Key Summary
- MSPs are navigating tighter labor markets, fluctuating project demands, and internal hiring restrictions.
- Offshore development teams offer a practical way to scale software capabilities without expanding internal headcount.
- This model gives MSPs flexibility, operational continuity, and access to global technical talent—all without long hiring cycles or permanent commitments.
As Managed Service Providers take on more complex projects and broader client demands, many are reevaluating how they staff and deliver custom software development. Building everything in-house isn’t always realistic—especially with hiring freezes, budget limits, or evolving project scopes. Offshore development teams offer a flexible, scalable solution. By working with skilled professionals under an independent contractor structure, MSPs can maintain service levels, meet delivery timelines, and expand their capabilities—without expanding headcount.
Here are key reasons why more MSPs are turning to offshore development teams to support their custom software projects.
Meeting Client Demands Without Increasing Headcount
Managed Service Providers are often expected to deliver software support, build custom tools, and support long-term projects—even when internal capacity is limited. Hiring freezes or budget limits can make adding full-time staff unrealistic, but development needs don’t pause.
Offshore development teams help MSPs maintain momentum. Through an independent contractor agreement model, MSPs can work with skilled developers who are integrated into their systems and processes, but not counted toward internal headcount. This provides both compliance and continuity in software development and managed services environments.
Flexible Access to Technical Skills
Custom software development often requires a range of roles—front-end developers, back-end engineers, DevOps, QA, UI/UX, and more. Building all of this in-house is time-intensive and costly, especially when needs shift from one project to the next.
Offshore staffing offers access to a broader pool of technical talent, including software engineers with experience in app development, without a long recruitment process. MSPs can quickly scale up or bring in specific skills for a set duration, maintaining project timelines, aligning with scope of work, and ensuring user experience quality for their clients.
Support During Hiring Freezes
Hiring freezes can delay or halt internal expansion, but client contracts, product delivery, and SLAs still need to be fulfilled. Offshore development teams provide MSPs with a workaround—keeping delivery schedules on track without violating headcount restrictions.
By structuring teams under independent contractor agreements, MSPs remain agile. This model ensures projects move forward, stakeholders stay aligned, and delivery doesn’t stall—despite internal limits on IT services hiring or software project staffing.
Round-the-Clock Progress Across Time Zones
Many offshore teams work in time zones that complement North American schedules. This makes it easier for MSPs to maintain 24-hour development cycles, where testing, debugging, and progress happen overnight.
This asynchronous model can accelerate turnaround times and improve responsiveness, particularly for MSPs supporting custom software used across multiple time zones or markets. It helps meet project requirements efficiently and supports smoother project management cycles.
Not Just About Reducing Costs
While cost efficiency is often associated with offshore teams, it’s not the main reason MSPs turn to this model. More often, the value comes from flexibility: being able to start a new project without new hires, access specialized skills on demand, and stay on schedule even when in-house capacity is stretched thin.
For MSPs, this model supports long-term growth, short-term delivery, and operational control—without the need for permanent headcount increases or drawn-out recruiting cycles. That said, cost savings can still be a welcome benefit of this approach to IT services and offshore software development.
Connext’s Offshore Development Model for MSPs
Connext works with Managed Service Providers to build offshore teams that align with their workflows, systems, and goals. Through an independent contractor structure, clients can:
- Scale teams without increasing official headcount
- Deploy remote developers quickly for project-based or ongoing needs
- Maintain control over delivery, quality, and team coordination
- Support internal teams with flexible offshore capacity
We help MSPs meet client demand without the roadblocks of traditional hiring. Whether you’re launching a custom software development project, supporting software engineers with project requirements, or improving the user experience, our offshore development support is structured to fit your managed services model.
If your MSP also manages client-facing support,
outsourced call center solutions can help you handle high volumes, extend support hours, and improve customer satisfaction—without overloading your internal team. Explore how outsourced call centers support MSP growth
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes. Offshore professionals are typically engaged as independent contractors, so they don’t count toward internal headcount limits.
Most providers can deploy vetted developers within a few weeks, depending on the required skills and project scope.
You do. Offshore teams usually follow the client’s tools, workflows, and day-to-day direction.
No. Businesses of all sizes use offshore support. Teams can be tailored to fit a single role or a full project.
Not necessarily. Many companies use it for flexibility, access to talent, and faster delivery—cost savings are just one of the benefits.
Connext helps companies build dedicated offshore teams under a flexible independent contractor structure—ideal for scaling without increasing official headcount. Get in touch for an assessment of your needs, transparent pricing, and proposed action plan.
