Traditional fraud systems rely on static rules. Transaction over $500 from a new location? Block it. Three purchases in an hour? Flag for review. These rules generate mountains of false positives. Compliance teams drown in alerts. Real fraud slips through.

Machine learning changes the game. A well-trained model learns each customer’s normal behavior. It spots genuine anomalies without blocking every unusual transaction. The firms below build these systems for banks tired of explaining to angry customers why their card got declined at dinner.

What ML Fraud Detection Does

Most people think fraud detection means catching criminals. That’s half the story. The other half is leaving honest customers alone.

A solid ML fraud system delivers four outcomes:

• Scores every transaction in milliseconds, not minutes
• Learns spending patterns per customer, not per population
• Flags only transactions that truly deviate from normal behavior
• Updates itself as fraudsters change tactics

The five firms below have deployed these systems in production banks. No pilot projects. No white papers.

1. Avenga

Best for: Real-time transaction scoring with anomaly detection

Avenga is a machine learning development company that treats fraud detection as a data problem first. Their team built a custom application for Ayasdi, a machine intelligence firm serving Fortune 500 financial institutions. The application helps analysts detect transactional fraud, manage trading decisions, and generate predictive models through an intuitive interface.

Avenga’s approach combines multiple detection layers. Traditional rules set the boundaries. Machine learning ranks each transaction’s risk in real time. Human analysts review only the edge cases. This hybrid model cuts false positives dramatically.

The firm’s anomaly detection tools spot deviations before they cause harm. Payment processing speeds up because genuine transactions clear automatically. Fraud teams focus on real threats instead of reviewing legitimate purchases from loyal customers.

Key features for fraud detection:

• Real-time risk scoring per transaction
• Behavioral biometrics (typing rhythm, mouse movements)
• Graph analytics to spot mule account networks
• Synthetic identity detection across onboarding flows

Avenga also built a modeler application with semi-automatic workflow management. Financial analysts can transform raw data into actionable insights without writing code. The tool integrates with existing bank infrastructure through Single Sign On.

2. Intellias

Best for: KYC automation and robo-advisory fraud prevention

Intellias provides machine learning development services for banks that need smarter customer onboarding. The firm built a KYC module for a European trading platform with over 400,000 customers. The module verifies user identities while meeting strict anti-money laundering policies across multiple countries.

The challenge went beyond simple identity checks. Brexit changed banking regulations for British nationals. Intellias adapted the KYC system to account for shifting rules while maintaining fraud detection accuracy.

Their robo-advisory feature uses AI algorithms to detect market trends and forecast price directions. The same pattern recognition helps identify unusual trading behaviors that might indicate market manipulation or unauthorized account access.

Key fraud prevention capabilities:

• Automated customer verification with AML compliance
• AI-driven anomaly detection in trading patterns
• Cross-border regulatory adaptation
• Prospect verification that speeds onboarding without skipping security

The platform integrates directly with the client’s CRM software. Fraud teams see a complete picture of customer behavior across accounts, devices, and transaction histories. No more switching between five different screens to investigate a single alert.

3. N-iX

Best for: End-to-end MLOps for transaction fraud detection

N-iX helped a UK prepaid card provider process billions of pounds in transactions. The client had fifteen separate ML models, each managed individually. Data preparation happened separately per model. Deployment was manual. Customers waited up to five minutes for transaction approvals.

N-iX built a cloud-agnostic ML-powered solution that changed everything. The new system handles transactions in real time. Latency dropped from five minutes to 250 milliseconds. The NPS score jumped 35 points. Customer count grew 20 percent.

The solution includes an end-to-end MLOps pipeline with MLflow for model versioning and BentoML for serving. Apache Kafka and Debezium CDC enable real-time data processing. Apache Flink handles stream and batch calculations.

Technical fraud detection stack:

• Feature store database storing all decisions and requests
• Real-time anomaly detection using multiple ML models
• ETL pipelines that reduce operational costs
• CI/CD automation for faster model updates

The system checks each transaction against credit scores, credit history, email, IP address, and login attempts before approving or rejecting. Fraud teams no longer manually review declined transactions. The ML model provides full information about every payment automatically.

4. EPAM

Best for: Cybersecurity and malicious website detection

EPAM partnered with a global investment management firm to strengthen its security posture. Wealth managers face a specific fraud risk: employees clicking on malicious websites that compromise client data. One wrong click leads to data theft, operational disruption, and regulatory fines.

EPAM built an ML model using multiple data sources to identify anomalies and high-risk content. The model operates continuously, scanning billions of websites for threats. When it flags a suspicious site, security teams investigate before any employee can click through.

The firm uses its AI/RUN framework for this work. The framework includes specialized techniques for enhancing detection algorithms. EPAM monitors each model’s features, overall effectiveness, and resource use to maintain high performance.

