A selected set of 'one-page' articles about many technology topics, written by me and many of my colleagues, in a eBook sponsored by the IBM Brazil's Technology Leadership Council (TLC-BR).
4. 4
PRESENTATION
TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE: THE DECISION IS YOURS – LEAD OR GIVE UP
Rodrigo Kede de Freitas Lima, General Manager IBM Brasil
We are in a moment of great changes. If you live in Brazil and
work with technology, you have more than enough reasons to
feel like you are on a roller coaster. Every roller coaster causes
multiple feelings – while some are afraid, others have fun, and
still others get goosebumps, but one thing is certain − most, at
the end of the trip, will have a feeling of “mission accomplished”
and of victory.
We may start by talking about Brazil. In 1985, after 20 years of
military dictatorship, we had a civilian president again (Tancredo
Neves), elected by the National Congress, who did not even
take office, since he passed away before his inauguration. The
new generations probably do not know
the details of the “Direct Elections Now”
movement, which showed the strength
that people united who fight for their
rights have. Between 1985 and 1990,
we went through multiple failed economic
plans and a presidential election – the
first in which the people went to vote
and chose their president. We were still
crawling in the reestablishment of the so-called
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
democracy, something completely
forgotten in almost 21 years of military
dictatorship. Today, looking back, it is
easier to understand the whole story, but
it is not possible to relearn democracy in
5 years. We made many mistakes and
achieved a few successes.
In 1989, we went to the ballots and elected a young President, who
promised to change the country, correct the wave of corruption
that raged our beloved Brazil. Little more than two years after
his election, the people once more went out to the streets to ask
for the impeachment of the then President Fernando Collor. His
Vice president took over and completed his mandate in 1995.
Those were years of much learning for the population, for the
politicians and the system. I usually say that this was an important
period of transformation of the country into a democracy (no
matter how rudimentary and problematic the period had been,
we were able to re-establish a democratic country).
Once again, we went to the polls and elected a new president.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso, the ex-Finance Minister of the
Itamar government and one of the fathers of the Real Plan, he
built his credibility with the entire country while he was a minister,
to run for office and win the elections. FHC, as he was known,
was responsible for a crucial period in the development of the
country. In his 2 terms, he was responsible for stabilizing the
economy and changing the country's scenario; he created the
fiscal responsibility law, sanitized the financial system, building
it as one of the most solid in the world, and he privatized many
sectors, such as telecommunications and energy. Prior to
the Real Plan, we lived in a world of
40% inflation per month; something
unimaginable nowadays – the prices in
the supermarkets changed many times
throughout the day (how can someone
live like this?). I consider the period of
FHC government as one of operational
efficiency and economical stability. Again,
we are talking about almost ten years of
much transformation.
In 2002, the people elected Luis Inácio
Lula da Silva, or just Lula. Lula certainly
surprised many people during his
administration; he was less radical than
what was expected by some sectors.
He honored contracts, maintained the
economic administration philosophy of the previous government
and placed in key positions people with great credibility, like
the president of the Central Bank - Henrique Meirelles (ex Bank
Boston Global CEO). Lula focused his efforts on solving the
problem of poverty in the country, his main goal. At the end
of his two terms, I believe there were, just like in the previous
governments, some landmarks which were fundamental for the
development of the country. The first one was what I call Social
Mobility – a democracy at some moment learns how to manage its
country and stabilize its economy. After that, it is normal that the
social pyramid begins to change. We had a middle class which
represented little more than 20% of the population and today
5. 5
we are talking about almost 60% of the population. Brazil also
benefitted from being one of the largest commodities producers
in the world and increased significantly the level of exports to
China, the second economy of the world, which became our
biggest trade partner, bringing a lot of wealth to the country.
Naturally, after the re-establishment of the democracy and the
stabilization of the economy. The country grew above the average
of previous decades thanks to a new class of consumers. Our
growth as a country was the result of the growth of the internal
consumption and China's success.
In 2010, Dilma was elected president. Since 2008, with the
world economic crisis, growth became harder. Just the domestic
consumption is not enough to make the country grow at the
required levels. China, even though it is still growing, grows
lesser and buys less. So, what now? The name of the game
for Brazil is efficiency and competitiveness. To achieve this,
we need a huge investment in infrastructure and education to
make qualified labor available. With a 5% unemployment rate,
how will we grow? We have to do more with the same amount of
labor, be more efficient and productive. Ports, airports, railroads,
technology, research and development in multiple areas, heavy
investment in basic education. We are in the middle of this battle.
