Industry News and Links of Interest
Every company's situation and every project is different. There is a wealth of experience and information in our industry which can help you identify exactly what potential vendors are offering, and help you pick the right company to develop your solution.
At VNetSoftware, we believe in presenting prospective clients with the objective facts, giving you our recommendations about the best approach to solve tough problems, and doing everything possible to help you make an informed decision.
The links on this page have been selected because, to the best of our knowledge, they accurately portray the current state of the offshore software development industry or offer the best information to help you define the scope of your project.
These references are drawn heavily from Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute (SEI) because of its extraordinary reputation for objectivity and technical excellence.
The State of the Offshore Software Development Industry:
Gartner: 1/4 of U.S. IT Jobs Offshored by 2010
March 26, 2004, By Sharon Gaudin
Six years from now, one quarter of traditional U.S. IT jobs will be done offshore, in countries like India and China, according to new predictions from researchers at one of the top industry analyst firms.
http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/career/article.php/3331751
Article provides an overview of trends for the offshore IT market.
Intellectual Property Protection and Offshore Software Development: An Analysis of the U.S. Software Industry
Horacio Teran
INTRODUCTION "...[The] “fast track” to wealth attracts software developers from around the world to work for firms in the United States...The development of the nouveaux riche in information technology is one of the most visible effects of an organizational pattern of research and development that has had profound consequences for both overseas investments in these activities and the incentives to improve intellectual property protection of software products around the world. This Comment argues that this organizational pattern contributes to the concentration of software research and development in the U.S. and that improved overseas enforcement of copyright, trademark, and trade secret protection will not stimulate significant investment flows into these activities from U.S. software companies.
http://mipr.umn.edu/archive/v2n1/teran.pdf
Article discusses intellectual property considerations for offshore software development. If the protection of intellectual property and sensitive information is a consideration, VNetSoftware offers superior protection for this information.
Bursting the CMM Hype
Christopher Koch
U.S. CIOs want to do business with offshore companies with high CMM ratings. But some outsourcers exaggerate and even lie about their Capability Maturity Model scores.
http://www.cio.com/archive/030104/cmm.html
Article discusses the danger of relying on Capability Maturity Model (CMM) certifications.
Relationships Between CMMI and Six Sigma
Jeannine Siviy, M. Lynn Penn, Erin Harper
Technical Note CMU/SEI-2005-TN-005
Abstract: Organizations that endeavor to improve their processes often find themselves juggling many approaches to achieve that improvement. To be most effective, all improvement initiatives selected should be implemented in an integrated fashion, not as layered or stovepiped efforts. This document focuses on the joint use of two popular improvement initiatives: Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) and Six Sigma.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/05.reports/05tn005.html
Of interest if you are a Six Sigma company.
Best Practices and Industry Standards:
Software Acquisition Planning Guidelines
Editor William E. Novak
Contributors Julie B. Cohen , Anthony J. Lattanze, Linda Levine, PhD, William E. Novak, Patrick R. H. Place, Ray C. Williams, Carol Woody, PhD
Handbook CMU/SEI-2005-HB-006
Abstract: Guidance about acquisition planning and strategy is scattered by topic throughout many different books, reports, presentations, and Web sites. This handbook presents guidance for acquisition planning and strategy topics in a condensed form, and references the primary resources available for each topic.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/05.reports/05hb006.html
This publication contains a foundation for effectively acquiring new software.
Categorizing Business Goals for Software Architectures
Rick Kazman, Len Bass
Technical Report CMU/SEI-2005-TR-021
Abstract: Business goals are the foundation on which software systems are justified, analyzed, and built. Software systems are constructed to realize business or mission goals. Software architecture is the bridge between the business goals and the realized system. Those claims about business goals underlie many methods for designing and analyzing software architectures. However, precisely eliciting and characterizing business goals has always been problematic. Business goals come in many forms and at many levels of abstraction, and the stakeholders of the system are usually not accustomed to making goals explicit.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/05.reports/05tr021.html
At VNetSoftware, we strongly believe that software development is as dependent on business as it is on technical considerations.
CMMI Acquisition Module (CMMI-AM), Version 1.1
By Tom Bernard, Brian Gallagher, Roger Bate, Hal Wilson
Technical Report CMU/SEI-2005-TR-011
Abstract: Building on relevant best practices extracted from the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) framework, this report defines effective and efficient practices for acquisition projects. These best practices focus on the activities performed by acquisition professionals in the acquisition program office. They also address internal program office activities that support the monitoring and control of development contractors and suppliers. They provide a foundation for acquisition process discipline and rigor that enables product and service development to be repeatedly executed with high levels of ultimate acquisition success.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/05.reports/05tr011.html
This is the source document for latest approved version of CMMI. Don't believe any promise about CMM from anyone if it is not in this document.
Robustness Testing of Software-Intensive Systems: Explanation and Guide
By Julie Cohen, Dan Plakosh, Kristi Keeler,
April 2005, Acquisition Support Program, Unlimited distribution subject to the copyright.
Technical Note CMU/SEI-2005-TN-015
Purpose: This technical note provides guidelines for performing robustness testing as part of Department of Defense (DoD) or federal acquisition programs that have a software component. These tests can be done as part of a source selection demonstration or as part of a software or system test program during almost any test phase. Details of the test procedures are provided mainly for Windows-based systems, but most of the test procedures can also be used on applications that run on other operating systems.
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/pub/documents/05.reports/pdf/05tn015.pdf
This document was selected because it is very closely aligned with the quality practices and testing philosophy used by VNet Software.