For business software app development - what new things are important?

[johnk]

Just a few ways available technology has determined where we spent lots of development time.<br>
<br>
In the 60's we went to extremes to optimize code to fit in small RAM's and run efficiently. In the 70's we went to extremes to make efficient use of expensive disk space. In the 80's we worked overtime to limit the actual amount of traffic over communication lines in order to provide response times that users would wait on. In the 90's we have trained an army of network administrators to deal with the finicky nature of LAN's & WAN's.<br>
<br>
User expectations went way up with the introduction of the PC. My corporate customers want to know why my custom developed accounting apps don't have all the neat user stuff of Quick Books (never mind that they need multi-user, multi-location and integration with other custom apps, a distributed corporate database, etc.<br>
<br>
So here in early 2000 what do we developers of business apps prepare for? I sure don't know, but I must bet on my guesses. Her are my current bets:<br>
<br>
1. Microsoft will continue to own the desktop for the plannable future (3 years?).<br>
2. Continued declines in equipment costs will make practical techniques now beyond cost justification. Included will be objects &quot;floating&quot; in RAM with full knowledge of database contents, business rules, etc.<br>
3. Encapsulated resuable code will be the primary key to more efficient development of functionality userswill demand.<br>
4. Networks will become as stable as mainframes and minis, and will require little more user administration than operating systems do now. (I really do hope much for this one).<br>
5. CORBA and/or DCOM may not be the long term answer, but are a sure bet now for preparing for what is next.<br>
6. As important as technical knowledge is, our knowledge and understanding of the real requirements of our apps will always be more important.<br>
7. Much of the above will be off the mark. I wish I knew which parts.<br>
<br>
What are your guesses?<br>

 

[calahans]

Hi John,<br>
<br>
I'd agree with you, with one or two others:<br>
<br>
I think that the browser will become almost the only UI, for all programmes.<br>
<br>
The other is one I strongly believe, and that is that programmer will have to become more like business analysts - they will still program, but with greater cross functional teams being put for as the design model, the programmer can no longer be happy just to cut code.<br>
<br>
Cal

 

[MasterRacker]

I agree with Cal on the business slant. Anyone other than a pure &quot;grunt&quot; coder or technician is going to have to have MBA type business knowledge. In the &quot;good old days&quot; having technology when your competition didn't, gave you the edge. Today technology itself is becoming a commodity. Competitive edge is now gained by trying to use that technology more efficiently or uniquely to benefit the business. <br>
<br>
This applies to everyone. Programmers, systems administrators, network engineers, etc. The day is coming when a person with purely technical skills will find they're on a severely limited career path. <p> Jeff<br><a href=mailto: masterracker@hotmail.com> masterracker@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>

 

[Zelandakh]

5 years ago, a forsighted recruitment company started recruiting for &quot;middle office&quot; positions. They found the niche for filling business oriented positions with highly technical people.<br>
<br>
Anyone who is a programmer or similar level back office employee needs business knowledge. Business users are still shy of using computers on the whole or even worse, think they are serious power users. Those who can successfully do both will do well in industry over the next 5 years.

 

[MikeLacey]

It would surprise me if Microsoft were knocked off their perch anytime in the next 5-7 years. And, to be honest, that's a prospect I find increasingly unpalatable.<br>
<br>
I agree that encapsulated resuable code is the key to good development. I would like to find a management team that will back me up in this.<br>
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CORBA and DCOM. I suggest that, unless these technologies become *blazingly* easy to use, they are and will remain, for applications programmers, irrelevant. (that should irritate a few folk) I too expect the browser to become the only i/f, even for programs running &quot;locally&quot; (on the pc in front of you, if there is still such a thing)<br>
<br>
Mike<br>
<p>Mike Lacey<br><a href=mailto:Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com>Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com</a><br><a href=

http://www.cargill.com/>

Cargill's Corporate Web Site</a><br>