If you’re looking for an outsourcing solution for your verification problem then a quick look around will tell you that there are many alternatives out there. The number of verification contractors has grown rapidly over the recent years and today you can find anything from freelance contractors through big consulting companies with tens or sometimes hundreds of engineers offering various service models and packages, off-site and on-site, hourly-based , fixed price, turnkey, and so on. How do you know what’s good for you? Here are a few quick tips:

· Experience - Look for contractors who have proven experience or expertise in the area that is relevant for your project. An expert in Formal Verification would not be very effective if he had to put together a gate-level simulation environment right?

· Reference - Ask for recommendations from the contractor’s recent clients.

· The Personal Level - Good working relations help a lot even when working with contractors. Receiving professional service or consulting should not be a pain, so choose a contractor who is not only a good engineer but also pleasant to work and do business with.

· Price - Rates depend on several factors and are usually negotiable. Keep in mind though, that compromising quality for lower prices also involves a bigger risk.

· Service Level Agreement - If you opt for an off-site solution don’t forget to agree on project outline, schedule and required deliveries (e.g. test plan documents, design review sessions, and so on).

· Offshore - When working with offshore contractors take into account the time differences, different working days, communication issues, etc. Sometimes it’s good to have a focal point (either employee or contractor) to handle all the offshore activity and minimize your overhead.