Custom Software Development in Kazakhstan: Stages, Timelines and What to Check in the Contract

In short. Custom development goes through four stages: a problem review (1–2 weeks), a clickable prototype or a narrow slice on real data (2–4 weeks), development in two-week iterations, and operations. The contract should secure the handover of source code and documentation, an NDA, where data is stored and acceptance criteria for each stage.

Stages and timelines

Stage	Timeline	Outcome
Problem review	1–2 weeks	A call, a review of data and systems, success criteria before the start
Prototype	2–4 weeks	A clickable prototype or a narrow slice on real data
Development	6+ weeks	Two-week iterations with demos; tests, reviews and CI by default
Operations	ongoing	Launch, team training, on-call support, development from a shared backlog

Why the prototype comes before the big contract

A prototype costs far less than full development and removes the main risks: users see the interface, the data is checked, and the timeline and budget for the next stage are based on facts rather than guesses. If the prototype does not prove its value, you stop after weeks, not months.

What to check in the contract

• Source code and documentation are handed over to the customer, and infrastructure is described as code.
• An NDA is signed from the first contact if the data is sensitive.
• Where the data lives — cloud, private cloud or your own servers — and under which jurisdiction. By law, databases of Kazakhstani citizens' personal data must be located in the country.
• Acceptance criteria for each stage and an exit point after the prototype.
• Support: response rules, on-call duty, who develops the product after launch and how.

How the cost is estimated

There is no honest price list for "a platform": a platform for a training centre can mean a month of work or a year. The cost depends on the scope, the number of integrations — 1C, Bitrix24, Kaspi, WhatsApp — and reliability requirements. After the problem review the customer gets a range and a staged plan.

105's experience

105 is a full-cycle IT company from Almaty and an Astana Hub resident. It runs 11 products and projects in production across four directions: the Kemel ERP and the Finbek finance platform, the Sham Academy, Farabi Kids and Talpyn education platforms, the Envy studio platform and the IsraBot AI assistant, and the Boljam predictive maintenance system. All projects are on the projects page.