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only conclude that this quick-release software development model is a long-term
technology failure.
Further devaluation of the quick-release software development model comes
from a simple observation. With the number of patches and fi xpacks increasing al-
most exponentially (from once a month to three times a day!), the authors fi nd the
software vendors' response to this avalanche of software defects to be most interest-
ing and most telling about their technology priorities. Instead of a reemphasis on
quality (fewer bugs
better quality software), they have
chosen to invest development dollars into software that alerts the software customer
quicker that a fi x needs to be applied and, if the customer chooses, the new software
will install the software fi xes either in the background or as the computer is shut
down so as to minimize interference with productive activities. These software ven-
dors have made a conscious decision to invest in more sophisticated fi x alert actions
as a priority over investing in development or testing models that produce software
with the need for fewer fi xes in the fi rst place.
Even with the public evidence of the quick-release software development technology
model failure, the phenomenal success of the associated business model is like the Siren
Song to other software development companies and software development organizations
within large corporations. One of the resonant lessons learned is that more and better
testing tends to mitigate the quick-release software development model failure. Through-
out the IT industry, we predict an increasing demand for experienced professional soft-
ware testers to mitigate this “Quick-Release Syndrome” in the software market. This
demand for experienced testers will easily exceed the availability of experienced testers
if colleges and universities do not start offering software testing curricula.
At some time in the future, the major software vendors who have enjoyed business
success with quick-release software products will implode. This situation is somehow
reminiscent of the children's story that ends with an observant child remarking, “the
king has no clothes!” Entrepreneurs who fully understand and embrace the lessons
learned from the quick-release development technology model will have a real chance
to offer cost-effective software with signifi cantly better quality (fewer patches and
fi xpacks) to a market hungry for good-quality software. If they succeed, then the
software testing profession will really take wings. Quality software requires more
testing than just the “stop the bleeding” approach these quick-release proponents seem
to take. Testing will become an integral part of the entire software development and
deployment model from day one. We expect that the demand for experienced software
testing professionals under these circumstances will double or triple worldwide.
fewer fi xes and fi xpacks
15.3 SOFTWARE TESTING CHALLENGES ALREADY
UPON US
Over the last 5 years, wireless communication devices have entered the mainstream
of computing environments. Only within the last couple of years has this industry
begun to standardize the messaging that can contain text, voice, music, and images.
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