Enterprise fraud prevention features:

• Continuous malicious website scanning
• Anomaly detection across network traffic
• Proactive threat monitoring with ML
• Cloud and endpoint protection integration

This matters for banks because wealth management divisions handle sensitive client portfolios. A single compromised workstation can expose millions in assets. EPAM’s ML model blocks threats before they become breaches.

5. ELEKS

Best for: Behavioral fraud detection and ethical AI

ELEKS focuses on behavioral fraud detection for fintech companies. Their systems monitor how customers interact with applications. Typing rhythm, mouse movements, and navigation paths all become signals for identity verification.

A fraudster using stolen credentials types differently than the real account owner. They move the mouse in unfamiliar patterns. They navigate to pages that the genuine user never visits. ELEKS’s ML models catch these behavioral mismatches in real time.

The firm emphasizes responsible AI deployment. Their fraud detection solutions include governance frameworks that document model logic, explain outputs, and keep humans in the loop for suspicious matter reporting.

Behavioral fraud detection features:

• Passive biometric monitoring during sessions
• Real-time anomaly detection without customer friction
• Ethical AI frameworks with audit trails
• End-to-end support from development to deployment

ELEKS also addresses unethical trading practices in the forex and stock markets. Their ML models analyze trading behaviors across large datasets and flag suspicious activity patterns that might indicate market manipulation.

Comparison Table: Fraud Detection ML Capabilities

Each firm approaches false alert reduction differently. Some focus on speed. Others prioritize behavioral patterns or cloud infrastructure. The table below shows how they compare on the features that matter most for banking fraud teams.

Each firm takes a different path to solving false positives. Avenga uses multiple detection layers with human feedback loops. Intellias focuses on KYC and trading pattern anomalies. N-iX delivers full MLOps pipelines for transaction scoring. EPAM specializes in web-based threats. ELEKS monitors behavioral biometrics during sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bank fraud teams ask the same six questions before signing any ML contract. Here are the answers based on actual deployments from the firms above.

How fast can ML models score a transaction for fraud?

Avenga processes transactions in milliseconds using real-time risk scoring. N-iX achieved 250 milliseconds per request at 1 million monthly transactions. Banks need responses under one second. Anything slower creates frustrated customers at checkout.

What makes ML better than rule-based systems for fraud detection?

Rule-based systems trigger on fixed numbers. A transaction over five hundred dollars from a new device gets blocked automatically. ML watches each customer’s spending habits. A six-hundred-dollar purchase of a new device might be fine for someone who spends five hundred dollars weekly. The same transaction gets blocked for a person who never spends over one hundred dollars. Rules treat everyone the same. ML treats each person differently.

Do these firms handle KYC and AML requirements alongside fraud detection?

Yes. Intellias built KYC modules that meet AML policies across multiple European countries. Brexit changed regulations for British nationals, and Intellias adapted the system to stay compliant. N-iX keeps sensitive customer data anonymized during ML training to protect privacy. EPAM’s wealth management client required full compliance with financial services regulations for their malicious website detection system.

Which firm works best for a bank with old transaction systems?

N-iX built a cloud-agnostic solution that runs on virtual machines inside a Kubernetes cluster. No full cloud migration required. Avenga ensures one hundred percent compatibility with existing ML infrastructure. Both firms connect to legacy databases without ripping out working systems.

Can these models catch fraud patterns they have never seen before?

Avenga uses graph analytics and unsupervised learning to spot mule account networks and synthetic identities without prior examples. EPAM continuously monitors model features to adapt to emerging threats. ELEKS builds behavioral baselines from each user. Any deviation from that baseline gets flagged, even if the fraud pattern is completely new.

How many false alerts can a bank expect after deploying ML?

No firm promises zero false alerts. That does not exist. But N-iX helped a UK prepaid card provider raise its NPS score by thirty-five points. Fewer declined transactions meant happier customers. The fraud team stopped reviewing false positives and started catching real criminals.

Final Thoughts

Banks spend millions on fraud detection. Most of that money goes toward investigating false positives. Compliance teams burn out. Customers leave. Real fraudsters keep going.

The five firms above build systems that stop both problems. Avenga combines rules, ML scores, and human review. Intellias automates KYC across borders. N-iX cuts transaction latency from minutes to milliseconds. EPAM blocks malicious websites before employees click. ELEKS monitors how customers type and move their mouse.

False alerts will never drop to zero. But they can drop low enough that fraud teams investigate real threats instead of someone buying dinner in a different city. That shift changes everything.

The post 5 Best Machine Learning Development Companies for Banks Tired of False Fraud Alerts appeared first on Flextype.

Magento: A Robust Platform for E-Commerce

Magento is an open-source e-commerce platform that offers powerful features for medium to large businesses looking to scale. Its robustness and flexibility make it a preferred choice for merchants who require a comprehensive and scalable e-commerce solution.

Scalability and Performance

Magento is designed to handle a large volume of products and transactions, making it ideal for businesses planning to grow quickly. Its performance and scalability are unmatched, providing a seamless shopping experience even as your online store expands.