We have already started this work as a country. There are many
criticisms, and the people, legitimately, took to the streets to
question and ask for solutions to their problems.
I am an eternal optimistic and I believe that, despite the mistakes
and the speed, we are destined to grow and become a developed
country at some point. We have 19% of the world's arable land
and 12% of the drinkable water. How much will this be worth in
2050, when 70% of the world's population will be living in cities?
We have to accelerate the investments and development. That is
the only way to have a developed country for our grandchildren.
We live, therefore, in a country in a huge transformation, and
each one of us has a role in this journey.
You must be thinking: what is the link of all this to technology
and IBM. In my opinion, absolutely everything. All this
transformation will only exist with the intense use of technology
by the companies, governments and institutions. We from
IBM invested 100 years working for the progress of society,
therefore, we can and we will have an even more fundamental
role in the transformation of Brazil.
For this reason, I would like to talk about another change that
is happening in the IT market today. The clients are more and
more buying outcomes, business solutions, specific to each
sector, instead of infrastructure. We have to think that now the
commoditization will not be just of products, but also of models.
The World walks very fast towards cloud, mobile, social business
and big data. The technology is leaving the back office and
going more and more to the front office. It is becoming less a
cost and more a source of revenue.
“Data” is already the new natural resource and companies and
institutions that do understand this will have a head start. In IBM’s
specific case, we are the only company in the marketplace that
has developed Cognitive Computing technology, which, in my
opinion, will change the way we live and work.
We are, therefore, living in a moment of intense transformation in
technology too. I am sure that in 5 years, we will have new players
and a some competitors will fade away. We need, increasingly,
to specialize in the new technology trends and not just in the
products – and this is valid for sales, for the technical team, for
delivery and even for the back office.
We say that every 30-40 years, the technology undergoes a
disruptive wave. This moment is now.
Brazil and Technology are both in a crucial moment of change.
A “special” combination. As I said, there are people that like
roller coasters (like me) and others that don't.
The journey is long, but the game is won every day.
Lead or give up.
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
7. CONTENTS
Hybrid computers, the next frontier of computing .......................................................................................................10
How to read in fifty years what was written today? ...................................................................................................... 11
The Lean way of thinking .............................................................................................................................................12
So do you want to work with IT architecture? ...............................................................................................................13
Quantum Computing ...................................................................................................................................................14
The challenge of legfacy systems modernization ........................................................................................................15
Technology for Smart Cities .........................................................................................................................................16
Everything as a Service ............................................................................................................................................... 17
The Fog and the Frog ..................................................................................................................................................18
Best Practices in Requirements Elicitation ..................................................................................................................19
The man who saw the shape of things .........................................................................................................................20
Software Metrics..........................................................................................................................................................21
Competency-based Management: It’s KSA time ........................................................................................................22
Daily Scrum for everyone! ...........................................................................................................................................23
How to please the customer who contracts services? ................................................................................................24
Special IBM Centenary: SAGE, a cradle for innovation ...............................................................................................25
Knowledge Integration: the consultant’s challenge ....................................................................................................26
Special IBM Centenary: IBM RAMAC: the beginning of a new era in commercial computing ...................................27
The Evolution of the IT Services Delivery Model ..........................................................................................................28
Special IBM Centenary: IBM 1401, When Times Were Different... ..............................................................................29
The Internet of Things ..................................................................................................................................................30
Special IBM Centenary: The Space Program and Information Technology ................................................................31
Efficient collaboration in a smart planet ......................................................................................................................32
Special IBM Centenary: Seeing the world better ........................................................................................................33
We live in a world increasingly instrumented ...............................................................................................................34
Special IBM Centenary: Elementary, my dear Watson! ...............................................................................................35
Multi-core Revolution Impacts in Software Developing ...............................................................................................36
Special IBM Centenary: The IBM and the Internet ......................................................................................................37
Governance, Risk and Conformity ..............................................................................................................................38
Special IBM Centenary: IBM Tape: Breaking Barriers in Data Storage .......................................................................39
The New Millennium Bug? ...........................................................................................................................................40
Maintenance of systems at the speed of business ..................................................................................................... 41
Scalability and Management in Cloud Computing ......................................................................................................42
The evolution of the Web in business management ....................................................................................................43
Financial agility in IT ....................................................................................................................................................44
IT Cost Management ...................................................................................................................................................45
FCoE, integration of LAN and SAN networks ..............................................................................................................46
Power, a lot of processing power ................................................................................................................................47
8. The Power of Social Technology ..................................................................................................................................48
Girls and Technology ..................................................................................................................................................49
About Prophets and Crystal Balls ................................................................................................................................50
Smart cities: the work moves so that life goes on ........................................................................................................ 51
Special Technology for Social Inclusion ......................................................................................................................52
Agile: Are you ready? ..................................................................................................................................................53
The Theory of Multiple Intelligences and Jobs in IT .....................................................................................................54
Analytics at your fingertips ..........................................................................................................................................55
The RCA process importance .....................................................................................................................................56
Can I see the data? .....................................................................................................................................................57
Learn while playing .....................................................................................................................................................58
Audio processing in graphics cards ............................................................................................................................59
Unicode ♥ דוקינו ☻ Уникод ♫ وكينوي 60 .........................................................................................................................
