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USA · An honest view of the hours
Nearshore software development normally means a team in your time zone. Casablanca is not that. We are 5 to 6 hours ahead of the US East Coast. This page shows what the gap costs, what it gives you, and when a closer team is the better choice.
Definitions
Nearshore software development means a team in the same or a nearby time zone, so people can work the same hours. For US companies that usually means Latin America, with a gap of 0 to 3 hours.
Offshore means a gap of many hours, often nine or more. Teams in South Asia and Southeast Asia are 9.5 to 13 hours ahead of the US East Coast. Casablanca sits in between: 5 hours ahead of New York in summer and 6 in winter. By the strict definition we are offshore. By the working day we are closer than most.
So we do not call ourselves nearshore. We show you the schedule, and you decide.
The numbers
Shared hours are counted for a 09:00 to 17:00 day on the US East Coast and a normal 09:00 to 18:00 day for the other team.
| Question | Casablanca (us) | Same time zone | Latin America | South and Southeast Asia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gap to the US East Coast | 5 hours in summer, 6 in winter | None | 0 to 3 hours | 9.5 to 13 hours |
| Shared hours with you | 4 in summer, 3 in winter. Up to 6 with a later day. | 8 | 6 to 8 | None, unless someone works nights |
| Work done before your day starts | 5 to 6 hours | None | None | A full day |
A normal week
What you gain. Your day starts with finished work. Feedback you send at 17:00 Eastern is the first thing we read at 09:00 in Casablanca. By 09:00 Eastern we have worked five hours on it in summer, six in winter.
More live time. We can shift our day later for a phase that needs it. Working 11:00 to 20:00 in Casablanca gives New York six shared hours in summer and five in winter.
What it costs. A quick question in your afternoon waits for the next morning. Pair programming and open whiteboard sessions do not fit. We cover the gap with written specs, recorded walkthroughs, preview links and one decision owner on your side.
The West Coast. Los Angeles and Seattle get one shared hour in summer and none in winter. If you need live collaboration all day, pick a team in the Americas.
Choosing
Across the gap
Four habits that make five hours of difference work.
We agree a standing call in your morning and a way to reach us when something cannot wait.
Specs, decisions and open questions live in one written log, so nobody waits for a meeting.
Work lands on a preview link with a short note on what changed. You react live in the next shared window.
The code, documentation and a walkthrough, so another team could continue.
Related
Keep reading, or go straight to the service you need.
FAQ
What buyers ask when they compare nearshore and offshore teams.
By the usual definition it is offshore. The gap to the US East Coast is 5 hours in summer and 6 in winter. Nearshore usually means Latin America, with a gap of 0 to 3 hours.
On the East Coast, 4 in summer and 3 in winter on a standard day. Central time gets 3 and 2, Mountain time 2 and 1, and the Pacific coast 1 and none. For East Coast teams we can shift our day later to add up to two more hours.
They go into the written log and are answered at the start of our next day, before your next morning. If a decision cannot wait, we agree a call slot ahead of time.
No. The team works from Casablanca, in English. We do not claim a US presence.
We will not claim savings we cannot show. Custom projects start at $10,000, with a fixed price and milestones set up front. The itemized quote after a discovery call is the comparison to make.
Next step
Book a call at a time that suits your team and test the overlap before you commit. We will tell you straight if a closer team is the better fit.