The future of software (invited presentation) (abstract only)

Abstract

Software is the fuel of the world's new economy. Software has been used to create new markets, heal the human body, explore distant worlds, and bring individuals into community. Software transcends all political boundaries, consumes few resources in its execution, and permits the creation of new worlds with new laws of physics. At its best, software extends the human experience; at its worse, it can amplify our basest faults.And yet, the activity of engineering software falls short of what we would expect to be possible. Software development and deployment remain labor-intensive and intellectually demanding, requiring the best from developers who must play a number of different roles. There is still much friction in the process of crafting complex software; the goal of creating quality software in a repeatable and sustainable manner remains elusive to many organizations, especially those who are driven to develop in Internet time. This problem is exacerbated by the reality that, worldwide, there exists a shortage of skilled developers.In this presentation, we examine the future of software and the future of engineering software. We begin by briefly considering the past and then level-setting where we are in the present, focusing especially on the state of the practice of software development in the world today. We continue with a consideration of the technological, theoritical, economic, and social trends that are shaping the nature of software development. We conclude with a challenge for what software and software engineering can be in a frictionless environment.