Want to make more money as an enterprise application developer? You’re in luck–if you know open source.

According to a recent report from Bluewolf Consulting, enterprises increasingly deploy open-source software, and look to specialized application development on top of it, to drive business value:

The rise of open-source software in application development puts developers with a specialization in those technologies in a position to ask for a 30 (percent) or 40 percent pay increase, Kirven says. “We’ve gotten more requests from our permanent-placement division for open-source developers in the last six months than in the last five or six years combined,” he says. “It’s not as easy as getting free software; someone has to get it up and running. LAMP is everywhere now–these types of technologies no one heard of 18 months ago are all the sudden becoming a hot commodity.”

Indeed. Not only does open source bring developers more money, but it also apparently brings them more satisfaction.

Jon Williams, chief technology officer of test preparation company Kaplan, made it very clear in an Infoworld podcast I recorded a month ago that open source is one of his best retention tools.

Let people do interesting work, and they stick around. Make them mindlessly monitor that Windows machine, and they’ll bolt.

Originally posted at The Open Road.

Tags: open source software

Microsoft announced Monday that it is expanding the range of business software it makes available as a service on the Internet.The move comes as people increasingly use writing, accounting, email and other programs online instead of buying packaged software and installing it on their own machines.

Microsoft’s packaged software has long been the foundation of the US firm’s product line but is threatened by a “software as a service” (SaaS) trend being capitalized on by Google, Oracle and SalesForce.com.

The Microsoft Online Services suite announcement made by chairman Bill Gates was touted as a “significant step” toward expanding the company’s “software plus services” strategy.

“The combination of software plus services gives customers advanced choice and flexibility in how they access and manage software,” Gates said in a statement.

“In the future, customers and partners should expect to see this kind of choice and flexibility for all of Microsoft’s software and server products.”

Businesses of all sizes will be able to subscribe to use software online or combine SaaS with Microsoft programs installed on their computers, Gates said.

Microsoft invites US firms to register online at www.mosbeta.com to be part of a beta test of the new services, which it expects to make available publicly in the second half of this year.

New online services being tested include Exchange Server and Office SharePoint Server software handling tasks such as email, schedule calendars and online conferencing.

Microsoft realized a decade ago that the market was heading to SaaS but “it has taken them a while to turn the boat,” said Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group.

“You are going to see them get a lot more aggressive treating software as a service,” Enderle said.

“The trick is to move to SaaS at a rate that doesn’t cannibalize their revenue streams prematurely. A company like Google can go hell-bent for leather and if their products aren’t ready, it doesn’t hurt them.”

A benefit of SaaS is that it lets providers connect better with the people actually using software programs instead of network administrators or technical departments at firms.

When providing software as a service, companies hosting programs tend to updating, security and trouble shooting.

A key factor limiting the popularity of SaaS is reliability of Internet connections relied on to get to the software.

On-demand computing is sometimes referred to as “in the cloud” because of the perception that the work is done in the ether of the Internet.

“SaaS reflects where the market is going,” Enderle said. “What is holding it back right now is as much infrastructure as it is an unwillingness to change by people.”

Internet network reliability is improving and the roll out of WiMAX wireless broadband access technology is expected to boost the appeal of SaaS, according to the analyst.

Enderle referred to SalesForce.com as a “poster child” for SaaS. The US company has been growing apace since it was founded in 1999 by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff. The firm has already formed a partnership with Google.

Last week SalesForce reported its revenues soared to 216.9 million dollars in the fiscal quarter ending January 31, a 50 percent increase from the same period in 2007.

“Our fourth quarter and full-year results show that businesses are selecting the Force.com Platform-as-a-Service and cloud computing over failed client-server alternatives,” said SalesForce chief executive Marc Benioff.

“There’s only one way to describe both the consolidation of the industry and the growing number of companies choosing innovation, not infrastructure: The End of Software.”

Tags: Microsoft

A San Francisco-based software firm has just unveiled software that will allow users to share digital media files across devices.

The DoubleTwist software reportedly allows songs purchased on Apple iTunes to be played on other brand-name devices. Previously, songs bought on iTunes could only be played on Apple devices.

The software was developed by a company run by notorious Norwegian hacker Jon Lech Johansen, who cracked encryption codes on DVDs when he was only 15.

The new software is able to convert media files from one device into a format that can be used by another device. Users simply drop the files into a web-based folder that converts them and transfers them onto the external device.

