Achieving Your Build & Release Managment Resolutions

About This Webcast:

Achieving Your Build & Release Management Resolutions - A Conversation with IDC's Melinda Ballou

Have you resolved to conquer your company's build and release issues in 2006?  Have you vowed to get down to the root cause of build failures that result in poor quality, late releases, and finger pointing between the CM and development teams?

In a lively interview with CM Crossroads Editor-In-Chief, Patrick Egan, industry renown IDC analyst Melinda Ballou will kick start the year by discussing the build and release management barriers that plague development teams, and offer suggestions to get you on the right track.  She will share specific case studies of ways that industry leaders have addressed these challenges to yield higher product quality, team efficiency, and faster releases.  Michael O'Rourke, VP of Development at BuildForge, will join the conversation with examples of build management best practices put into action.

You will learn:
The ripple effect of poor build management in development teams (developers, QA, CM, and management)

The implications of compliance mandates on CM teams

The impact of service oriented architecture on build strategies

Fundamental building blocks and tactics for more effective build management

Melinda Ballou, Program Director, ALM research IDC. Melinda provides thought leadership, expert opinion, research, and analysis through comprehensive research on application lifecycle management (ALM), with specific focus on software lifecycle process configuration and management, software quality, and IT governance software. Ms. Ballou also offers competitive intelligence and consulting on key aspects of the ALM market to service providers, investment firms, and G2000 end-user companies.   Melinda comes to IDC with over 18 years experience in IT research and analysis. Prior to joining IDC, Ms Ballou spent eleven years at META Group as a Senior Program Director establishing their software development life-cycle management and project and portfolio management research practices. Melinda has also held various editorial positions, including Senior Writer/Senior Editor for ComputerWorld, and Staff Writer/Senior Editor for Digital Review.  Ms. Ballou holds a Masters Degree in Professional Writing from MIU, and a BA from Williams College in Philosophy and Music.

Michael O'Rourke, VP Development, BuildForge, Inc. Mike has a proven track record of successfully building some of the software industry's top companies. Over the last 25 years, he has held development, customer support, and executive management roles in companies ranging from small start-ups to billion dollar industry leaders. Mike currently drives product strategy, development, and customer support for BuildForge.  Prior to joining the company, Mike was vice president of engineering for PerformanceRetail, a provider of Web-based merchandising and store operations software for the retail industry. Before PRI, Mike held key positions at BroadJump, Tivoli, Agillion, SupportSoft, Apollo Computer, and Compugraphic Corporation.  Mike received his bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Vermont and attended the MBA program at Boston College.