Study: Internet changed software creation

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by Agam Shah

(IDG) -- Has the Internet changed everything? It may well have changed the way software is tested and developed, according to a new study.

The rise of both the Internet and the software-and-services industry has forced programmers to speed up and radically change the software development process, the study suggests.

New software development techniques that involve continual feedback from a wide range of beta testers can spell success for software projects, but also can leave programmers deluged with work, according to the Harvard Business School's Alan MacCormack, who conducted the study.

Prioritizing feedback, careful selection of beta testers, and the willingness to tap younger programmers are some of the techniques that can help software development projects, MacCormack advises.

"Testing software is the unsexiest job in the world. It's boring, hard, and very repetitive," says MacCormack, whose study appears in the MIT Sloan Management Review's winter edition, distributed this week.

Under the currently popular development technique, sometimes called the "evolutionary-delivery model," constant user input is a primary feature, MacCormack notes.

Waterfall model

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While the data generated may be hard to digest, the method is more democratic compared with the earlier "waterfall" model, he says. Under the waterfall model, first an analysis of a customer's software requirements was carried out to create a basic specification and architecture--which laid the road map for the software coding, MacCormack notes in the study. The actual coding, testing, and integration of the software followed. No step could be jumped.

The waterfall model was introduced to deal with large software development projects with customized specifications, requirements, and functionality, says MacCormack, who is professor of technology and operations management at Harvard Business School.

Over the past 30 years, according to the study, the waterfall development model disappeared slowly, making way for the new "evolutionary delivery" model. The emergence of this model was sparked by the Internet's arrival, which has increased the demand for custom-made and reliable software on a very timely basis, MacCormack says.

The evolutionary-delivery model blurs the lines between the distinct steps specified in the waterfall model, according to MacCormack.

Under the newer model, a macro project is broken up into a number of micro projects. All the micro projects go ahead simultaneously, which helps expedite the process of developing software, according to the study.

Internet Explorer

The study cites as an example Microsoft's successful application of the evolutionary delivery cycle to the development and release of Internet Explorer 3.

The first step in the development cycle of IE3 was evaluation of the Internet industry and related technology, then dominated by Netscape Communications and Yahoo. After putting together the browser specifications, a target ship date for the software was decided upon.

At certain intervals, Microsoft released small bits and pieces of the browser for the beta testers to chew on. They first released beta 1, which was about 50 to 70 percent of the final IE3, collected feedback from the beta testers, and ironed out bugs, which lead to the release of an improved beta 2, with about 80 percent functionality of the final product.

There was no third beta; the final version of IE3 followed, boasting improved functionality and 100 percent of the features. Internet surfers gladly lapped up the browser.

Netscape Communications used a similar cycle in developing Netscape Navigator 3.0, according to the study. Netscape released six beta versions of the browser, each version boasting ramped-up software code and new features based on user requests and customer needs.

However, too much information or user feedback can be a drawback of this model, says MacCormack, as each user has different requirements. Since all the features requested cannot be added to the software product, the developers need to prioritize the features that are to be included in the final product.

A good selection of beta testers who can point out the relevant bugs and provide innovative input is very important to ensure success, says MacCormack.

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MIT Sloan Management Review

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