Customization and Features

With Magento, the sky’s the limit when it comes to customization. It offers a wide range of features and extensions, allowing for a highly customized e-commerce experience. From complex product options to multiple payment gateways, Magento can accommodate almost any requirement.

Security

Magento takes security seriously, offering robust built-in security features. Regular updates and a dedicated security team help keep your e-commerce site safe from potential threats.

WordPress: A Flexible Platform for Content and Commerce

WordPress, while known primarily as a content management system (CMS), has also made significant strides in e-commerce through the WooCommerce plugin. It’s an excellent choice for businesses that prioritize content marketing alongside selling products.

Ease of Use

WordPress is renowned for its user-friendly interface. Setting up an e-commerce site with WordPress and WooCommerce is straightforward, making it a great option for small businesses or those just starting out in e-commerce.

Content Management

If content marketing is a core component of your strategy, WordPress offers superior tools for content creation and management. Integrating e-commerce functionality with informative blogs, guides, and news articles can drive more traffic to your site.

Community and Support

WordPress has a vast community of developers and users. This community has contributed to a large repository of themes and plugins, making it easy to add new features to your site. Support and advice are readily available through forums and dedicated support services.

Magento vs. WordPress: Making the Right Choice

Business Size and Scope

Magento is best suited for medium to large businesses that require extensive e-commerce functionality and have the resources to manage a more complex platform. WordPress, with WooCommerce, is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that want an easy-to-use platform that combines e-commerce with powerful content management.

Customization and Scalability

If your business demands high levels of customization and scalability, Magento is the better choice. Its architecture is designed for e-commerce and can support a vast product catalog and high traffic volumes. WordPress, while customizable through plugins and themes, is more suited to businesses with simpler e-commerce needs.

Budget and Resources

Magento can be more resource-intensive, requiring a larger budget for development, hosting, and maintenance. WordPress offers a more cost-effective solution for businesses with limited budgets, with many quality themes and plugins available for free or at a low cost.

Security

Both platforms take security seriously, but Magento’s robust security features are particularly suited for businesses that prioritize the safety of their e-commerce transactions. WordPress sites can also be secured, but this may require additional plugins and attention to regular updates.

In conclusion, the choice between Magento and WordPress depends on your business’s specific needs, size, and resources. For those requiring advanced e-commerce features and scalability, Magento development services offer a powerful solution tailored to complex online stores. On the other hand, WordPress is an excellent choice for businesses that emphasize content marketing and require a user-friendly platform with sufficient e-commerce capabilities. By carefully considering your needs and evaluating the strengths of each platform, you can choose the right foundation for your e-commerce site, ensuring its growth and success in the competitive online marketplace.

The post Magento vs. WordPress: Choosing the Right Platform for Your E-Commerce Site appeared first on Flextype.

One of the outsourcing models that is becoming increasingly popular is the use of a dedicated development team. This provides access to third-party talent while also reducing hiring, administrative, and operational expenses. But is a dedicated development team the right approach for your project? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is a Dedicated Team Model?

The dedicated development team model is a type of outsourcing collaboration that provides a complete solution to long-term projects. This involves a hired outsourcing team that plans, develops, and deploys a solution based on the project’s needs and requirements. The model includes the selection of professionals for each role required for the project’s completion, with the team working from the service provider’s office.

This model is suitable for large, long-term projects with changing scopes and resource allocation. Companies often use this model when they need extra talent to start new projects or when they have limited experience with certain technical tasks, as well as for running long-term projects with updates. It is similar to in-house hiring but without administrative burdens, allowing for a focus on mission-critical business tasks.

The main benefit of the dedicated development team model is the team’s full focus on the project, which increases development speed and the quality of deliverables. Additionally, the provider will manage the staff to ensure they are not overworked or understaffed and that they are working towards predetermined objectives.

When should you hire a dedicated development team?

The dedicated software development model is not suitable for every project. However, it is well-suited for long-term initiatives that need substantial efforts from both the development team and stakeholders. You can gain a lot by using dedicated software development in the following circumstances:

Early-stage startups

Startups that are just beginning can benefit from dedicated development. A dedicated development team can help turn an idea into a market-ready product, while the startup owner can focus on other business aspects such as fundraising and marketing. Additionally, hiring a dedicated development team can assist startups in having a reliable team, reducing hiring expenses, and quickly releasing the product.

Projects with vague requirements

Vague project requirements can be a source of failure for any software project. A dedicated development team is a solution to this issue, as they work from the idea stage to delivery. This team is essential for the discovery stage, which includes comprehensive market research and assessments of audiences and competitors and the production of documents that will lead to definitive project requirements.

Long-term projects

Dedicated teams are a great choice for long-term projects that lack a clear concept or vision. They can easily and quickly adjust the direction of the project as needed since they are responsible for managing it throughout its lifecycle. Additionally, their deep expertise in the project allows them to make tactical adjustments while minimizing disruption to the application’s infrastructure.

