The Belitsoft bespoke software development company introduces a guide for CTOs, startup founders, and procurement managers in Europe and the US. Here are the 10 best .NET skills to look for when picking an outsourcing partner in 2026. With over 20 years of experience with delivering complex projects for healthcare, insurance, FinTech, automotive, and other businesses, the company shows why certain skills are important in these domains and how reputable vendors can give you more value for the same budget.
New research shows that automation and better technology are transforming the development works. For example, VentureBeat says that Microsoft has incorporated AI agents to GitHub Copilot to automatically update .NET and Java programs, which used to take months to do. In one case, Microsoft said that using these tools to upgrade a .NET 6 app to .NET 8 cut down on manual migration work by 88%.
TechRepublic says that by 2026, AI will make coding more accessible. This means that teams that can handle the entire software lifecycle, from making decisions based on strategy and domain knowledge to carrying out those decisions and keeping an eye on things, will have an advantage over their competitors. However, outsourcing is very common. A study found that 92% of the 2,000 largest companies in the world hire outside companies to take care of their IT needs. It was predicted that the world would spend above $588 billion on IT outsourcing by 2025.
1. Knowledge of the field (FinTech, healthcare, insurance, and automotive)
A good .NET outsourcing company should possess knowledge beyond just how to do technical work; they should also know a lot about your industry. For different projects and tasks, you need different kinds of technology. For example, fintech apps need to know a lot about financial services, work efficiently, and be very safe. Healthcare software must meet HIPAA requirements and medical data standards like FHIR/HL7. It must also have real-time communication capabilities with gadgets. eLearning systems require the ability to stream video, have interactive interfaces, and handle more than one user at a time. Actuarial calculations, policy management, and risk assessment are all necessary for insurance projects. Automotive solutions may include software that is integrated into the vehicle, telematics, and Internet of Things connectivity. Vendors with prior experience in your field will be able to begin right away.
- Healthcare software: It usually includes electronic health records (EHR) and telemedicine. In addition to knowing how to connect medical devices using either .NET on Windows IoT or Linux, outsourcers need to be familiar with FHIR and HL7 for data transfer. It is crucial to have familiarity in healthcare data governance. The HBR says that healthcare is hesitant to adopt “tech disruption” because it’s hard to understand and people are worried about privacy. Working with a vendor who understands the market, such as a large hospital system or a startup digital health company, is crucial.
- Insurance: AI is being used more and more by the insurance sector to expedite the underwriting procedure and customize policies. Look for .NET developers who have created websites or policy management systems for handling claims. They should be skilled in using AI and machine learning to do actuarial modeling and risk assessment. It is important to know about ACORD insurance standards and how to protect papers. A solid partner will provide since carriers need to be more efficient. Workflows based on .NET that expedite customer service, claims processing, and bids.
- FinTech and Banking: Banks use outside firms to provide fresh ideas since “run-the-bank” maintenance accounts for over 60% of their IT spending. A fintech .NET team should be able to manage payments, integrate blockchain with payments, and adhere to regulations regarding financial data. They have to use Azure or AWS to stay in compliance (for example, Azure Policy and encrypted storage) and .NET to safely process transactions (ASP.NET Core is very popular with banks). Look for case studies of the vendor developing blockchain proof-of-concepts, trading platforms, or mobile banking apps.
- Automotive: Automotive software can do a lot of things, like run dealerships and keep people entertained in their cars. A .NET vendor may create tools for viewing vehicle data, backends for connected automobiles, or apps for auto dealerships. If you know how to use C#, .NET Core, and Azure IoT Hub, you can connect telemetry and do remote diagnostics.
To put it briefly, your outsourcing partner should be able to provide you with certificates or case studies that are relevant to your line of work. The project may succeed or fail based on their capacity to adapt their .NET expertise to the demands of your sector.
2. Proficiency with Modern .NET (C#, .NET 10, and .NET Core)
A thorough understanding of the latest version of the platform is essential for any business that outsources .NET development. The latest long-term support version, .NET 10, will be the standard by 2026. According to Microsoft, .NET 10 is the most advanced, efficient, safe, intelligent, and speedy version of .NET to date.
It features C# 14 and significant speed and security enhancements. To keep current programs running and improve them, outsourced teams need to know about .NET 10, which came out in late 2025, as well as .NET 7, 8, and 9. In fact, .NET Conf 2025 demonstrated how quickly .NET 10 developed by showcasing the 23,000 pull requests and thousands of contributors.
