ReuseECOS: An Approach to Support Global Software Development through Software Ecosystems

Abstract

Economic and social issues were pointed out as Software Engineering (SE) challenges for the next years, since the field needs to treat issues beyond the technical side, which requires observing it in another perspective. In this sense, Software Ecosystems (SECOs) have emerged as an approach to improve software reuse in global software development (GSD) industry considering relations among companies and stakeholders around the world. Companies and organizations have opened up their platforms and artifacts to others, including partners and third-part developers. This scenario changes the traditional software industry and requires mature research in software architecture, component-based software engineering and software product line (SPL) in a global market and business environment. So, GSD requires linking an architectural, a business and a social-based environment in an integrated way, as well as a focus on SECO-based management and engineering. This concern motivated a proposal of a 3+1 framework for SECOs management and engineering called Reuse ECOS. The approach aims at outlining a set of steps that combines those three dimensions and joins different perspectives in SECOs literature from a survey through a research strategy and a solution proposal for GSD with SECO and SPL. It was observed that SECO concepts can be merged in a broader GSD approach in SE industry.