Our client, a leading mobile phone network operator in the Asia Pacific Region, wished to build and operate a mobile social networking service. The project involved both specialized mobile and web development and ongoing community moderation. After undertaking a thorough cost and needs analysis it was decided that a combination of a managed development solution for the platform and offshore staff leasing for the moderation would be the most cost-effective approach.

The first component of the project to be undertaken was the development of the application. The client had already decided to work with .NET and MySQL, so we recruited a team of .NET specialists and designers to undertake the initial build. We collected a pool of strong candidates with a range of experience, from Microsoft-certified application architects and project managers to entry-level developers. The client interviewed many candidates using video conferencing and selected their team. After completion of the application we turned our focus to the moderation of the community. Full 24-7 moderation was required so we began by recruiting a team of eight fluent English language speakers. Because of the well-developed call-center market in the Philippines it is very easy to find highly skilled English speakers. This is one of the true strengths of the Philippine offshore staffing market. Our client trained their new staff and we created a schedule and monitoring system that went live when the service launched.

Managed Development:

• Client benefitted from Sourcefit development expertise
• Recruiting time reduced due to availability of staff
• Per-project employment possible
• Cost one-third of home market

Offshore Staff Leasing of Moderation Staff:

• Able to select, train and manage staff
• Building expandable, highly trained team
• 3-fold cost savings over home market