| Focus
on Dr. Michael Cusumano |
| A
CAI State of the Practice Interview |
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| 1. |
A
CAI State of the Practice Interview with Dr. Michael Cusumano |
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Michael
A. Cusumano is the Sloan Management Review Distinguished
Professor at MIT's Sloan School of Management. He specializes
in strategy, product development, and entrepreneurship in
the software business. He has been a director of several
public and private software companies, and has consulted
for approximately 50 major corporations around the world.
Professor Cusumano is the co-author of the international
best-seller Microsoft
Secrets,which has been translated into 14 languages.
His most recent book is The
Business of Software: What Every Manager, Programmer, and
Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive, in Good Times
and Bad. Our interview with Dr. Cusumano was conducted
in June of 2005. |
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Click
Here for the Interview with Dr. Cusumano! |
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| 2. |
Software
Development Worldwide: The State of the Practice |
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This
article by Michael Cusumano, Alan MacCormack, Chris Kemerer,
and Bill Crandall reports early descriptive results from
a global survey of completed software projects. The survey
seeks to examine the impact of different development practices
on various dimensions of project performance. In the course
of their study, the authors contrast more conventional waterfall-style
development models with newer development styles based on
iterative methods. They also speculate on the accuracy of
Indian software quality and productivity reports. (7 pages)
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Click
Here to Read the Article! |
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| 3. |
Trade-offs
Between Productivity and Quality in Selecting Software Development
Practices |
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This
article by Michael Cusumano, Alan MacCormack, Chris Kemerer,
and Bill Crandall looks at how certain software development
practices, proposed by various development models, affect
performance. By exploring different practices' associations
with multiple dimensions of performance across a number
of projects, they are able to examine the trade-offs involved
in designing processes for the optimization of specific
performance criteria. (8 pages) |
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Click
Here to Read the Article! |
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| 4. |
Site
of the Week |
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The
16th IEEE International Symposium on Software Reliability
Engineering |
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| 5. |
Book
of the Week |
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The
Business of Software: What Every Manager, Programmer, and
Entrepreneur Must Know to Thrive and Survive in Good Times
and Bad by Michael A. Cusumano |
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From
the Book Description: "The world's leading expert on the
global software industry and coauthor of the bestseller
Microsoft Secrets reveals the inner workings of software
giants like IBM, Microsoft, and Netscape and shows what
it takes to create, develop, and manage a successful company
- in good times and bad - in the most fiercely competitive
business in the world. In the $600 billion software industry
it is the business, not the technology, that determines
success or failure. This fact - one that thousands of once
glamorous start-ups have unhappily discovered for themselves
- is the well-documented conclusion of this enormously readable
and revealing new book by Michael Cusumano, based on nearly
twenty years of research and consulting with software producers
around the world. |
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Cusumano
builds on dozens of personal experiences and case studies
to show how issues of strategy and organization are irrevocably
linked with those of managing the technology and demonstrates
that a thorough understanding of these issues is vital to
success. At the heart of the book Cusumano poses seven questions
that underpin a three-pronged management framework. He argues
that companies must adopt one of three basic business models:
become a products company at one end of the strategic spectrum,
a services company at the other end, or a hybrid solutions
company in between. The author describes the characteristics
of the different models, evaluates their strengths and weaknesses,
and shows how each is more or less appropriate for different
stages in the evolution of a business as well as in good
versus bad economic times. Readers will also find invaluable
Cusumano's treatment of software development issues ranging
from architecture and teams to project management and testing,
as well as two chapters devoted to what it takes to create
a successful software start-up. Highlights include eight
fundamental guidelines for evaluating potential software
winners and Cusumano's probing analysis, based on firsthand
knowledge, of ten start-ups that have met with varying degrees
of success. The Business of Software is timely essential
reading for managers, programmers, entrepreneurs, and others
who follow the global software industry." |
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Click
Here to Read More or to Buy the Book! |
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| 6. |
FAQ |
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What
is the IT Metrics & Productivity Journal? |
| The
IT Metrics and Productivity Journal is a FREE weekly eZine
that covers Best Practices in Software Development, Software
Maintenance, and Software Management. |
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| What
specifically does the Journal offer? |
| Each
week you will receive 3 articles on any of our 5 main theme
areas (Process, Metrics, Estimation, IT Governance, Education
and Training) along with easy to read abstracts plus related
website recommendations, book reviews, interviews with world
IT leaders, and even promotional giveaways. |
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| OK.
I'm interested. How do I subscribe? |
| If
you would like to receive a free issue of the IT Metrics
and Productivity Journal each week and are not already a
subscriber please register at the link below (Register today
and you'll be eligible for a free iPod Mini!). |
| www.compaid.com/subscribe |
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| Is
there a way to get more information? |
| For
more information on software best practices, CAI, or the
IT Metrics and Productivity Institute please contact Mike
Milutis, the IT Metrics & Productivity Journal Editor,
at: michael_milutis@compaid.com |
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| Who
is the Journal's Sponsor? |
| This
issue of the IT Metrics and Productivity Journal is sponsored
by CAI, world leader in IT performance, productivity, and
process. |
| www.compaid.com
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For
more information on software best practices, CAI, or the
ITMPI please contact Michael Milutis, the
IT Metrics and Productivity Journal Editor, at michael_milutis@compaid.com |