In addition to music, it coverts photos and video clips to be used between computers, mobiles and game consoles.

So far, the software works with Sony’s PSPgames console, Nokia’s N-series mobile, Sony Ericsson’s Walkman and Cybershot handsets and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile smartphones, reports BBC News.

The software is currently available for free on DoubleTwist’s website.

Tags: itunes, Software

Harris will showcase enhanced and all-new H-Class software solutions at the 2008 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention taking place April in Las Vegas.

The H-Class media software suite is a comprehensive family of interoperable systems that together form the core of Harris media workflow solutions for today’s broadcast operations.

Making its North American debut at the show is the H-Class Comperio digital asset management system. Comperio joins Invenioin the H-Class family of digital asset management systems, and offers media companies advanced digital asset management tools in an easy-to-deploy, cost-effective package.

Designed for integration with H-Class ADC and D-Series automation products, as well as Harris NEXIO AMP video servers, the Comperio digital asset management system manages the key workflows that help media companies acquire, catalog, edit and distribute digital video content. The system links descriptive metadata about a program or advertisement with the video essence of the content, allowing users to incorporate rich browsing and media transfer functionality across their operation. Powerful search and media movement capabilities make it easy to preview proxy content and move corresponding high-resolution material from the archive to a playout destination.

Next-Generation Automation Systems
At NAB2008, Harris also will showcase the new H-Class ADC-1000 and D-Series DSX7000 and DSX8000 automation systems — next-generation products that feature extensive revisions to their underlying core technology, while maintaining full backward compatibility.

The ADC-1000 automation system offers an increased number of channels and improved device support; enhanced network control capabilities; and Windows Vistasupport. Among its new network control capabilities, the ADC-1000 automation system adds true IPv6 support and IP control of the NEXIO AMP server.

The D-Series DSX7000 system employs a single pair of device controllers to support up to 40 channels of automation. The D-Series DSX8000 system operates on a distributed architecture that can have multiple pairs of device controllers and support up to 1,000 aired channels. Both DSX-series products feature a new Modular Device Interface Control Architecture that allows users to manage and control IP-networking devices. DSX automation can also control HarrisDTP (Digital Turnaround Processor) systems, mCAPTURE compressed media stream recorders, Platinum routers and Icon-series channel branding systems.

Many H-Class software systems at NAB — including the Comperio digital asset management system, the ADC-1000 automation system, the DSX7000 and the DSX8000 — will highlight an improved Graphical User Interface (GUI) that features a new, uniform look and feel across applications. This common interface makes it easier for operators of one H-Class product to learn another H-Class product — translating into better-trained users and fewer human errors.

Tight Integration between H-Class Automation and Traffic Systems
At NAB, Harris also will demonstrate tight interoperability between the ADC-1000 and OSi-Traffic traffic, accounting and reporting systems. (ADC versions 10 and 11 will also support this tighter integration with OSi-Traffic.) Data can now be exchanged between the two systems in near real time. This capability allows OSi-Traffic traffic, accounting and reporting systems to promptly and automatically relay changes and updates to the operations log. Once the changes have been made, the ADC-1000 automation system reports the status of those changes back to OSi-Traffic traffic, accounting and reporting systems.

This improved interoperability is enabled via BXF, the new SMPTE 2021 Broadcast Exchange Format software standard. BXF was developed to standardize methodologies for communications between traffic, automation, content management and workflow software systems. Harris has implemented BXF throughout the H-Class software suite to enable these interoperable systems to communicate faster and more effectively.

“We have developed solutions that streamline workflow and more efficiently manage resources, assets and revenues,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. “We’ve incorporated the BXF standard in our full suite of software applications. Tight interoperability between automation, traffic, sales, billing and digital asset management is crucial to a broadcaster’s bottom line.”

Weblinks: http://www.harris.com

Software Giant Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) on Sunday announced at the Mobile World Congress 2008 being held at Barcelona in Spain that Sony Ericsson (SNE, ERIC) will launch XPERIA X1, a handset powered by the new Microsoft Windows operating system for the first time under an alliance with Microsoft. With the launch of XPERIA X1 from Sony Ericsson, four of the world’s top five makers of mobile phones will ship Windows Mobile devices in 2008.

In a bid to rake its market share in the mobile software market, following this alliance with Sony Ericsson, Microsoft expects to sell more than 20 million Windows Mobile licenses in fiscal year 2008, making Windows Mobile a leading smartphone platform globally. Microsoft sold 11 million Windows Mobile licenses in fiscal year 2007.