Look for vendors that have certified .NET developers and have worked with the most recent version of .NET before. They should know how to write C# code that works in the cloud and isn’t synchronous, and they should know how to use the whole .NET Base Class Library. Businesses may be utilizing antiquated techniques if they don’t stay up to speed with the most recent iterations of .NET. According to Microsoft’s .NET team, since .NET 10 is designed to be a complete development platform that companies can rely on, your partner should be aware of all its features.
3. Mobile and Desktop Applications that Work on Various Platforms (Xamarin, .NET MAUI)
Cross-platform and mobile support is very important for a lot of businesses.
Xamarin has been replaced by .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI). Xamarin is no longer used; instead, .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) is. A top .NET vendor should be able to make MAUI apps that run on iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS from the same codebase. MAUI was fully integrated into .NET 6, and it kept getting better in .NET 10.
If MAUI is too new in some places, ask applicants if they know how to build apps in .NET MAUI or Xamarin. They should know how to use XAML, design layouts that work on all devices, and use platform-specific features like GPS, local storage, and cameras. If your project requires desktop clients or native mobile apps, you must be able to operate on several platforms.
For instance, healthcare organizations may require tablet-compatible patient tools, while automakers frequently require mobile diagnostic software. A good .NET partner can use MAUI to create and keep up these apps, which will make sure that the code can be reused and that the user experience is the same on all platforms.
4. Using Blazor to Build Modern UI and Front-End .NET Tech
Most .NET apps today have strong, browser-based interfaces. Blazor, Microsoft’s C#-based platform for creating interactive web user interfaces, requires expertise from a specialized .NET team in place of JavaScript.
In .NET 10, Blazor (both Server and WebAssembly versions) got some big updates. Look for developers who have made big Blazor apps. They should know how to build components, connect data, keep track of state, and use JavaScript libraries when they need to. Blazor makes it easier for .NET teams to work on the front end because it lets them use C# throughout the stack. They can also be sure that their partner can use ASP.NET Core back-ends with other popular web front-end technologies, such as React or Angular, to make complex user interfaces.
Knowing how to use .NET in its entirety is crucial. According to Microsoft, .NET 10 was designed to run Blazor WebAssembly applications, including Microsoft’s Copilot Studio. A top outsourcing team will take advantage of this trend by using Blazor or a similar technology to make beautiful, interactive web interfaces.
5. ASP.NET Core and the Architecture of Web and Microservices
Web services are still a big reason to use .NET, so a provider needs to be an expert in ASP.NET, Microsoft’s current web framework. ASP.NET Core should let outsourcing teams build safe, high-performance APIs and MVC or minimal-web apps. The launch of .NET 10 brought about big changes to ASP.NET Core, so it’s important to make sure your team is aware of these changes.
This means being able to use Razor pages, Web API controllers, routing, middleware, and authentication methods. They should also know about microservices patterns, which involve breaking programs into separate services and using ASP.NET Core for each one. They also need to know how to use Kubernetes and Docker to keep them in check. AWS EKS or Azure Kubernetes Service can be used for this. According to.NET Conf 2025, modern, high-quality.NET apps make advantage of both cloud services and containers. So, ask the candidates how they use ASP.NET Core in a design that uses microservices or containers.
6. AI and Automation (ML.NET, GitHub Copilot, and Others)
AI is revolutionizing software delivery. In 2026, a top .NET vendor should use AI to boost quality and productivity. For example, you may now update and rewrite your code with the help of AI agents on Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot. Software engineering teams that know how to benefit from these tools can save a lot of time during the development cycle.
For instance, Microsoft witnessed the completion of migrations to more recent .NET versions in a matter of hours rather than weeks. Verify whether the outsourcing organization employs AI-powered tools to test, automatically check, and assist with development. They should also know how to apply machine learning in .NET, such as how to use ML.NET for built-in data modeling and how to connect Azure Cognitive Services or other AI APIs.
Financial and insurance companies anticipate that their software will use AI to identify hazards or learn more about their clients. Deloitte says that insurance companies that use AI see big improvements in customer satisfaction and pricing accuracy. If you can find a provider that can build ML models or connect third-party AI APIs (and make sure they follow the rules and are ethical), you can get ahead of the competition.
