Austin is probably the most attractive city in Texas for young IT professionals that seek a promising career in the industry. Also called Silicon Hills, Austin has known an increasing number of IT companies relocating or opening new offices. Some of the most prominent names speak for themselves: Google, Facebook, or Oracle are only a few to name from tech giants that have an interest in the talent pool from Austin. 

Recently Apple announced that will invest $1bn USD, in offices in Austin, which makes the city a fast-developing tech hub in the country. 

There are some 7000 professionals engaged in the High Tech industry working for SME, but the number is expected to grow with additional 15,000 IT professionals, according to Business Insider. 

However, the overall number of employees in the Tech industry in 2017 was estimated to be around 138,000+, which makes 14.1% of the entire workforce in Austin. Compared to the national average - 7%, Austin has twice more. 

Austin payroll in the tech industry reached $15,6bn, which is more than a quarter of the entire payroll of the Austin metropolitan area according to Austin Chamber. 

This makes the IT industry a part of the city’s economic backbone,  if not the most important part. 

In 2017, in Austin were located over 6400+ IT companies, out of which only 309 were new startups in the year of the report. 

All in all, Austin, considered as the Silicon Hills of the US, created a positive image as a tech hub and one of the most digitalized cities in Texas, and why not in the entire US. Since an increasing number of IT companies are attracted by this location, and taking into consideration the talent pool, Austin could become. 

Node Js is a JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to run JavaScript code on the server-side. Unlike traditional server-side technologies like PHP or Ruby, which are typically used for handling server tasks, Node.js enables developers to use JavaScript for both client-side and server-side development. Below we’ll dive deeper into the types of projects built with it, and how companies can leverage it for their projects:

Node.js is built on the V8 JavaScript engine from Google, making it incredibly fast and efficient. It uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which makes it ideal for building scalable and real-time applications. Node.js is particularly well-suited for projects that require high concurrency, such as web applications, APIs, chat applications, streaming services, and more. It has a large and active community, which has led to a rich ecosystem of libraries and packages available via npm (Node Package Manager), simplifying development tasks.

As for the type of projects that can be built using Node.js, we can name the following:

1. Web Applications:  Many web applications are built using Node.js, often using web frameworks like Express.js. These applications can range from small personal websites to large-scale, enterprise-level platforms.
2. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces):  Node.js is commonly used to create RESTful APIs that allow different services or applications to communicate with each other. This is essential for building services that provide data to mobile apps, websites, and other clients.
3. Real-time Applications:  Node.js is favored for real-time applications, such as chat applications, online gaming, and collaborative tools. The event-driven architecture of Node.js is well-suited for handling multiple concurrent connections.
4. Streaming Services:  Media streaming platforms and services that deliver audio and video content use Node.js to efficiently manage and serve media files to users.
5. IoT (Internet of Things):  Node.js is used in IoT projects to handle data collection from sensors and devices, process that data, and communicate with cloud services.
6. Serverless Functions:  Node.js is a popular choice for building serverless functions or AWS Lambda functions due to its lightweight and quick startup times.

Node.js is a versatile technology that can be effectively utilized in both smaller and larger projects, but its suitability hinges on several key factors.

For smaller projects, Node.js offers distinct advantages. Its event-driven, non-blocking I/O model allows developers to rapidly prototype and develop applications. This makes it an excellent choice for creating functional prototypes, minimum viable products (MVPs), or simple web tools swiftly.

Node.js's efficiency in handling I/O operations can lead to responsive user experiences, which is valuable for small-scale applications like personal websites, blogs, or straightforward web tools. Moreover, Node.js itself is lightweight, making it suitable for projects with minimal hardware or resource requirements. It doesn't impose significant overhead, making it a cost-effective option.

Node.js is also well-suited for serving as a backend for Single-Page Applications (SPAs), handling API requests, and serving static files efficiently. Its ability to use JavaScript both on the server and client sides can reduce development costs by enabling code reuse and a single development skill set.

For larger projects, Node.js remains a compelling choice for various reasons. Its ability to handle a large number of concurrent connections positions it favorably for projects with high traffic and user loads. It's designed to scale efficiently, allowing it to distribute workloads across multiple servers or containers, making it scalable and robust.

In larger applications with complex functionality, Node.js can be employed to build microservices that communicate efficiently with each other. This modular approach enhances maintainability and facilitates development on a larger scale.

Node.js's event-driven nature also makes it an ideal candidate for larger projects requiring real-time features. It excels in managing multiple simultaneous connections, making it suitable for applications such as messaging platforms, online gaming, or collaborative tools.

Additionally, Node.js continues to offer development speed advantages regardless of project size, which can be particularly valuable in meeting tight project deadlines.

Furthermore, for larger projects with JavaScript as the primary language on both the frontend and backend, Node.js facilitates streamlined development processes, code sharing, and collaboration among teams working on different parts of the application.