The new handset, which will blend communication and multimedia entertainment for a premium mobile experience, will be launched worldwide in the second half of 2008. The handset is expected to take advantage of the customer’s familiarity of Microsoft Windows and extensive availability of Windows Mobile applications and services. The new handset incorporates a unique arc slider with wide-pitch, easy-to-use keyboard, a 3” clear wide VGA display and high-quality high-finish metal body.

Commenting of the alliance, senior vice president, Mobile Communications Business, Microsoft, Pieter Knook said, “People should be able to have phones that deliver what they need throughout the day and stay connected with today’s broad array of on-demand information and entertainment no matter where they are. Our shared vision with Sony Ericsson is to make the concept of ‘One Phone for Your Life’ a reality and finally give consumers the freedom of true mobility.”

Head of Portfolio and Proposition at Sony Ericsson, Rikko Sakaguchi added, “XPERIA is our promise to think foremost about user experience and to deliver on our goal of providing a true premium experience - anytime, anywhere, anything, with anyone. By working with Microsoft on the XPERIA X1, we have been able to couple our excellence in creating compelling consumer propositions with the productivity capabilities of Windows Mobile to deliver a seamless blend of mobile Web communication and multimedia entertainment within a distinctive design.”

In its pursuit to become the world’s third-largest mobile phone manufacturer, Sony Ericsson also said it would be focusing on India, China and the US as the sales performance in the three countries are very low. To meet the challenges in these countries, Sony Ericsson plans to make cheaper handsets at about $25 each, departing from its strategy to focus on medium and high-priced handsets. Further, the company said it looks to meet its 2011 target through organic growth.

Tags: Handset, sony ericsson, windows mobile software, XPERIA

Traceability is a fundamental part of any software development process and, in many cases, critical in satisfying any compliance or regulatory constraint. Most often, traceability is accomplished through a top-down approach – using best practices and tools that link code to features and requirements as soon as they are made. However, for most quality, audit, and test validation procedures, this form of traceability falls short as it does not analyze what was actually produced to confirm that the expected requirements, fixes, or requests are delivered as planned, at least not before costly testing phases. As a result, there is still much
risk and uncertainty at all levels of testing (unit, integration, functional), including doing unnecessary and costly regression testing.

Roundtrip traceability is accomplished by taking both a top-down and bottom-up approach to verify and validate your delivery. The bottom-up approach is accomplished by using advanced build analysis and reporting that allows team leaders and testers to confirm that planned features and bug fixes were actually implemented within the build or test phase. Using advance build management functionalities for bottom-up traceability increases confidence within the team that
they have a stable, consistent, and approved configuration.

Roundtrip traceability increases the predictability and quality of software development for both rigorous development processes that need total control over content and traceability, and for agile teams who must deliver stable, documented releases frequently and efficiently.

Tags: sofwtare development

Intland software leading bidder of Collaboration and application Life Cycle management solutions for software development teams announces that that was nominated collaboratively software Development platform code video projector as the only German business as a finalist for the “18th Annual Jolt Product Excellence Awards” in the category “Collaboration tools”.  Jolt Awards, gladly also as the “Oscars of the software industry” designates are awarded to products, that roused  the software development industry based on improved speed, increased efficiency and new ideas and extensions and left behind in this manner large impression in this target group.  The jury of the Jolt Awards enjoys the reputation to track Innovative solutions prematurely down.  So Intland is over the nomination of code video projector as one of only six finalists in the category “Collaboraton tools” very delighted. “Fortunes of 1000″ customers such as alliance CORP., Bayer-Schering CORP., Continental CORP., Dassault Falcon, EDS, EADS, Lufthansa system, Sun Microsystems, US-Army, USDA, Siemens trust on code video projector one of the Most innovative and technologically leading “collaboratively software development” platform with integrated “applications Life Cycle management” functionality code video projector leads all project participants, All geographic, organisational and technological boundaries away.  This offers productivity increased and clear reduction of that “totally Cost of Ownership” (TCO) to the user.  With slight “Set-Up” -would hoist, offers code video projector its customer a substantial “Return on Investment” (ROI) to reduced infrastructure costs, improved project transparency, complete Nachvollziehbarkeit as well as high productivity and security.  The Jolt Award evaluation process is be honored find now in the gear and the winners on a formal event-ceremony in the evening the 5 March 2008 in Santa Clara CA expanse information to the Award you on the web pages under