The Truth is a Continuous Path ....................................................................................................................................61
Everything (that matters) in time ..................................................................................................................................62
Cloud computing and embedded systems .................................................................................................................63
Nanotechnology-How does that change our lives? ....................................................................................................64
IT with Sustainability and Efficiency ............................................................................................................................65
The strategy and its operationalization ........................................................................................................................66
The evolution of NAS ...................................................................................................................................................67
Go to the Cloud or not? ...............................................................................................................................................68
Profession: Business Architect ....................................................................................................................................69
Four Hours? .................................................................................................................................................................70
If you put your reputation on the window, will it worth more than $ 1.00? ....................................................................71
What is information security? ......................................................................................................................................72
The mathematics of chance ........................................................................................................................................73
The origin of the Logical Data Warehouse (LDW)........................................................................................................ 74
Storage Fractais .......................................................................................................................................................75
Social Business versus Social Business Model ..........................................................................................................76
Scientific Method and Work ........................................................................................................................................77
What is the size of the link? ..........................................................................................................................................78
NoSQL Databases ......................................................................................................................................................79
The Challenges of the Internet of Things .....................................................................................................................80
Bring your mobile device ............................................................................................................................................81
The sky is the limit for intelligent automation ................................................................................................................82
Security Intelligence, a new weapon against cyber crime ..........................................................................................83
Technology Transforming Smart Cities ........................................................................................................................84
Crowdsourcing: The power of the crowd .....................................................................................................................85
TOGAF - What is it and why? .......................................................................................................................................86
Reveal the client that is behind the data ......................................................................................................................87
9. Singularity: are you ready to live forever? ....................................................................................................................88
Now I can Tweet ..........................................................................................................................................................89
The new consumer ......................................................................................................................................................90
Transforming risks into business opportunities ............................................................................................................91
QoS in broadband access networks ...........................................................................................................................92
Do machines feel? .......................................................................................................................................................93
Understanding AT and IT ............................................................................................................................................94
“Graphene’s Valley” and Technology Revolution ..........................................................................................................95
The time doesn’t stop, but it can be best enjoyed… ...................................................................................................96
Ontologies and the Semantic Web ..............................................................................................................................97
Mass customization: obtaining a competitive advantage ...........................................................................................98
Software Defined Network – The Future of the Networks ............................................................................................99
A Privileged View of the Earth ......................................................................................................................................100
Smile, you can be in the clouds...................................................................................................................................101
IBM Mainframe - 50 Years of Technological Leadership and Transformation .............................................................102
Interoperability in the Internet of Things ......................................................................................................................103
Agile Project Management or PMBOK®? .....................................................................................................................104
Blood, Sweat and Web: how the World Wide Web was created .................................................................................105
Direct Memory Access: Vulnerability by design? ........................................................................................................106
Big Data and the Nexus of Forces ...............................................................................................................................107
Demystifying Virtual Capacity, Part I ...........................................................................................................................108
Demystifying Virtual Capacity, Part II ..........................................................................................................................109
Closing Remarks and Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... 110
10. 10
HYBRID COMPUTERS, THE NEXT FRONTIER OF COMPUTING
Daniel Raisch
For over 20 years the IT industry
has managed to maintain valid
Moore’s Law, doubling the pro-cessing
power of chips every 18
months, but lately it has become
a great challenge to maintain
such a pace, which can pose
a threat to market, followed by
demand of more power.
