There has been a dramatic recent shift in sentiment in relation to the most appropriate model for developing software systems. The shift has marked a change from the tradition of preparing a detailed requirements specification as the first phase in the development cycle, to a less rigid adaptive evolutionary approach.
The ongoing goal of software engineering is to ensure that a system meets its primary aims in terms of the quality criteria of functionality, performance, reliability and efficiency. Achieving rigorous standards of reliability and efficiency has never been the major problem for developers; rather it has been the potential for basing the system’s requirements specification on obsolete or inadeqaute premises, which on completion delivers sub-optimal outcomes.
This is similar to the mathematical problem of using excellent deductive logic to draw conclusions from a set of axioms, but reaching a wrong conclusion because the axioms themselves are incorrect or incomplete.
Time and again this Archilles heel of software development emerges- particularly when a project is large, complex and operates within a dynamic environment. Systemic failure is more often the norm and the litany of collapsed projects keeps growing; particularly in the government and multinational business domains of procurement, supply, logistics, human resources, health, education, customer services etc.
European researchers have created a new software abstraction called Autonomic Communication Elements (ACEs) which will enable ecosystems for service networks, and make the future ‘internet of things’ a reality, now.
The internet is evolving in front of our eyes: Web 2.0 is beginning to reach it is potential as a ‘platform’, a computing and service delivery system in its own right.
At the same time, we are already seeing the emergence of Telco 2.0: telecommunications providers are seeking to create the same sort of open environment for user-generated content and services potential that the web is now renowned for.
Services like mash-ups, combining applications such as Google maps and real estate listings to provide powerful new services from currently available tools and data. For example, Telco 2.0 will allow users to combine mapped property information with voicemail, SMS and other telecommunications enablers.
And this is just a prelude to other, perhaps more sophisticated, technologies like Web 3.0, the so-called ‘semantic web’. Add to this the ‘future internet’ and the proposed ‘internet of things’ linking people, devices, telecoms and data networks into one, vast network of networks.
It is an ambitious vision, but it all invites increasing complexity; complexity that could kill innovation before it gains traction.
There has been a dramatic recent shift in sentiment in relation to the most appropriate model for developing software systems. The shift has marked a change from the tradition of preparing a detailed requirements specification as the first phase in the development cycle, to a less rigid adaptive evolutionary approach. 
