Tag: technologies

The Growing Influence Of Open Source Projects
Two years ago, I began writing about the impact of open source development tools, components, processes and organizational models on corporate IT shops. I worked with a range of development managers that shared a very similar point of view: instead of dismissing the so-called renegade open source projects, the managers emulated these projects' activities and hoped to mimic their success. This trend is only growing and I am intrigued by the ways in which IT shops are looking to the open source community for leadership.

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FEATURED BOOK: Practical Development Environments - by Matthew B. Doar

Okay - so you're "doing the ‘Agile' thing" with your software development. How about your development environment? Are all the tools in your development environment truly practical?

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FEATURED BOOK: Collaboration Explained: Facilitation Skills for Software Project Leaders

Numerous Agile methods and principles emphasize the value of collaboration and self-organization. Most books on the subject of Agile development discuss principles and practices related to planning and development practices. Yet few Agile books delve deeply into the How To's of collaboration, facilitation and project leadership. Collaboration Explained, by Jean Tabaka, does exactly this: it takes the essential skills, methods, and proven practices of successful team leaders and group facilitators, and explains them in detail while also applying them directly to the context of agile software development.

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“Agile” Versus “agile” Development

There's no question that "agile" is the buzzword of the times for software developers, ISVs, consultants, and businesses, in general. As with most buzzwords, the term is often over-used and mis-used, especially by those trying to portray their products or services in a new light. In the world of software development, the term "agile" is applied to a wide variety of processes, techniques, tools, projects, and phases of the development life cycle. It's important, therefore, to set out some basic definitions and context for the use of the term "agile," especially as it will be used in articles throughout this journal.

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CASE STUDY: Learning.com

Portland, Oregon-based Learning.com is a fast-growing software company providing online services to students and teachers to help integrate computer technology and education into their curricula. With a user base of over 30,000 teachers and over 1.5 million students accessing its subscription-based hosted products, Learning.com must continue to innovate and meet market needs while continuing to provide robust and scalable products.

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Generating Real Value From Your Service Oriented Architecture

The question is no longer how best to automate business systems, but rather how to improve what's already been automated. We are nearly finished with the initial wave of IT adoption and most of what can be automated already has been. This means that the essential set of features and functions required to run a business already exists in some form. The trick is how to reuse and repurpose existing investments for additional value.

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Welcome To The Agile Journal

CM Crossroads is excited to bring you a new journal dedicated to helping developers use Agile techniques and technologies to deliver successful software solutions. No other publication or industry portal is providing such substantive vendor-neutral content for Agile teams. In the Agile Journal, you'll receive thought leadership and pragmatic advice from a wide range of industry experts, as well as direct feedback from hands-on developers and project managers. 

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