Presentation 6. Software 2015: Situation dire

Published in 2005, The Software 2015 Report observed that software is the critical infrastructure within the critical infrastructure. This was the theme of the 2nd National Software Summit [NSS2 05]. The 2015 Software Vision was then stated as: "Achieving the ability to routinely develop trustworthy software products and systems, while ensuring the continued competitiveness of the U.S. Software industry". Four major programs were identified as the National Software Strategy: 1. Improving software trustworthiness 2. Educating and fielding the software workforce 3. Re-energizing software research and development, and 4. Encouraging innovation within the U.S. software industry The question today is, “Where do we stand with respect to the National Software Strategy and its programs?” The answer, the situation is dire. 1. We are short on competitiveness and innovation. 2. We are long on offshore outsourcing and Technical Debt. 3. We are short on trustworthiness and Cyber Security. 4. We are uncommitted to fixed price contracting. 5. We underutilize Next Generation Software Engineering and undervalue the Capability Maturity Model Integration. Recognize that competitiveness is like flood water finding or creating its own path. Competitiveness impacts both software and security as it favors offshore outsourcing and further impacts security as innovation drives towards mobile and BYOD. Recognize also that software and security are connected at the hip through the elusive attribute of trustworthiness and together impact competitiveness in a not so virtuous cycle.