How is the economy changing the direction of software development as you know it?

Question

Given the climate that this economy has created where every IT budget line is more closely scrutinized it seems like we as developers often need to work even harder to convince decision makers of why they should upgrade or go for the latest and greatest this or that. Given where things have been headed it seems like a very pertinent subject to discuss. I would sure like to have an idea of where the near term future of software development is headed. So I pose the questions below to the community.

• Has this climate changed the way you propose and provide solutions?
• What technologies and solutions are you steering towards or reverting back to that you believe are the best fit for the new era of frugal IT?

Example: Say that you've never worked with Silverlight and you want to use it in a solution but it's going to add more time just because of the unfamiliarity and the complete paradigm shift. Would you be more inclined to not recommend it in the solution and just stick with the tried and true technology (i.e. AJAX) that you're already comfortable with?

Answer 1

Well-being during the recession is not a matter of technology. It's a matter of personal productivity.

Answer 2

To answer your second question, I don't think the amount of money spent on IT is going to change the sort of technologies people utilize in their solutions. It may change the number of projects and how ambitious they are, but I don't think a particular language or platform will rise dramatically because of the recession.

Answer 3

At my small company we are not changing anything - at least not yet. We just hired a guy who we had been recruiting for two years.

Some companies will follow practices that lead to the best people leaving and the deadwood surviving.

Some companies will trim the fat.

Some companies will use this as an opportunity to do some cherry picking and add some great new talent to their teams.

Smart companies with the luxury of a healthy balance sheet and a willingness to invest even in nervous times will strengthen their positions through better use of IT, including taking advantage of new technologies like Silverlight or Windows Azure or whatever new technology allows them to enhance their offerings and / or image.

Other companies with weaker balance sheets or with less nerve will do themselves long term harm.

Answer 4

I think open source software will become more attractive to late-adopter IT departments and embedded device manufacturers.

Answer 5

Software provides solutions to make people more productive.

The way I see it, there is little "dead waste" when it comes to software development. The goal for all commercial software development is to provide a means to cut costs anyway.

Answer 6

There are many different types of software projects.

• some help make money
• some help save money
• some make people more productive (which is a different way of 'saving money')
• some make it easier to understand where and how money is being spent
• some have other monetary benefit that I don't describe here
• some have absolutely no monetary impact at all

If at all possible, in a recession, no matter how cool it is, do not allow yourself to be put on a project in the last category. If you're on one now, try to find a way out.

Answer 7

I guess the only way that it has really affected me so far is that I’m more apt to stick with solutions that are already in my core competency and learn new things on my own time rather than on someone else’s dime.