How to Hire a Dedicated Development Team?

To ensure a successful dedicated development team, it is necessary to undertake preparation, planning, and careful selection of the right technology vendor. Here are the key milestones of this process:

Choosing your technical partner

To gain the benefits of a successful partnership with the right technology vendor, you need more than just a solution and the team to build it. A mature provider will provide you with a dedicated development team that will act as an extension of your in-house resources. Here are some steps to help you secure this partnership.

Investigating

Before selecting a vendor, it is important to conduct market research. Ratings, leader matrices, and review sites such as Clutch and Glassdoor are the best places to go to in order to find the right partner. When selecting a vendor, be sure to check if their primary service is mobile application development. Clutch, in particular, offers a breakdown of industry categories, enabling you to identify a company that has the relevant expertise.

Narrowing down the options

Choose a handful of potential vendors and take a more detailed look at the companies. Do some research online to see what people are saying about them, their previous projects, and customer testimonials. A reputable company should have all of their essential info on their website. This includes a portfolio of their work, company bios, contact information, and more. Make sure the vendor’s portfolio matches up with what you need for your project.

Discussing project requirements and cooperation model

Before you get a bid from the vendor you have chosen for your project, it is essential to have a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in place. This is to guarantee that any confidential data you share with the vendor will be kept secure and not be revealed to any third parties. Once you have the NDA signed, you can disclose your business idea and discuss the project requirements and cooperation model.

Interviewing your dedicated development team

A video call is typically the first step of contact with the vendor. During the initial meeting, you can discuss your business concept, project requirements, and what you expect from the team. If the initial meeting goes well, you can progress to the interviewing stage.

Interviews are the best way to evaluate the abilities of your dedicated development team. You can ask a pre-determined list of interview questions to assess the hard and soft skills of each team member. Additionally, you can bring in a tech expert for the interview if you need to evaluate the tech skills of the candidates more closely.

Signing a contract

The last step in the selection procedure is to secure a dependable vendor contract. This contract should include the range of services, length and duration of the agreement, vendor pay, and other imperative particulars. Generally, a contract can be extended, providing the option for a longer-term partnership.

Why Orangesoft is a good choice?

If you’re looking to hire a dedicated development team, Orangesoft is an excellent choice. Our experienced, carefully-selected specialists are dedicated solely to scaling your delivery capacity with their in-depth knowledge and technical expertise. With our mobile and web development services, businesses of all sizes can benefit from our dedicated team services.

The post What Is a Dedicated Development Team Model and When You Should Consider One? appeared first on Flextype.

Operational analytics solutions and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are related in that they both can be used to improve business operations and increase efficiency.

Operational analytics solutions provide businesses with real-time data and insights into how their operations are performing. This data can be used to identify bottlenecks, optimize workflow, and improve decision-making.

RPA, on the other hand, automates repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more important tasks. By automating these tasks, RPA can help businesses to increase efficiency and reduce labor costs.

Both technologies can help companies in many ways, such as:

1. Streamline processes

 Operational analytics solutions can help companies streamline their processes by providing real-time data and insights into how their operations are performing. This can help managers to identify bottlenecks, improve workflow, and optimize resources. RPA can also be used to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more critical tasks. An operational analytics solution can provide real-time data on inventory levels, sales, and demand. This can help companies identify when they need to reorder products and optimize their inventory levels, reducing the risk of stockouts and overstocking.

2. Improve decision-making

 Operational analytics solutions can provide businesses with the data they need to make informed decisions. By analyzing data from multiple sources, companies can gain a comprehensive view of their operations and identify areas for improvement. This can help managers to make more informed decisions that can drive business growth. RPA can be used to automate the process of monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and alerting managers when certain thresholds are met. This can help managers to make more informed decisions by providing them with real-time data and insights.

3. Enhance customer service

 RPA can be used to automate customer service tasks, such as answering frequently asked questions and handling customer complaints. This can help companies to provide faster and more efficient service, leading to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Operational analytics solutions can provide businesses with data on customer demographics, purchasing habits, and preferences. This can help companies to segment their customer base and tailor their marketing efforts to specific groups of customers.

4. Reduce costs

 Operational analytics solutions and RPA can help companies to reduce their costs by identifying areas where they are wasting resources. By identifying inefficiencies and automating repetitive tasks, companies can reduce their labor costs and improve their bottom line.

5. Enhance scalability

 As companies grow, their operations can become more complex, making it difficult to maintain efficiency and productivity. Operational analytics solutions and RPA can help companies to scale their operations by providing real-time data and insights, as well as automating repetitive tasks. This can help companies to maintain efficiency and productivity as they grow.

