Launch and validate your idea quickly, so you save time and money, while staying focused on your goals - all without the usual frustrations of managing freelancers or contractors or hiring staff. We're responsive, flexible and organized with an acute focus on client satisfaction, lean requirements and project management. Product strategy, MVP roadmap, Development, Launch.
Ready to breakup with frustration?
We offer four options to turn your idea into a working solution by developing a prototype and an MVP release.
We can offer a 100% fixed fee based on agreed scope of work. If during implementation, you have additional requirements or ideas, we can scope, price and deliver these as well.
Get an estimate
Cloudgress guarantees bug fixing and workflow corrections within each scope even after the project has ended. All features pass our three stage QA process.
Pay only after each project stage delivery. Each update is presented to you for testing and approval. Each stage-payment is due only after you have approved each stage.
No need for you to hire or train staff, buy technology or rent office space. We have everything ready for your project from start to end.
Cloudgress has a range of software services to Plan, Design, Implement and Maintain, your SaaS application.
Avoid hidden risks and get a clear vision for what you need to focus on.
show more...Solutions that inspire from your end-users' first-click to their brand loyalty.
Execution backed by our consultants 20 years of integrated experience.
show more...Focus on the essential; launch, iterate and refine, to hit the ground running.
show more...Digital-first solutions backed by our consultants 20 years of experience.
show more...Our client engagement process (PDIM) - Plan . Design . Implement . Maintain, allows us to tailor a solution for your unique needs.
Our aim is to understand clearly your business and technical objectives.
We first jointly determine if we're a good fit for each other. We analyze your objectives and identify high-level risks and we sign an NDA and an MSA. Here, we suggest a full-day Discovery session to capture lean requirements and scope, so these can be used in the next stage to generate your estimate.
Understanding client requirements is a critical skill and we take it very seriously because clear requirements produce more accurate estimates.
We'll develop an SOW and Quote detailing Scope, Time, Cost and Risks, including functional and technical specifications, user flow scenarios and UI/UX requirements and stand-up a team with the right skills and experience.
Next, we'll implement agile development for the SOW with fast iterations.
Depending on your requirements, we'll create a deliverable that may be a Web App or a clickable prototype and technical documentation. Our continuous testing delivers a more robust product and we do regular demos to seek your feedback, so we're always in sync with your thinking.
On final code release, we transfer accountability of the code to you.
If you require your application to be maintained, we can offer this service on request.
After your project ends, we’d love to hear what you liked and what we can do to improve - your feedback will help ensure our service improves.
What's next?
Understanding requirements is a critical skill and we take it seriously to avoid down stream misalignment of objectives. As part of our design and estimation process, we'll develop a Statement of Work detailing Scope, Time, Cost, and Risks, including high-level functional and technical specs, user flow scenarios and any UI/UX requirements, with some simple mind maps or wireframes if needed.
We will then review this SOW with you and seek your confirmation and approval or request feedback and work through the SOW so it reflects your objectives. In our experience, clear requirements produce more accurate designs and budgetary estimates and more successful project outcomes.
Before we start any project, we provide and agree upon an accurate Statement of Work (SOW) which is based on analysis and research both by our team in close collaboration with yours, and based on your specified requirements. We stand-up a team that has the relevant skills in the required domains, and we place quality and execution practicality over procedural expediency. We follow an Agile methodology where you will receive fully transparent progress reports to keep you updated. This process allows us to track progress and decrease risk.
Django is a high-level Python web development framework that enables rapid development of secure and maintainable web applications. It helps developers avoid many common security mistakes by providing a framework that has been engineered from the ground up to "do the right things" to protect the website automatically. Django contains cross site scripting (XSS) protection, cross site request forgery (CSRF) protection, SQL injection protection, clickjacking protection, SSL/HTTPS, host header validation and session security. It is a free and open-source web framework that follows the Model–View–Template architecture pattern. It is maintained by the Django Software Foundation, an American independent organization established as a 501 non-profit.
Django is used by: Instagram, Dropbox, National Geographic, Mozilla, Spotify, Pinterest, NASA, Disqus, Bitbucket, Eventbrite, to name a few.
Python is a dynamically typed and interpreted high-level general-purpose programming language, as opposed to other statically typed and compiled languages such as Java, C or C++ etc. This single difference makes Python slower at runtime and more difficult to trace and debug, but it is easier to use and easier to read, compared to statically typed and compiled languages. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability with its use of significant indentation. Its language constructs as well as its object-oriented approach aim to help programmers write clear, logical code for large-scale and small-scale projects.
