InformationTechnology is presently viewed as being strengthened by the provision of the following areas of expertise and areas of concentration:	

	* ProductManagement
	* ProjectManagement
	* UserRequirement InterpretationArticulationAndClarification
	* UserInterface and UsabilityDesignExpertise
	* SystemsArchitecturalDesign
	* TestingEngineers
	* TestSpecialists
	* LargeAndComplexSystemsDesign
	* DocumentationAndImplementationSupport
	* CustomerService And CustomerSupport

With the emergence of a global economy, provision of such services are likely to become global as well. There may be little long-term advantage gained by building large campuses and physical complexes for the purpose of strengthening and enhancing InformationTechnology. With the introduction of new workable collaboration and developmental scenarios, software can be developed and strengthened internationally and without the necessity for such physical infrastructure. At present, there is a heightend emphasis on the part of some to concentrate on the physical arrangement and organization of development as either onshore and offshore. The trends introduced by the potentials of an Open Work and development structure seems to point to the development of working environments which are virtual rather than physical. 

This also can be said for the learning and teaching experience, with education being provided on an ongoing basis from a distance. (DistanceLearning). 

What lends strength to this concept is the idea of Freedom. A participant can be free to pursue educational and working arrangements which can be fit into a PersonalWorkingSpace at a time and location of choosing. The requirement to maintain commuter equipment, set aside time for unproductive physical transport to a place of work, will soon be a thing of the past (soon meaning in the next 10 to 20 years). 

The NextBigThing in SoftwareDevelopment might well be the building of software enabling this scenario. The cooperation and collaboration of like-minded people, regardless of nationality and polity, is not only likely, but will become a necessity. 
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What needs work to make this happen?

	* International Supply Channels which are economically efficient.
	* A goal of production which recognized the importance of products and service provision which is Acceptable both Quantitatively and Qualitatively.
	* Establishment of economically viable Development WorkplaceScenarios.

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''Is the premise of this page that software development can be split up into various sub-disciplines, like architecture and testing, and farmed out to people in different places?'' No, it is that such organizations of the workplace as are currently practiced, and known today will not exist in less than 10 years, to be replaced by a new reality. One which will build on the strengths of networked, distributed, wireless, collaborative and cooperative ecosystems. 

''Or, what is the point of this?'' 

It is a counter to the present noise about software development being shipped offshore, because of cheaper and more intelligent workers. The climate of globalization will not be based on such narrowmindedness, but on the cold, pragmatic fact that those who do not plan to change and who do not prepare for change, will be left behind, holding the dotcom bag, the Unix Bag, The OpenSoftware bag, The Windows and dotnet bag, or other such bags which are not agile enought to recognize economic, technological, social, political and global realities. It is apparent to some that there is a revolution taking place in the software industry in which you can take part, or be merely an observer or critic. 
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CategoryInformation