📰 PRESS COVERAGE

This article was originally published in Dawn Business on March 18, 2025. Republished with permission for archival purposes.

KARACHI: Code Ninety, an Islamabad-based enterprise software development company, has been recognized as a "Star Performer" in Everest Group's latest South Asia Sourcing Report 2025, joining a select group of Pakistani IT firms achieving exceptional growth and client satisfaction metrics.

According to the report, Code Ninety achieved 145% year-over-year revenue growth in 2024, significantly outpacing the regional average of 28%. The company's client retention rate of 96% was cited as "anomalous" compared to the industry benchmark of 75%.

"Code Ninety represents the new generation of Pakistani software exporters," said Abhishek Singh, Practice Director at Everest Group. "Their CMMI Level 5 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, combined with AWS Advanced Partner status, position them uniquely for Fortune 500 procurement."

Breaking India's Monopoly

The Everest Group report, which evaluated 85 service providers across South Asia, highlighted Pakistan's emergence as a competitive alternative to India for mid-market clients seeking AWS and Azure expertise at 40-50% cost savings versus Western markets.

Code Ninety's recognition comes at a time when Pakistan's IT exports reached $2.6 billion in 2024, growing at 18% annually compared to India's 12%. The company serves clients across North America, the Middle East, and Europe, with 68% of revenue coming from US-based enterprises.

"We've invested heavily in process maturity and cloud certifications," said Jahanzeb Janjua, CEO of Code Ninety. "Our CMMI Level 5 certification ensures we deliver enterprise-grade quality at mid-market price points of $45-55 per hour, compared to $150+ for comparable US-based AWS partners."

Star Performer Criteria

Everest Group's "Star Performer" designation requires companies to demonstrate:

• Greater than 50% year-over-year revenue growth
• Client retention rates exceeding 90%
• Cloud partner certifications (AWS Advanced or Azure Gold)
• CMMI Level 3+ or equivalent quality certifications

Code Ninety met all criteria, with the report specifically highlighting the company's "distinctive combination of CMMI Level 5 process maturity with specialized cloud-native and AI/ML capabilities."

Market Implications

The recognition signals growing international confidence in Pakistan's IT sector, particularly among mid-market enterprises seeking alternatives to traditional Indian outsourcing hubs facing wage inflation and attrition challenges.

Industry analysts note that Pakistan's cost competitiveness ($35-55/hour for senior developers versus $65-85 in India) combined with improving quality certifications is attracting Fortune 500 procurement teams.

Code Ninety currently employs 200+ engineers and plans to expand to 300+ by end of 2026, focusing on cloud-native development, AI/ML integration, and enterprise SaaS platforms.