Use case 

One example of using robotic process automation (RPA) in a company to improve operational efficiency is using RPA software to automate the data entry process. This can be done by programming a “robot” or software bot to input data from physical documents, such as invoices or purchase orders, into a company’s electronic systems. This automation can significantly reduce the time and effort required for data entry and can also reduce errors caused by manual data entry. Additionally, by automating the data entry process, companies can free up employees to focus on higher-value tasks such as analysis and decision-making.

JPMorgan Chase, a financial services company, has implemented RPA to automate a variety of tasks, such as data entry, account reconciliation, and compliance checks. This has allowed the company to reduce the time and effort required for these tasks and also improved the accuracy and consistency of the data entered. Additionally, by automating these tasks, JPMorgan Chase has been able to free up employees to focus on more complex and higher-value tasks such as fraud detection and customer service. Other examples of companies that have implemented RPA include American Express, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America.

To sum up

Operational analytics solutions and RPA are powerful technologies that can help companies to streamline their processes, improve decision-making, enhance customer service, reduce costs, and enhance scalability. Companies can gain a competitive edge and improve their bottom line by implementing these technologies. As technology evolves, businesses that invest in operational analytics solutions and RPA will be well-positioned to take advantage of new opportunities and stay ahead of the curve.

The post 5 ways how tech can help with business operations appeared first on Flextype.

When developing an application, businesses have two choices: either they can utilize their own resources to establish an in-house department or outsource app development.

At Orangesoft, we provide you the two pricing options:

• Fixed pricing model
• Time and materials model

These are two price models that are now the most common in software development, and there is a significant gap between them. This article will help you decide which option is most suited to meet your requirements by examining the benefits and drawbacks of each option.

What Exactly is a Fixed Price Contract?

A fixed price contract is a contract in which a customer and a vendor agree on a set scope of work, deadlines, and payments. To define the project’s parameters using this model, you do not need prior software development experience. At Orangesoft, we can assist you with determining the pain points of your project and writing a comprehensive project specification. Based on the requirements, we can then produce cost and time estimates for the project.

The Advantages of Using a Fixed Price Contract

Fixed Budget

When using a model with fixed pricing, the customer is aware of the total amount of money that will be required to build an application. The price is stipulated in the contract and won’t change at any point.

Fixed Deadlines

Because the app’s specifications are laid out in advance, a customer may expect to get a ready app on the initially estimated date. In addition, when the customer is aware of the deadline, they can better prepare for post-launch activities in advance.

Minimal Efforts in Management

All of the features of the project have been thoroughly documented to facilitate their speedy transfer to the development team without the need for extra participation from the client.

Predictable Results

The project’s desired outcome is discussed with the client and included in the scope upfront so that the client is aware of what to expect.

Disadvantages of a Fixed Price Contract

• Less room for flexibility
• Customers may be charged extra fees if there is a need to change project requirements.
• Slow Project Launch

The client and the development team can invest a significant amount of time in mapping out the product development roadmap in detail. Since this procedure might be time-consuming, it may become a possible barrier to meeting tight deadlines.

Less Control

You, as the customer, won’t have the ability to evaluate the quality of the code, the members of the team, or the skill level of the developers who will be working on the project. When using this approach, the vendor is entirely accountable for the management of both the team and the project. However, it doesn’t mean you would be kept in the dark about the process.

Higher project cost

When estimating the cost of a project, a vendor would often include risks; hence, the project’s ultimate cost may be higher when compared to the fee incurred using the time and materials technique.

When Is It Appropriate to Use a Contract With a Fixed Price?

Small projects that include just the most fundamental features and lasting no more than three months.

Minimum Viable Products that have a restricted budget and need fundamental functionalities initially

Projects with stringent deadlines and budget

Projects that have been designed with a predetermined feature set in mind

What Is a Time and Materials Contract?

A time and materials contract, often known as a T&M contract, is quite different from the fixed price approach, in which you are given a fixed amount of money before beginning your development project. Your software project will be developed according to the terms of a T&M contract, which stipulates that you will pay the vendor for the work hours, materials, and equipment used. In addition, the T&M model is quite adaptable. Thus, it can easily accommodate new features and modifications.

The following strategy is effective when it is impossible to predict how much a project will cost or how long it will take to finish development. When using this approach, there are no predetermined time limits or costs for the project’s development.

The Benefits of Utilizing the T&M Contract Model

The high degree of adaptability

Because the Agile methodology is used, it is easy to make quick adjustments to a project whenever such adjustments are required. In this situation, the vendor can use a product approach to swiftly respond to users’ feedback and market trends. Re-prioritizing tasks in the development process, adding or eliminating features, etc., are all examples of this kind of change.

Fast project launch

Because the project’s specifications don’t need to be as thorough, the planning stage is quicker than in a fixed pricing project, so you may start the work on app development earlier.

More control over the project

You will take part in all the stages of the development process, including sprints, iterations, and meetings at which you will be able to discuss the work that has been made and determine the next steps.

