EU project radically slashes software development time, researchers claim
20 August 2008 - Drew Wilson
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EU researchers are claiming such radical improvements in embedded software engineering that their approach has the potential to make development more cost effective in Europe than Asia.
BERLIN — European Union researchers are claiming such radical improvements in embedded software engineering that their approach has the potential to make development more cost effective in Europe than Asia.
The new paradigm for software development is known as the "Eureka Itea software Cluster Agile project" or Agile, which is said to slash the time it takes to create software.
“We showed we could actually achieve up to 70% reduction in lead time and costs,” said Pekka Abrahamsson, project coordinator at VTT Technical Research Center in Finland, in a statement.
“If these results could be sustained in the larger area of European software development, it would be cheaper to outsource from India to Europe than the other way round!” Finland led the eight-country development consortium. Central and Eastern European countries involved were Bulgaria and Slovenia. The project cost 20M euro ($29.4M) and lasted 31 months.
Agile involves a methodology that is focused on the actual processes, techniques and tools used to get the systems out.
"The process is very tightly time framed with delivery in monthly or even fortnightly cycles – in previous approaches we were trying to deliver working systems in maybe three-month, six-month or even one-year cycles," Abrahamsson said in a statement.
"These short cycles demand a radical change in thinking in the development of large hardware-bound systems."
The approach also allows for late changes, making it possible to add new features even a few days before entering the market with a product, according to the researchers.
Agile was applied to 68 pilot developments in the avionics, telecom and consumer electronics industries. The work involved 1800 software engineers from 17 companies in short and long projects.
The Agile paradigm actually emerged in the US eight years ago.
“We have been able to go beyond what is being done in the US currently, putting Europe ahead," Abrahamsson said.
"While development teams in India and other countries have now set up their own technologies in this area, Europe has a competitive edge that should last several years.”
Agile developed 12 tools; three are ready for commercialization and one is already being marketed. In addition, several partners – such as Nokia – have adopted the methodology.
