Each month the CM Journal provides original content articles and regular columns from industry thought leaders and software providers on a wide variety of configuration management and application lifecycle management topics.
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Looking at the Future of ALM and Configuration Management Volume 6 - Number 1- January 2008
The CM Crossroads annual Predictions for the Coming Year is always an interesting and entertaining issue. This year is no different as Robert Cowham, Brad Appleton and Steve Berczuk get us “rockin” with a lively review of 2007, analysis of Agile and predictions for 2008 which does name names and had me holding my breath in a few places. Their discussion of the “Backlash” of harmful, overhyped approaches and CM “processes” that are a “license to hack” is thought provoking. Don’t miss this article. Mario Moreira comes out swinging with his predictions for 2008, which include an interesting discussion on IT standards, agility, and the need for integrated toolsets, based on recent news in the CM/ALM space. Joe Farah gives us a great view of the next generation of CM tools including a terrific topology of features to consider. Leslie Sachs continues to remind us that Personality Matters with a psychological discussion of Team Building issues that must be understood by anyone who needs to have good people management skills. Her offshore outsourcing example sounds like she is tapping my phone again. Austin Hastings uses his delightfully dry humor to describe how projects look when they don’t use good CM practices. Bring a fly swatter with you to read this one. Ben Weatherall also took a humorous approach by letting his multi alter-egos write his 2008 predictions for him. While it took me a couple of reads to get past the humor, his use of multiple points of view to comment on each prediction is thought provoking indeed. Of course I couldn’t resist my own set of predictions, in Behaviorally Speaking we discuss the increased emphasis on automated workflow and process, IT governance and control, and also my prediction of the death of the Agile movement as we know it. (Yes, my doors are locked, but I know the Agile guys will come after me anyway.) Finally, anyone starting a job search in 2008 would find the HR Corner helpful as we all share best practices for getting your job search in gear.
CM Crossroads itself is starting 2008 with a big bang as we get ready to launch a brand new website. Look forward to 2008 bringing you new and expanded podcasting to your favorite handheld device. My own blog will be covering new implementations of SCM tools including a description of the FastTrack process that I used for rolling out new source code management tools and process in large financial services firms. We are not letting you off the hook either. Please write to me or use our Letter to the Editors forum to weigh in on your own predictions for the coming year. The expanding field of CM is evolving and gearing up to play an even greater role in product and project management in 2008. We’re glad that you’re getting on board for this exciting flight into required practices for the coming year. All aboard!
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Behaviorally Speaking - My 7 Predictions for the coming year
Configuration Management (CM) has been a key aspect of any software development effort for a long time with its many essential key practices including Source Code and Release management as well as build engineering and change control. The scope of CM keeps growing and today many CM practitioners are knee deep in IT governance and controls along with data security and business continuity. CM is a key aspect of any successful offshore outsourcing effort as well. Even with all of these accomplishme..
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Agile SCM - Review of 2007 and Predictions for 2008
As is traditional for a January column we are going to look back at 2007 and our last year's review and predictions and look ahead to the coming year. Agile is Mainstream Agile is considered pretty "mainstream" these days, which basically means it has crossed the chasm from early adopters (see DDJ survey results and VersionOne survey results). Along with Agile crossing the chasm there has been an increased desire to make Agile/lean scale across the enterprise.
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Envelope Please - 2008 Predictions in the CM/ALM Space
In the beginning, there was the new year, January 2008 to be precise. As we look ahead, some of us have concrete Configuration Management (CM) and Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) efforts and are beginning the planning process. Others are looking across the CM/ALM industry and considering strategies for improvements in these spaces or including CM and/or ALM as part of a larger initiative. What might be some of the trends in the industry? What are some ...
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Look Forward to More of the Same in 2008
Those who said that 2007 would be an extension of 2006 were for the most part right. Of course, they were; most progress is evolutionary, not revolutionary! I predict 2008 will be the same. Things will get better and we will find new things to disagree on such as what roles belong in the "New CM." This year, the detailed predictions for 2008 will be released by the Schizophrenic Paranoid. For those of you who want to know how that came about, I have included a little history...
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Personality Matters: Predictions for 2008 Personality Matters: Predictions for 2008
When it comes to making predictions regarding human behavior, all bets are off! As much as researchers know, and continue to make educated guesses based upon their findings, individual human beings seem to delight in defying simple categorization. That being said, there are ways to utilize our understanding of individuals and group dynamics to examine how human factors are likely to impact the IT workplace. Read on to see specific examples of how psychological insight will enhance your per...
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CM: THE NEXT GENERATION of CM/ALM Architecture
CM architecture has the ability to influence the market, even more so than vice versa. The complexity of CM and ALM forces vendors to take the lead in market development. But the market will have its influence, and those solutions with strong architectures will be in the best position to serve that market. Last year at this time, I identified where I thought the CM solution space was heading generally. Looking back two and three years ago, I painted a bit of a picture...
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SCM Techniques: Kicking Off
Patterns are a well-understood concept in software development. Thanks to Steve Berczuk and Brad Appleton, they are a part of the SCM vocabulary as well. So far, the SCM pattern vocabulary is relatively low-level, concentrated on describing repository layout, branching strategy and the like. The techniques discussed here are not patterns-they don't have the required structure, and don't provide prescriptive formulas for implementation. Instead, these are discrete, recognizable met...Read More >>
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Getting your job search in gear
The recent credit crunch has left hundreds of top technology professionals unemployed as many financial services firms prune down their staffs in response to the recent turmoil in the credit markets. The positive side, to this catastrophe, is that many of my former colleagues got back in touch with me and others in an effort to network and find employment in a somewhat tough job market. Many of these technology experts have not needed to look for a job in a while and, in fact, may not even have ...
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