The Future of Software Development

Abstract

Software development has changed dramatically in the last fifty years and will continue to change. Its future course is of particular interest to developers, in order to gain the correct skills, and to any person faced with a strategic information technology (IT) decision. It is commonly accepted that computers will play an ever-larger role in modern civilisation. There are many unknowns, but the IT decisions made today will affect the competitiveness and preparedness for tomorrow. Awareness of the central issues that will affect the future of software development is the best form of preparation. This chapter presents a view of the future of software development based on the history of software development and the results of two surveys.