Python is used by: Netflix, Reddit, Instagram, Amazon, Facebook, IBM, Pinterest, Google, Quora, Spotify, Dropbox, Slack, to name a few.
Python and Django are technologies you may use together for web application development, Data Science projects, and Machine Learning applications. They allow for efficient and rapid development, code reuse, and suit development of both MVPs and fully-fledged enterprise grade products.
Django-Python web development allows you to take advantage of a faster development cycle, advanced Data Science and ML capabilities, and in experienced hands, the 'batteries included’ security features pre-built into Django. Python development is also time and cost-effective especially for Proof of Concepts and MVP’s, so you can validate your product faster and at a more predictable budget.
Cloudgress offers building of Proof of Concepts, MVPs, along with designing and developing products from scratch, and for more established SMB organizations, modernizing your existing apps, and executing a progressive digital transformation of your existing legacy business processes.
Our competency is in turnkey web application development from beginning to delivery and hand-over along with project management and business analysis. Depending on your requirements, Maintenance support can be discussed as a separate option as we are nearing completion of the final stages of your project.
The primary Tech-stack we use with Django is (LAPP) Linux, Apache, PostgreSQL, Python, with DRF (Django REST framework) on the backend. We use PostgreSQL as the database and pgAdmin4 for database model optimization and administration, Docker, and Javascript with React.js library on the frontend.
In which location will the development process take place?
The design, project management, business analysis, account management, billing and all communication processes happen from Toronto, Canada. Cloudgress also has technical resources in Ukraine and Pakistan with client project software development taking place in Ukraine, and Cloudgress' commercial product development taking place at our lab in Pakistan.
We love our Ukraine and Pakistan based team members, they are incredibly competent, hard-working and diligent. We require our client project developers have at minimum 5+ years of development experience. We know it is imperative for our clients to minimize miscommunication, which is why we require excellent English written, comprehension and verbal skills, as well as our entire client-interfacing processes are executed from Toronto, Canada. All our Associates and third-party subcontract partner companies have signed NDA’s and comprehensive back-to-back subcontract agreements inclusive of stringent Confidentiality, Intellectual Property transfer rights, Non-competition and Non-solicitation terms, mirroring the Master Service Agreement Cloudgress signs with each of our clients.
Does Cloudgress' team work from the office or from home?
All our Associates normally work a 40-hour week, Monday through Friday, between 4-8 hours per day (with a flexible schedule as per business needs).
Canada and Ukraine
In these locations, following Public health safety guidelines in response to the COVID pandemic, Cloudgress maintains a geographically distributed workforce.
Pakistan
Our product lab team in Pakistan is 100% co-located in the heart of central Lahore.
Can Cloudgress developers work from the client's office?
Yes they can, subject to any applicable Governmental visa and/or travel and/or COVID/Pandemic related restrictions. This is negotiable at your request and expense. Usually, we recommend business trips of no more than two (2) persons for a maximum of two (2) weeks at a time.
Yes, your single point of contact relating to all matters before and after the contract is signed, will be your local Engagement Manager, and you will be able to communicate with individual members of the dev team throughout the process.
Our cooperation starts with the first email you send us. After which, the usual process is as follows:
We have a short 30-minute Free introductory call where we'll jointly assess if a fit exists between our capability and your requirements, and agree on next steps.
Next we have a 1-hour Free strategy session to analyze your SaaS idea and give you high-level feedback on any technical or business model risks, and if it may be worth pursuing the idea.
If we mutually decide to continue, we sign a mutual NDA, or we can sign the NDA prior to the Free strategy session, whichever you prefer.
At this point, we strongly recommend that we conduct a paid full-day Discovery workshop between your team and our Business Analyst and/or Application Architect to gather sufficient details about the project in order to produce an accurate design, Statement of Work and budgetary estimate.
If the SOW meets with your approval, we then sign a Master Service Agreement stipulating Terms of Business, or we can sign the MSA prior, whichever you prefer.
When the Statement of Work and associated Price quotation is agreed and accepted by both parties via signatures, we mutually commit to the SOW by allocating resources and start the agile development process.
Note, some steps may be skipped or merged however, due to mutual agreement and/or project requirements.
