IT is the most advanced and popular field in Ukraine. Ukrainian IT industry is expected to reach $10 billion in value by 2021. The local software development community has grown by 27% in 2017 and currently employs over 185,000 IT specialists.

Ukraine ranks 4th in the world by the number of tech workers after the United States, India, and Russia. Moreover, its IT workforce is expected to surpass the 200,000 marks in 2021

Why you should work with Ukrainian IT companies?

The Ukrainian tech industry has benefited from a close cultural fit with European and Western markets as well as a central time zone. This means that the cultural fit comes both from a shared European history as well as working regularly with international businesses. Since 2013 an agreement between the European Union and Ukraine has also made it easier for Ukrainians to travel throughout Schengen to build business relationships.

 Additionally, the considerably lower prices compared to other European countries, made from Ukraine a good destination for sourcing out talents and workforce with relatively competitive skills and education. 

What to be aware of when working with Ukrainian IT companies

Due to the cheap prices Ukrainian web agencies offer, the market perception tends to take professionals and companies based in Ukraine as an outsourcing destination or a budget project alternative to other similar European opportunities. Additionally, cybersecurity, piracy and tech skills raise questions about hiring or not a Ukrainian web agency for web projects

How reliable are Ukrainian companies

Having the association agreement with the EU, Ukrainian companies starting 2013 entered a new phase of cooperation and received more access to European market, business culture, and IT environment and infrastructure. It is considered now, in 2020 more reliable than it was before and visible progress was registered; but with the regional background, is still far behind its neighbors in terms of competitiveness and skills

How the Ukrainian IT industry relates to the neighboring countries

With three large competitors as neighbors, Ukraine has been struggling to become the largest tech hub in the region. Compared to Russia, Ukraine enjoys a similar IT infrastructure but has more opportunities due to access to the EU market. Poland, on the other hand, has a considerable advantage due to advanced facilities and market investments which makes it more attractive than Ukraine. Also, Romania is a strong competitor in the region that claims leading positions in software development and IT infrastructure development. 

Overall, Ukraine has a strong position in the region and in Europe, with a massive IT presence which allows companies based there to attract more customers from different segments. However, the trends show that market preferences move to another price segment than the one Ukrainian companies are on to.

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.