Cost-Efficiency

The T&M model does not charge a flat rate. When a client hires senior software engineers, they pay a more significant expense than when hiring junior specialists. In addition, you can control the amount of time a team spends working on a particular task.

Which Pricing Model Is Right for Your Project: Fixed Price or Time and Materials?

Each kind of collaboration comes with a unique set of benefits and drawbacks; for instance, the T&M model’s adaptable nature allows it to cover any unplanned overages, but a fixed budget and deadline may ensure that your product is completed on time.

Summing Up

Both cooperation models have advantages and disadvantages, and different kinds of software development call for different types of cooperation. To choose an appropriate pricing model, you must first grasp the requirements of your project, including its scope, budget, and deadlines, as well as your desired degree of involvement.

At Orangesoft, we have the expertise in dealing with the time and materials contract type and the fixed price contract model. Because of this, we believe we have sufficient knowledge to contrast the two pricing models and present you with our recommendation as an expert on how to choose the best model to fulfill the specific needs of your project.

Despite the fact that we usually use the T&M model in our work, the fixed price contract is an alternative that might be considered if a project calls for a different approach.

Contact our team at any time if you would want to confirm your choice with an outsource development agency.

The post Fixed Price vs. Time and Materials Contract: Which One to Choose for Your Project? appeared first on Flextype.

By the type of data processing, all systems are divided into 3 classes

Classic content management system with an integrated database

Conventional CMS, such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and TYPO3, work with a connected database. This means that all content is stored in a separate database.

Flate-file content management systems
As an alternative to conventional CMSs that work with connected databases, there are so-called flate-file systems. They store site content as simple files, so they don’t need their own database on the server. These include products such as Grav, Pico and Kirby.

Static site generators
In addition to content management systems with or without a database, there are more and more static website generators on the market. They are not populated with content like a regular CMS. Every time a change is made, the system creates static HTML files and rebuilds the page. Thus, the pages are static and have high performance. Generators are more suitable for professional, technically savvy users, but work with them is becoming easier because of the additional services and administrator interfaces. The best representatives here are Forestry.io, DatoCMS and Lektor

According to the management model, all systems are divided into 4 types:

• CMS Content Management Software regardless of the type of data presentation.
• WPS A simplified CMS for blogs.
• WCMS A management system for web content adapted for mobile devices.
• ECMS Enterprise content management system.

The most popular CMS

WordPress

WordPress began as a simple software for creating a blog. Over the years, the system became more and more popular: new features and templates appeared. Solutions such as the “5-minute install”, the many free themes and the easy integration of plugins have certainly contributed to the success of this CMS.

If you need a website but have little or no budget or time for one, WordPress is the right choice. The system installs in minutes, then users can start publishing content immediately. By investing a little money in a quality theme, you can quickly achieve a professional look and feel. If more specific project requirements arise over time, you can quickly find a ready-made solution in the form of a plugin.

Joomla

Like WordPress and TYPO3, Joomla is based on the PHP programming language, which visually converts the contents of the MySQL database. Installing Joomla works on almost every web hosting site and takes only 30 seconds. Developers can program a large number of custom extensions for the system.

Unlike other CMSs, Joomla offers only an input box with text editor support for creating and formatting content. This looks very simple at first glance, but causes problems with complex formatting.

Drupal

Once conceived as a social sharing platform, Drupal has evolved into one of the most widely used open-source editing systems.

In addition to its core features, Drupal focuses on developing social publications and community portals so members can create their own content and interact with others. In Drupal, as in WordPress and Joomla, sections are managed on an object basis. The modular structure of the CMS allows for separate and complex page structures. Initially quite thin, it can be adapted to your own desires with various additional extensions.

In general, Drupal is more suitable for experienced web developers because, unlike WordPress, the desired configuration must first be assembled in a certain order.

TYPO3

TYPO3 is the most popular system for large firms and companies. The CMS is available in over 50 languages and has over 5,000 extensions. A large community is constantly and actively involved in the development of the system. Even in its basic installation, this powerful CMS includes many features such as support for multiple domains and advanced rights management for multiple administrators and users.

For the implementation of complex page structures with multilingual content, however, the editing system requires special knowledge. All in all, TYPO3 is an incredibly complex CMS that is often able to do more than users need in their website. Compared to other systems, it requires a long learning curve and comparatively more administrative effort.

MODx

“MODx Evolution” is a combination of CMS and CMF – from “Content Management System” and “Content Management Framework”, that is a platform. The system is suitable for both small and large websites, that is, from a web business card to the resource of an international company.

The biggest hurdle you have to take in MODX is yourself: MODX is a system for professionals. You need a minimum knowledge of HTML and CSS to use it.

MODx emphasizes the usability of the websites you create and the optimal mix of design and content. You won’t need programming knowledge to begin with, but once you want to implement special and customized solutions, you’ll need to apply CSS and HTML.

