Number one is Quality of development.

Most companies are searching for unchanging and reliable long run relations. They need the work to be done with the same high quality as if it is implemented by own in-house developers. But in reality they may meet drastically diametric situation with new seaward partner. I know from my own personal experience (I am the CEO of such type offshore outsourcing software development companies) that it is very hard or probably impossible for company (for example, IT company in United States or in Europe) to be sure 100 % in development quality of potential partner located in Bharat, China, Russian Federation or elsewhere. But there are a few ideas which I consider could be useful.

First what you can do is to get info about company in Internet, check up on the domain registration year (sometimes seaward companies give the info on their web sites that they feature about 10 years of experience, but the web site domain registered just last year). Also it is significant to clear divide all seaward outsourcing software development services providers for at least two types: developers groups and existent companies with trade name and reputation. And you should to clear understand what type of company you are going to cooperate with.

Developers groups are unstable and are not too reliable; it is hard to look into their quality level, since the quality depends on group’s participants. They are good workers for little scale of projects (USD 1000-10000). Their work much inexpensive then existent seaward outsourcing companies. Such groups appears annually and disappear again. But somehow they unremarkably let everybody know in the negotiation project, that they are very unchanging and feature been working for many years. I recommend to consider such types groups if you feature little projects to outsource. It could be really cost efficient and qualified (if you chose right group).