After the Discovery workshop, we have the project Kick-Off, which includes:
o A project kickoff meeting with the client.
o Review of initial requirements and constraints.
o Forming a backlog for the 1st development iteration.
o Agreement on a mutually acceptable execution approach.
From project initiation through to POC, MVP release, or in any project expansion stage, we use the SCRUM methodology with 2-week sprints and regular reviews of progress and regular demos to the client.
How do you ensure all requirements are captured within the project team?
Internally, we use a remote-friendly Agile team workspace platform to store project documentation and knowledge base. It connects our team and project related content for improved performance and quality by allowing co-workers to discuss issues and anything else project related. For each requested feature we create tasks that are implemented step by step by the development team.
How do you execute the final hand-over of a project?
o We conduct a project demo for the client and seek client acceptance.
o We share all developed documentation and code base with the client.
o Send all related reports as detailed within the SOW or as the client requests.
This is possible upon request, especially at pre-development stages. However, following Public health safety guidelines in response to the COVID pandemic, Cloudgress maintains a geographically distributed workforce in Canada and in Ukraine and if possible, it would be practically more feasible to work at your premises if joint team-work is required such as in joint planning workshops etc.
We ensure the security of our client's data in the following ways:
Project Intellectual Property is 100% owned by the client by transfer of IP rights.
How we check the developed solution for security holes:
o Cloudgress mandatorily uses Django framework's in-built security tools.
o On request, we can engage security audits from Fluid Attacks and Cobalt.io
How we document your test results:
We develop testing plans, test cases, checklists, and test reports, and we record the process and the test results within the our Agile team workspace.
For remote cooperation and communication, we use the following tools:
Slack
For internal messaging and notifications about progress, code updates, deployments, alerts etc. as well as certain external client communication.
Github
For code management, using branches, code review, PEP8, and internal code conventions.
Balsamiq
For low-fidelity rapid wireframing and clickable design mockups. For collaborative prototyping and interactive design mockups, we may also use InVision.
ClickUp
For Agile management, Issue-tracking and for bridging gaps between product managers, product owners, project managers and developers, and for project knowledge base documentation and collaborative whiteboarding.
HelloSign
For E-Signatures in all geographic jurisdictions that support legislation for SES and AES electronic signatures.
In the first two weeks between 2-4 hours per day is usually adequate, and after that, the client is welcome to attend daily virtual meetings but it is not essential. Scheduled progress-review meetings take place every two weeks. You are welcome to ask us any questions during the process and we will be available to address them. It will take us no longer than 24 hours to respond, however, due to complexity of any individual question, we may not immediately have an answer for you, but will investigate and research the answer and respond accordingly.
It would assist us mutually, if you could provide us with the following information or as much of it as possible:
o Why you think your idea will be successful and why is it worth pursuing?
o The general business context and environment of your application.
o What you have tried (current state of your project).
o Where you want to get to (future state of your project).
o Wireframes or design diagrams (if you have any).
o Business process flow / logic diagrams (if you have any).
o We need to know as much as possible about your idea.
After we have successfully delivered your project, we hand over all project documentation to the client, conclude and terminate the project’s Statement of Work, release the project resources, and communicate the closure of the project to all stakeholders.
If you require, we can quote and sign a separate agreement for maintenance and support of your application.
Yes we do. We offer UX/UI design services including:
User Interface design
Good design is easy to use and interact with. A catalyst for user adoption, it encourages engagement and delivers a better user experience. Simple and sophisticated UI design requires an eye for balance, detail and an acute sense of color theory and composition. An accessible and aesthetically appealing design on top of robust technical architecture translates into a user-friendly interface.
User Experience
Good user experience creates product stickiness and referrals and gets you a faster ROI. Create a great user experience and you will stand out from competition. Using a data-driven approach, we ensure the “what-ifs” and “why-nots” are answered, and each user persona that interacts with your product gets a seamless and guided experience.
Yes we do.
Good software starts with business analysis of the idea, the competition, technical feasibility and financials, and ends with strong project and expectations management and client communication. We provide full cycle Project Management services to plan, manage staff, budgets and resources to deliver a successful project.
Our lean requirements engineering capability ensures clarity in capturing design and build details in a statement of work, and our focus on mono-stack Django development ensures reliability and consistent service delivery to our clients.
To get an estimate or to discuss your project, drop us a line.
We'll respond within 1 business day.
Or book a web meeting with one of our software specialists, to discuss your product idea and have your questions answered.
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