In IT landscape, one of the initial decision to make before starting any project is, which development methodology to use: Waterfall or Agile. Both these methodologies are usable but quite distinctively used by companies. Looking at the recent industry trend and market needs Agile seems to be the preferred approach for software development as it is iterative in nature and hence more predictable compared to Waterfall approach. Also, it fosters the incremental software development by replacing the silos between the cross-functional teams which results in better collaboration and communication. While for many IT service providers, Agile is an unauthenticated approach, there are very few who offers Agile services and has it imbibed in their core genes just like Xebia � a Netherlands based IT Services Company.

Xebia saw its dawn in 2001 when Daan Teunissen decided to disrupt the traditional Waterfall software development methodology. Daan along with a group of senior Java specialists, who were brought together by passion to improve the quality of Java software development through audits, QA and architecture assignments. Since then, Xebia has emerged as a thought leader and go-getter in the domain of Java by providing consulting to help clients extract the maximum value of their software.

To cater to the repetitive demand coming from across the globe, Xebia decided to put their footprint in India in 2006. It was pivotal for Anand Sahay to carry forward the legacy of Xebia when he took over the role of the CEO of Xebia India in 2014. Anand has over 17 years of extensive experience in leading sales and global delivery teams to deliver significant value for Fortune 500 clients through innovative consulting, technology and outsourcing solutions. This charismatic man who very well understands the pulse of the industry says, "One of the biggest issues in the software industry is that you first develop the software at a minimal cost without understanding the algorithms and later spend huge chunk of money in the long period trying to maintain it. Xebia came into existence with the idea to create products and enable customers to make the right decision by having the best people who can tell what needs to be done and help them develop something which will not hurt them in the long run in terms of technology stacks".

The Differentiated Approach
There is a paucity of companies like Xebia when it comes to Agile methodology. Agile came about as a solution to the detriments of Waterfall methodology by following an incremental approach which allows for changes to be made after the initial planning. This helped companies save billions of dollars. According to Feike Groen, Software Development Manager, bol.com, "When we adopted the Agile methodology, we soon realized that we needed Xebia. They have established themselves as the de facto standard for Scrum and have a proven track record for successful Agile implementation".
Deploying an application in the target environment is a highly administrative activity. Although scripts can be used to help simplify the work, the process remains sensitive to errors, needs constant updating and requires very specific expertise. But when this need is couple with short time to market and maintaining the quality standards, it puts heavy cost burden on clients while dithering them from reaping the actual benefit of being Agile. Anand adds, "There lies a series of pragmatic steps needed to be taken care of before implementing any Agile solution. There are companies who without understanding the underline of the requirements will start developing software for their clients in any technology stack they are comfortable with, irrespective of the client being able to maintain the same from competency and infrastructure perspective. This makes the entire process complicated".