Tags: software development

Failing to realize the full range and costs of managing an offshore work/process is one of the primary reasons companies bring work back home. Erran Carmel, associate professor and chair of the information technology department of the Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, developed a list of offshoring “coordination” costs that frequently surprise companies that don’t look beyond the lower wages of foreign workers. “These extra costs range from 12 percent to 57 percent of a project’s total cost,” Carmel says. Lower wages do offset some of these extras, but Carmel says total return on investment has to be figured on a case-by-case basis.     Extra coordination costs come from:

Tags: cost, development, manage, Offshore

HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) represents a standard language of a marking of documents in the Worldnet. HTML (or XHTML) the web-pages which after processing by a browser are displayed in a kind convenient for perception is applied to creation.

History HTML originates in the ninetieth years of the last century. Initial variant HTML has been created approximately in 1991-1992 by the British researcher Timoty Berners-whether, the inventor of the World wide web (World Wide Web). Working in the European laboratory of physics of elementary particles in Geneva (CERN), Bernes-whether has developed special language for an exchange scientific and the engineering specifications. Subsequently this language also became the standard for a marking a web-documents.

It is remarkable, that official first version HTML does not exist. The matter is that till 1995 existed set of various realizations HTML. And that the standard version could be distinguished without problems from informal, to it second number at once has been appropriated. Version HTML 3 has been offered by consortium World Wide Web (W3C) in March 1995 and included many innovations, in particular, support of tables, a flow of images the text and so forth In 1997 had been let out specification HTML 4 containing of many elements, specific to separate browsers. Now consortium W3C works above fifth version HTML in which there will be the numerous innovations, called to simplify development of interactive sites and a web-appendices.

Opportunities HTML can be compared to functionality of the text editor. Language of a marking allows to use on a web-pages of the table, to insert special symbols, to change type of fonts, to introduce in documents of a picture, animation and so forth It is necessary to notice, that in parallel with HTML development of expanded language of marking XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) is conducted. XHTML represents development HTML, however makes more strict demands to syntax. Besides each document on XHTML is the correct document on XML. At the same time interactive the web-sites is applied to creation language DHTML representing combination HTML, script language JavaScript, cascade tables of styles (CSS) and objective model of the document (DOM).

Tags: HTML

Hundreds of IT jobs at data services giant Experian will be outsourced from the UK to offshore locations, as part of a cost-cutting response to the liquidity crunch.

The company, which specialises in software services, will cut its IT development staff in the UK, after it said the financial market had proved “exceptionally difficult.”

About half the 400-strong technical workforce in its Information Solutions Division will lose their jobs, including one of the the firm’s three software development teams. Many of the jobs will go to India.

However, 40 UK employees who work in development will be retained to liaise with the offshore company, Peter Brooker, a director at Experian told Contractor UK yesterday.

Redundancy packages, both voluntary and compulsory, will cost a reported £51million, but Mr Brooker refused to drawn on how much IT staff could expect.

The number of total job cuts, which chief executive Don Robert said would number “less than 1000,” will deliver a reported saving of $80m a year, with half that figure expected in 2008. Experian expects to become more flexible as a result.

The offshoring follows Experian reporting organic sales in its credit services division dropping two per cent, as banks made it harder for customers to borrow money in the wake of losses in the US mortgage market.

During the final three months of 2007, the company increased its revenues by 22 per cent and “performed well,” Mr Robert said, despite organic growth slumping by two per cent.

He added: “While trading conditions are not expected to improve in the fourth quarter, our focus is on maximising profitability and we are today announcing a programme of significant efficiency measures.

“These measures will give rise to a non-recurring charge and will bring benefits in 2009…. We continue to invest to take advantage of the long-term growth opportunities and to position ourselves for market recovery.”

Speaking yesterday, Experian said offshoring software jobs does not represents IT being lower down its priorities in 2008.

“The decision to offshore this function [software development] is as a result of our need to increase our IT resources,” Mr Brooker said.

“We have ambitious plans to accelerate the building and delivery of a greater number of new products that will benefit our clients’ businesses and ensure that our business continues to grow and provide further opportunities for our people.

“But we operate in highly competitive markets, so we need to do operate as efficiently as possible. Offshoring the activity [software development]…will enable us to do this”.

Tags: development, it, jobs, Offshore, outsourcing, Software