The current chip architecture reached its physical limitation,
considering the performance curve versus the dissipation of
heat generated and the energy needed for its operation. It is no
longer possible to continue delivering more capacity without a
change of concept and architecture. Some solutions have been
tried, such as the manufacture of multicore chips, but that still
could not solve this impasse. On the other hand, the IT market
continues to need more capacity to meet the changing business
demands through increasingly complex applications, which
require more powerful computers ever.
The industry is seeking alternatives to address this issue. One
approach is to increase the level of parallelism between the
various processing cores on the same chip, which require new
programming concepts and redesign of existing systems so that
they can exploit this architecture processor. Another alternative
is to implement a new concept of computers, based on a hybrid
processor architecture.
Hybrid computers are composed of different types of processors,
tightly coupled under an integrated management and control
system, which enables the processing of complex and varying
loads. Intel and AMD, for example, are working on multicore
chips where the processing cores are distinct from each other,
to enable performance gains without hitting the ceiling heat
dissipation. However, there is still no forecast about the release
of these new chips to market.
IBM is working on a new server platform z / Series, which contain
processors from their traditional families (Mainframe, POWER7 and
x86) arranged in a single computing platform, centrally managed
and integrated manner. In the recent past IBM released a Z/Series
server integrated with Cell processors to meet a specific need of
Hoplon, the Brazilian company that operates in the game market.
This experience was very successful and enabled the advance
towards the concept of hybrid server. With this new platform,
which is in final stages of development, IBM intends to provide
a solution for high-performance and scalability, able to meet
demands for solutions that require processing power with mixed
characteristics between traditional commercial applications and
compute-intensive applications (High Performance Computing).
Hybrid computers are intended to overcome the limitations
imposed by current architectures and also solve the problems
caused by the strong dependency between the applications and
the computing platform for which they were originally designed.
This new type of computer functions, as if there are several
logical virtualized servers on a single physical server, with a
layer of integrated management, that is able to distribute parts
of an application to the processor that is more conducive to him.
It provides the user the facilities and benefits of a physically
centralized but logically distributed, addressing the current
challenges of decentralized world relating to integration of
applications, security, monitoring, load distribution and accounting
of resource use, among other platforms.
Simplifying IT, reducing the number of servers installed (and their
requirements for space, power and cooling), larger capacity
management of end-to-end and consequently, lower total cost
of ownership. These are the value propositions of the hybrid
architectures.
We are on the verge of a new computing platform, which could
represent a paradigm shift in the IT industry and enable new
business solutions, opening horizons for business and society.
For further information:
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/redp4409.html
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
11. 11
HOW TO READ IN FIFTY YEARS WHAT WAS WRITTEN TODAY?
Roberto F. Salomon
Only in very recent time we have started using files on electronic
media to store documents. Besides the paper, we already use
many other media for our documents as wood, stone, clay
and wax. When they used these hard media under the above
mentioned brackets, our ancestors made them inseparable from
the content itself.
With the arrival of electronic media, for the first time we separated
a document from its contents. Thus, the documents have become
“virtual”, and stored in digital files generated by any application.
Thanks to digital media, a copy of a document is identical to its
original. Would be the best of all worlds if there were no question
of recovery and subsequent reading of these documents.
The analogy worked well to use software for producing documents:
a sheet of paper displayed on the screen in the same position it
would be a sheet in a typewriter.
However until recently, it was not possible to have a proper
discussion about the storage format of these documents, resulting
in compatibility issues with which we live today. The linking of
formats to software that created them became a barrier to adoption
of new technologies and solutions.
The issue caused due to the lack of standardization in document
storage is only the most visible part of the problem. The lack of
standardization in communication between software components
has accumulated along with the large number of suppliers in
the market. While the adoption of different solutions that support
heterogenious open and published standards makes economic
sense for the private sector, for public sector this adoption of
a standard is vital for the preservation of the state information.
The concern with the use of open standards in official documents
led the European Union to publish a definition of what is an open
standard. There are several perceptions, but all agree that an
open standard should:
• be maintained by a nonprofit organization, through an open
process of decision:
• be published and accessible without cost, or merely nominal
cost;
• ensure free access, without the payment of royalties, for any
intellectual property associated to the standard.
