IBM White Paper Sample

In today’s economy, global organizations pose two new sets of challenges to software delivery. First, team members must have easy access to each other and to the diverse set of assets comprising their software projects in order to collaborate and achieve their goals. This is complicated by the fact that members of a project team, including developers, managers, business partners, and customers, as well as the project assets, can be located anywhere in the world.

Second, while team members must collaborate on a shared set of deliverables, each individual has his own role and responsibilities and thus his own view of the shared environment. Developers work with testers during the development lifecycle, yet their lens is one of code and defects, while a tester’s is one of functionality and coverage. On the same project, managers must continuously monitor status, balance the use of resources, and manage risk. Their customers pose requirements and feedback, and track progress according to agreed-upon project plans. In order for each individual to be productive, the environment must understand the context in which he works.

Fortunately, the global technology infrastructure—specifically the use of the Internet and Web-based services—provides proven and scalable solutions for the challenges of distribution and collaboration. New technology-driven ways of working, such as those leveraging Web 2.0 concepts, are familiar and have transformed users’ expectations. For example, worldwide procurement via eBay or Amazon is an everyday occurrence. Consumers understand that when they use a URL to request a service or an application, they do not need to know where the requested service or data resides; the infrastructure provides “late binding” and resolves the location. The power and value of collaboration among those building software is also well understood. Open source initiatives, such as those producing Linux and Firefox, have become household names.