In the early days of computing, software was not thought of as an independent category of activity or product. In fact, the word software itself only acquired widespread usage in the 1960’s. Up to the middle of the 1960s, there were programs, delivered to the buyer with the computing machinery (hardware) by the manufacturer.

The more adventurous users slowly undertook to write their own programs in FORTRAN, Algol or, later COBOL. The first companies dedicated to developing software were founded in 1955 (Computer Usage Company) and 1959 (Computer Services Corporation), and the plan was to offer programming services.

Continue reading Two trends of software engineering converging to the PMDA Framework →

The invention described in this blog, arises as a response to the challenge of engineering, or simply modelling, complex systems, and addresses four characteristic issues of such systems.

Complex Systems

• Fitness for purpose: Such systems exist – or are intended to exist – within a context of intents and motivations which provide the criteria for their validity and adequacy.
• Degree of Definition: The quality and precision of specification vary widely among the domains of knowledge implied by the various components.
• Structural Diversity: The structure and dynamics of the components are diverse, and cannot be simply related to each other.
• Interoperability: Because of this internal diversity, explicit protocols must be specified to ensure joint operation of the components.

Example: Enterprise Architecture

A clear illustration of these issues is offered by the discipline of Enterprise Architecture, which was one of the starting points for the research which resulted in the present invention. Continue reading Treating the Enterprise as a Complex System →