Several patterns are suited to this common definition, including
ODF - OpenDocument Format, which defines the storage format
for electronic textual documents.
In Brazil, the Federal Government has already recognized the
importance of adopting open standards that enable integration
between their bodies and the other departments of government.
The edition of the e-PING — Interoperability Standards for Electronic
Government shows that the Federal Government has considered it
necessary to establish which patterns will be used to communicate
with society. This definition should be independent of any economic
pressures from interest groups. Initiatives such as the e-PING
are strategic and necessary. There is now a consensus about its
importance, demonstrated by events such as the “Government
Interoperability Framework Global Meeting 2010,” promoted by
the UNDP (United Nations Development) held in Rio in May 2010.
Policymakers need to be clear that in a world increasingly digital
the state can not avoid establishing the use of open standards. This
would seriously compromise the ability of collaboration between
government agencies and between them and civil society, creating
obstacles to preserving investments and memory of the nation.
For further information:
http://www.odfalliance.org
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
12. 12
THE LEAN WAY OF THINKING
Diego Augusto Rodrigues Gomes
We live in a constant change of thoughts in several spheres of
knowledge area. For economic reason, many areas in a company
try to decrease their expenses. In the natural environment, we
have treaties between countries for the reduction of gases that
affect the global warming. Beyond this, we are trying to optimize in
regards to the economy of water usage, eletricity and the reduction
of polution. Often we are also creating inteligent machines for
domestic use. What is common about all of this? The effort is to
reduce the use of resources and to find a better way of using it.
With a structural base in the managing principles adapted from
the Toyota System of mass production, there was a term created
as ‘”lean’’ to describe the systems of production which tried to
provide higher value to the clients, at a much lower cost, by the
improvement of flows in the process.
Whenever we eliminate waste in all flows that generate value,
processes are created that demand less effort, less space, less
capital and that require less time for the creation of products and
services. All this with less number of defects and a better quality,
whenever compared to the traditional standards.
The five extraordinary points of thoughts about Lean, which
reassure that it is indispensable are:
1. Define what is best for the client and satisfy him;
2. Define the value flow on a way which is possible to eliminate
processes that do not add any value to the final product
(eliminate waste);
3. Reassure flow within the processes, creating a flow of
continous production, quickly attending the needs of clients
(flexibility);
4. Do not push the product to a customer but see what really
suits his needs;
5. Reach to a state of excellence through perfection (quality
and continous improvement).
The improvement of processes, is not only factored by the reduction,
but also by the elimination of waste, categorized in seven types;
superproduction (production beyond demand); wait (periods of
inactivity due to the wait time before the next step which has to
be provisioned); transportation (moving of unecessary parts in
the process); excess of processing (rework); reallocation (people
or equipment moving more than necessary for the execution of a
procedure); inventory (stock of raw materials that are not required
for the current need); defects (loss of units of production and
time waste to build them).
The pursue of quality follows two strategies: train and develop
the strength of work and make the processes consistent and
capable of attending the needs of the client. Motivated people
that embrace the culture and philosophy of the company are
the heart of this model. Each one is responsible to improve
the processes of the organization, suggest solutions and new
approaches, eventhough they are not directly responsible for this.
The flexibility of this model results from the professional workers
with mutiple abilities. These professionals do not only know their
responsability and know how to operate the tools, but they also
know how to execute activities of other professionals, offering
a better flow in their activities that compose the executions
of processes.
This model of thinking has been applied with success in many
domains, as in manufacture, destribuition, Supply Chain, deve-lopment
of products, engineering, and many others. Recently,
it has been applied to the development of software processes.
To summarize, whenever you speak Lean you speak in many
coherent ways to eliminate what is unnecessary. It means to
break up with thoughts ‘’the more the better’’, it means add more
value with less work, reduce costs, optimize the timeframe of
production and deliver and improve a better quality of products
and services. In other words, it means to eliminate everything
that does not add value and which is not important to the final
result. Whenever you adopt the philosophy lean as a new way
of thinking and acting it can be a great to transform our planet
to an inteligent planet.
For further information:
http://www.lean.org
http://www.lean.org.br
Book: O Modelo Toyota, Jeffrey K. Liker (2005)
http://agilemanifesto.org/
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
13. 13
SO DO YOU WANT TO WORK WITH IT ARCHITECTURE?
