus ensure project success in terms of schedule, cost containment and quality?

Independently of the model used to develop a project, MTA (Monitor, Track and Adjust) is performed at IsThmus in a similar way.

A standard set of metrics exists to measure the project, but it can be adjusted depending on the project nuances:

• Real Effort vs Estimated Effort
• Real Progress vs Estimated
• Progress
• Rework (by both IsThmus and from the client)
• Idle time (by IsThmus and from the client)
• Issue tracking (quantity, severity, criticality)
• Defects / Unit

8. What are the IsThmus procedures for client confidentiality, physical security and intellectual property protection?

IsThmus has a comprehensive set of procedures that range from NDA and Confidentiality agreements signed with all employees to gated 24-hour security access to the facilities, strong access protocol to the development center with badge-restricted control to all company areas.

As stated in our MSA, our customers own their IP. Costa Rica, as signatory of CAFTA, is in full compliance with US intellectual property regulations.

9. What are the cost benefits of selecting IsThmus Costa Rica as a nearshore provider instead of an offshore provider?

Although nearshore rates tend to be higher than offshore rates, the overall cost of near-shore engagement with IsThmus is equivalent or less than offshore (India & China for instance) when the measurement of the expenditures is made with a holistic view using the TCE (Total Cost of Engagement). The TCE is an approach that evaluates the total expenditures of outsourcing projects.

In addition to the hourly rates of engineering talent, you need to consider the cost of additional management overhead, travel costs, the painful cost of staff turnover, and a certain amount of productivity loss due to the distance and degraded communications. Most of these costs are directly related to the separation in time between teams.

10. What are the benefits of selecting IsThmus Costa Rica as a Nearshore provider over other Latin American providers?

In addition to proximity, Costa Rica distinguishes itself from other Latin America countries with our economic, political and social stability. This has been reflected through its entire contemporary history and has allowed the country to reach great business success.

• The last World Bank survey for Global Governance Indicators ranks Costa Rica in first place within Latin America for Political Stability. A country of stability Source: World Bank, 2007
• Costa Rica occupies one of the highest levels in Educational and Health attainment in Latin America, which is also one of the best in the world. Source: World Bank, 2009
• According to the 2008 Livability Survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, San José’s (Costa Rica’s Capital) has an overall rating of 75.9, well above the average Latin America country rating of 69.4

11. What is the meaning of the IsThmus’ Value: Tico Touch?

The difference in cultures may affect communication processes with an outsourcing partner. The advantage of the culture of Costa Rican engineers facilitates communication in a respectful but straightforward way. It is what we call the “Tico Touch” that represents our way of doing business at IsThmus.

IsThmus employees always behave in the best Costa Rican tradition of friendship, openness to communicate effectively and transparency which will guarantee efficient project communication.

12. What is IsThmus attrition rate?

The attrition rate is low at IsThmus, 5% to 7% for the last 12 months. Most of the people that started with the company are still working for IsThmus and we pay special attention to retain talent.

Among the retention strategies we have:

• Competitive compensation packages based on performance.
• Open, flexible and fun environment.
• Project Managers that manage people in projects and not projects with resources.
• One-on-one sessions at least once a month between the employees and their Project Manager.
• Frequent one-on-one sessions between senior management and the engineers.
• Telecommuting options
• Employee Association
• Career path defined to grow with the company (in process)
• Additional responsibilities for key senior employees providing mentoring to junior employees.
• Training opportunities.

13. Can IsThmus provide business reference from current customers?

Business references will be submitted upon request; this process will coordinated by an IsThmus representative.

14. What is the typical working schedule?

IsThmus’ working schedule is from 8:00 A.M. to 5: 30 P.M. central standard time, Monday through Friday. We are willing to adjust the schedule by one hour (more/less) depending
on the project particularities.

15. How do I contract IsThmus?

All contracts with US companies are made through our subsidiary IsThmus Inc. incorporated in North Carolina. A standard Master Services Agreement and specific Statements of Work are used to define the business relationship and the scope of work. IsThmus is very flexible in the type of contracts that we use going from Fixed-Price models to Time and Materials contracts, depending on client needs.

Location:

HEADQUARTERS & DEVELOPMENT CENTER

IsThmus Costa Rica SA, San Jose, Costa Rica
Phone:+ (506) 2560-1600
US Tool Free : 1-866-275-1253
Fax: +(506) 2560-1600 / 1610
sales@IsThmusit.com
www.IsThmusit.com
iinfo@IsThmusit.com