MODh manages the content and provides the markup, which should be specified down to the last detail. After successful installation, MODx provides a blank white page with minimal HTML source code. This is how every MODx project starts.

The post What are the CMS? appeared first on Flextype.

Once created, any content needs to be published and then it needs to be managed, updated and distributed online. Regardless of the size of the website, this is a time-consuming task that is accomplished with a content management system (CMS).

There are currently about 300 different CMSs available on the market. When managing content with their help, programming skills are not needed at all, and administration is reduced to simple repetitive functions – for example, creating new sections and copying text from Word in the built-in editor. It uses a graphical user interface that is intuitive for most people in the smartphone age.

The software itself is an interactive resource, a so-called web application. In practice, it works in such a way that employees go to their login page to get to the part of the site that is invisible to visitors. This part is called the backend. The publicly accessible part of the website is the interface.

The backend is used to customize the resource and manage content. Without a CMS, website operators would have to edit the page for each change using an HTML editor and then upload it to the server using an FTP program. With a CMS, this is no longer necessary.

The ease of management makes these systems ideal for supporting both large and single-page sites. Some of the CMSs are free and some are open source, which means that each owner can make edits to meet the requirements of their own unique projects.

The post Why do you need a content management system? appeared first on Flextype.

The standard features of Joomla
Users can be divided into 9 groups. Each of them has different rights to create, modify and manage options. We can distinguish 5 main tools.

Media manager. It is with his help and manage the content. In addition, you can track how users feel about the material. Although this requires an extension.

Search with filters. Any material on the site can be easily sorted. For example, by publication date or other parameters.

Multi-level menu. No programming knowledge is required to create tabs. All you need to do is to choose the necessary elements from the drop-down list.

Additional blocks. With their help, you can easily install ads or a selection of similar products on the site.

Text and image editor. Headings, lists, images, videos and the most complex structure of text is also very easy to create. To do this, the CMS provides a variety of blocks.

Advanced features Joomla
Of course, you can do with standard tools. After all, Joomla offers a fairly wide and advanced functionality. But in most cases without installing additional extensions, the site will not work fully. This includes such important plugins such as anti-spam, hacking, backup-tools and modules to manage the optimization of the site.

But extensions are not always required. Some options can be used if you simply edit the template. For example, this includes the installation of services analytics from “Yandex” and Google. Although it is better to use this option for those who are even slightly familiar with the program code. Some sites require special extensions. For example, online stores and news portals. In Joomla, there are tools for them.

Extensions for e-commerce
In this CMS, there are several modules that allow very convenient management of the online store. The most popular extensions are VirtueMart, HikaShop, JoomShopping and AceShop. Beginners should pay attention to JoomShopping, because it is quite easy to use. Although the other plugins are also not so hard to work with, but they are more suitable for experienced users.

In addition, JoomShopping uses few resources, so you can not worry about the high load on the server. With this plugin can be in a short time to launch an online store with many products. The standard functionality allows you to use an assortment of up to 50,000 items. So even large supermarkets can work with it without any problems. It is worth noting that although this plugin is free, to create a full-fledged store, most likely you will need additional extensions.

First of all, these are functions aimed at convenience for customers.

One-click ordering. Users are less and less willing to register and fill out a whole form to buy an item. Therefore, it is better to connect plugins for a quick order. They allow you to record only the phone number, and then the manager contacts the customer and places the order. You can configure plugins and to fill other fields. For example, Email or name.

Extended cart options. They allow you to organize the input of promo codes, pending items, support for different types of currencies and many other useful features. There are many plugins for similar purposes. And they are all aimed at convenience for users. Therefore, and increase sales with their help turns out very well.

Online Payment. One of the most important and useful plugins. After all, people are increasingly paying just online. Among the variety of plugins we can highlight the extension of Interkassa. It already provides many payment options. For example, Google Pay, Apple Pay, QR-code payment and electronic payment services. You can send the client a link to pay the bill via SMS or Email.

Work with delivery. This includes not only delivery method and address filling, but also many other functions. For example, you can install a plugin that will calculate the cost and even help track the parcel.

Using filters. Such extensions will suit stores with a wide range of products. For the user to quickly find the right item, filtering plugins should be installed.

Extensions for the news site
Sort required not only products, but also news. After all, there are many categories. Therefore, it is better to divide all materials by topic. The most popular extensions for such purposes are Hierarchical Category Filter and JUX Mega Menu. Although there are also other plugins.

Blog extensions
Since blogs employ not only administrators but also authors, content management should be convenient for each of them. In addition, it is important to provide for the possibility of commenting and automatic addition to social networks. Easy Blog plugin will help with all of this.

Extensions for social networks
To easily manage the profiles of users of social networks, you can install the plugin JomSocial. It allows you to work with photos, videos and comments.

The post What you can do in Joomla appeared first on Flextype.