7. Development and DevOps in the Cloud
The majority of significant .NET projects will be hosted on cloud services like Azure, AWS, or others by 2026. Look for outsourcers who have worked on cloud-native .NET apps before. In addition to general cloud concepts like IaaS vs. PaaS, autoscaling, and cloud databases, they should be familiar with Azure services like Azure App Services, Functions, Container Apps, and Kubernetes Service.
Azure Container Apps, Azure Functions, and AKS were the key topics of discussion at the .NET Conf 2025 cloud event. More complex subjects like security and testing were also discussed. Your partner should have experience managing databases like Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, and others, as well as delivering ASP.NET Core and .NET apps to the cloud (particularly Azure, since it works well with .NET).
DevOps is equally crucial. For continuous integration and delivery pipelines, it makes use of Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions. An outsourced business should automate the development, testing, and deployment of updates to ensure that they are completed on schedule and consistently. Learn how they do CI/CD and how they keep track of different versions.
Companies that invest in infrastructure-as-code (like Terraform or ARM templates for Azure) and automated testing will get more out of what they do. A professional team uses DevOps to spend less time on maintenance, which can take up to 40% of development resources, and more time coming up with new ideas. In short, if you want to work with 2026 .NET outsourcing, you need to know about cloud and DevOps, including serverless, automated pipelines, and containers.
8. Skills for Updating and Connecting Old Systems
Most companies already have .NET or old systems that need to be updated or combined with newer ones. An experienced outsourcing team will be able to turn old .NET code or frameworks into new .NET structures.
Keeping old systems up to date can take up to 40% of development resources. Fast-upgrading vendors can save a great deal of effort and time. In 2025, Microsoft demonstrated AI-powered modernization when a .NET team completed tasks that would have required months of human porting in a matter of hours.
Although AI tools are useful, the team still needs to understand how to deconstruct and reassemble code. Learn how they connect .NET components to other technologies like Salesforce, SAP, or outdated databases, how they ensure that older versions of the framework still function with newer ones, and how they transition from .NET Framework to.NET Core/10. Your .NET solution will work well with other systems if you choose a provider that excels at integration (web APIs, communications buses, middleware).
9. Following the Rules, Keeping Your Privacy and Safety
You cannot just think about safety later. You cannot wait to consider safety. Verify that your outsourcing partner understands how to protect .NET. They should be familiar with the OWASP rules, how to log in securely with OpenID Connect and OAuth, and how to protect data by encrypting and tokenizing it.
The team must follow rules like PCI DSS (for finance), GDPR, HIPAA (for healthcare), and rules that are specific to their business because many .NET apps handle private data. Test how excellent they are at secure coding, penetration testing, and threat modeling. Also, make sure that they use security measures in their development processes, like checking dependencies and examining static code.
According to Gartner and Deloitte, data breaches and fines for not following the rules can stop projects in their tracks. Because of this, you should only collaborate with teams who prioritize security from the start. The top .NET developers will also stay up to date with upgrades, such as immediately patching security flaws in third-party libraries, to guarantee your apps remain secure over time.
10. Communication, Agile Methods, and Cost-Effectiveness
Last but not least, soft skills and process skills are very important. Agile project management, which involves dividing work into manageable chunks, holding daily stand-ups, and simply tracking progress, is what your outsourced partner should employ. For collaboration to work, you need to be able to talk to each other in English and in your own time zone. They should use efficiency measures to get more value out of the same budget on the technical side. For instance, BCG found that banks often have trouble freeing up resources for new ideas because most of their IT spending is on maintenance. To save up time for new features, a clever .NET provider will automate repetitive activities.
Microsoft’s case studies showed that companies that use AI agents can upgrade many applications much faster, which gives them a big return on investment. Look for partners who can provide you with productivity metrics during the negotiation process, such as the number of developer hours required to construct a feature, the extent of automated test coverage, or the speed at which they have previously delivered. Companies that spend money on developer tools, code reuse, and continuous deployment might be able to get more done with the same amount of money. Additionally, ensure that they can readily communicate with one another by providing regular reports and direct access to leads. Every side should also approve of what “done” means and what the standards for quality are.
Dmitry Baraishuk is a partner and Chief Innovation Officer at a software development company Belitsoft (a Noventiq company). He has been leading a department specializing in custom software development for 20 years. The department has hundreds of successful projects in such services as healthcare and finance IT consulting, AI software development, application modernization, cloud migration, data analytics implementation, and more for US-based startups and enterprises.
