Coming Soon: New Book Uncovers Hidden Causes of Software Glitches
Posted by Jeff Papows on Wed, Jun 16, 2010 @ 12:19 PM
Well, it’s been a while since I last posted here though there’s a really good reason for it. I’ve been immersed in editing my new book that’s being published by Prentice Hall this September. The title pretty much says it all – “Glitch: The Hidden Impact of Faulty Software.”
Based on extensive research and interviews with executives from IBM, Ford Motor Company, and Textron Financial among others including the federal government and academia, “Glitch” takes a closer look at how software development goes awry and what this means for businesses and consumers. Especially as we consider the impact of massive merger and acquisitions activities, overseas software development, and an increasingly connected world.
Adding to this are the challenges brought about by a steady decline in U.S. computer science graduates that is only now starting to pick up again. Not to mention the drop in mainframe expertise. As a reminder, mainframes run about 70 percent of the world's financial transactions.
Of course, a lot of the glitches we read about in our daily news feeds are your average every day annoyances such as double charging credit card customers or flight delays.
Yet there are also some very serious side affects from glitches that are disrupting business and personal lives. Some of these are the more notable issues like the Toyota recalls. Yet others aren't nearly high enough on the radar such as the cancer patients that were accidentally given the wrong dosages of radiation due to a software glitch in the machines. The New York Times did extensive research on the topic in its January 2010 article titled, "Radiation Offers New Cures, And Ways to Do Harm."
Yet as we continue to rely more and more on technology, we're facing a bit of a conundrum. The more technology we have, the higher the likelihood that there are glitches inadvertently baked into the code. What the "Glitch" book covers is the impact of these glitches and what we can to reduce their presence and their impact.
I'm looking forward to putting the finishing touches on the book in the next week or so and hope you'll keep an eye out for it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.