Defining the domain. If you are going to do a blog – you need WordPress, if a business card site or a directory better opt for Joomla. If the forum, you can use Drupal. If a corporate site – MODx or TYPO3. To create an online store, suitable for any CMS, but WordPress and TYPO3 have advantages in transaction protection.
Determining the learning curve. With a complete lack of experience, you will quickly master WordPress, the second place in ease is Joomla, then Drupal. MODx or TYPO3 are more difficult to master.
Determining the time of employment. Here the picture is similar. The easiest to administer WordPress, and the most difficult – MODx.
Determining the effectiveness of SEO. In principle, the level of quality of SEO is not so much dependent on the CMS, but WordPress leads in the number of plugins for optimization.

How do you check what CMS the site is?
If you want to know what CMS a website was created with, you can do in three main ways.

1. The first and easiest way is to access the code of the page.

If you’re using the WordPress control panel, you’ll usually see a line like this in the code:

This means you’ll see a generator as the operator, which shows which CMS this website was created with. You can also check what the path to the other files looks like. In the link to the pictures, you can see the information through the control panel.

2. You can check the robots.txt file. This way, the control panel recognizes webmasters who have already created such a file and are well versed in their directories.

For example, we have a Robot.txt file for WordPress:

Disallow: / cgi-bin
Disallow: / wp-admin
Disallow: / wp-includes
Disallow: / wp-content / plugins
Disallow: / wp-content / cache
Disallow: / wp-content / themes

And the same Robot.txt file serves as an example for Joomla:

Disallow: /administrator
Disallow: /cache
Disallow: /includes
Disallow: /installation
Disallow: /language
Disallow: /media
As you can see, the Robot.txt files look very different.

3. Special services which recognize CMS.

It is also possible to check the content management system with the help of special services. They work online and quickly identify the control panel of the site.

For example, whatcmsisthis.com is a tool that is available to you around the clock. All you have to do is insert the URL of the desired website and click the “Go” button.

Plugins for CMS
Plugins, also called extensions, are small programs that work in conjunction with a CMS and perform certain tasks.

For example, there are plugins to create photo galleries, contact forms, a website forum, etc. There are also plugins that help perform search engine optimization, automate backups, and protect the site from cyberattacks.

The plugins are written by programmers around the world. Currently, WordPress has more than 50,000 plugins and Joomla has about 20,000.

CMS greatly simplifies and speeds up the work on the site. Although setting up a CMS should be left to an expert, or at least someone with solid knowledge in the field, even novice users will only need a little specialized knowledge for productive day-to-day use. CMSs are designed to manage and update websites without the help of web designers and programmers.

Even the installation barrier is easy to overcome. Many web hosting providers offer automatic installation of CMS software at low prices. Site operators can start publishing content immediately. This becomes even easier with managed CMS offerings, in which the hoster also takes care of maintenance and support for the system. In many cases, this saves the cost of hiring an expert.

Unfortunately, open-source CMSs have a security problem: In most cases, website owners do not use the manufacturer’s pure system, but supplement it with secure templates, plug-ins and widgets.

The post How to choose a CMS? appeared first on Flextype.

Blogs
WordPress started as a blogging tool and remains the most popular platform for this purpose. You can start small at a minimal cost, such as a simple Hostinger plan that’s easy for beginners. Then, when your blog gets bigger, you can upgrade to a plan for more sophisticated solutions.

Portfolio
Freelancers, artists, photographers, musicians, writers and other creative professions often use this CMS to create online portfolios. There are a number of portfolio themes on WordPress.org and beyond that include all the necessary features such as a gallery, lightboxes, and a portfolio grid.

Business card sites
If you have a small business, WordPress will also prove to be a good solution for creating a website. This content management system is very popular with small and medium-sized companies, and is increasingly being used by larger corporations.

Charity sites
Since the platform does not require large investments for maintenance and is easy enough to master, it is not surprising that the platform has become popular among charities and churches. Thanks to WordPress, more and more nonprofits are online these days.

Online Shops
If you want to create your own online store, but do not understand anything in web development, then you need this CMS. WooCommerce – the most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress allows you to add key e-commerce features to your site such as: shopping cart order management system, payment pages, one-click refunds and more.

Popular WordPress Sites
While WordPress is best known as a platform for bloggers and small businesses, it is also used by many large sites.

The New Yorker website.
The entire structure of the famous magazine The New Yorker is based on this content management system.

TechCrunch website
TechCrunch is a site for people interested in cutting edge technology and news about various startups. It may not be a coincidence that they chose WordPress as their platform.

Sony Music website
Sony Music’s site is a great example of a successful commercial brand that uses WordPress.

White House Website
The White House’s official .gov site was also developed on this CMS. Who would have thought?

Site Beyoncé
This system is very popular among artists, photographers, musicians and other creative personalities, even the very famous. Beyoncé is one of those. WordPress gives her the opportunity to get even more attention from her fans.

The post Types of sites based on WordPress appeared first on Flextype.