Cíntia Barcelos
I still remember my Dad’s reaction when I told him that I was taking
on a new role in the company at which I had been working for 16
years.. I have a PhD in Physical Theory. He had a difficult time
accepting that I was going to be a software analyst. When I told
him that I had an excellent opportunity in the new IT architecture
area, he was a little confused, “Daughter you have not graduated
in engineering yet ?” Nevertheless, he was happy for me.
Anyway what does it mean to be an IT architect ? What is this role
about ? An IT architect solves business problems by integrating
several systems and multiple technologies, IT products and services.
This professional, has a vast technical knowledge and experience
in several disciplines. She is able to identify and evaluate the
possibilities to best suit the business needs. This is why she
must be a professional who knows the business industry well
and connects with the technology world.
The Architect has extensive knowledge of and experience in
methodology of architecture standards, system projects, technical
modeling and technical project management skills. She also
has a very good knowledge of the various tools available. The
IT architect needs to quickly understand the envioronment and
the standards established in the company for which the solution
is to be provided.
Despite having all this knowledge and tool skills, the IT archiitect
never creates a solution in isolation. She always works with a team
of specialists that owns deep knowledge in each component of
the solution. This is where the IT architect requires additional skills
such as leadership, communication, teamwork and business
skills.It is basically this group of skills that differentiate these
professionals from the others.
Another way of understanding what the IT architect does is to
focus on what she does not do. She is not a ‘’super specialist ‘’
that knows deeply all technologies and service products. However
she has a lot of experience and good knowledge on how the
groups of technology work together.
The most important in his activity is to know the role of each
technology component and the inputs and outputs rather than
how the component functions or its underlying technology. She
is not a project manager, but she needs to understand the basic
concepts of this discipline, and generally, she is best equipped
to assist the project manager and help her understand and
orient the project implementation and solution. She is also not
a consultant, but needs to know methodologies and techniques
of consulting. The IT architect is neither a super developer nor
a senior IT specialist.
IT architects are in high demand in the job market and the
demand continues to increase each year. In the market there
are already certifications in this job role offered by Open Group,
IASA, Zachman and others.
With the IT Architect, I have found my vocation. It is a I h job
and career which I have always looked for in the IT Architect role.
In the IT Architect career, as an IT architect, I execute many
functions in areas of technology leadership, and have the
opportunity to understand the business and industry issues in-depth.
Just as I have not fully understood th articles my father
has published I am sure my father has not fully understood my
work or why I find it exciting, yet.
I think I will hand him this article.
For further information:
http://www.iasahome.org/web/home/certification
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
14. 14
QUANTUM COMPUTING
Conrado Brocco Tramontini
Quantum Computing (QC) consists of processing data represented
by subatomic particles and their states. But before discussing
QC, we need to take a look at some of the principles of quantum
mechanics, the basis for the various branches of physics and
chemistry. The study of QC began in the early twentieth century
with the work of German Max Planck and Danish Niels Bohr,
Nobel laureates in Physics in 1918 and 1927, respectively.
The concepts of quantum mechanics are so unusual that Einstein
himself did not accept this theory as complete. Niels Bohr had
already warned in 1927 that “anyone not shocked by quantum
theory has not understood it”. According to quantum mechanics
the state of a physical system is the sum of all the
information that can be extracted from the system
when performing any measurement, including the
sum of these states. In other words, the state of
a physical system is the sum of all its possible
states. This phenomenon called “overlay” is one
of base principles for QC.
A theoretical experiment known as “Schrödinger’s
cat” demonstrates the strange nature of quantum
overlays. Let’s suppose a cat is stuck in a box with
a bottle of poison which is released if a reaction
occurs in a particle quantum. The cat has a 50%
chance to stay alive or die. Based on quantum mechanics this
means that due to the superimposition of the states of the particle,
the cat is alive and dead at the same time while waiting only for
the influence of the observer to set its state.
Here enters another important principle, the Heisenberg Uncertainty
Principle, which states that we cannot determine simultaneously
and accurately the position and the time of a particle. To relieve
the cat from the situation and to know what happened, you must
open the box and spy. As the measurement of the state of the
system is made, it collapses into a single state, alive or dead.
Until this occurs the states are superimposed.
If you are a little shocked by what you are reading here, it means
we are on the right track…
While a classical computer uses electrical pulses to represent
the state of the bits with values 0 or 1, QC uses particles and
quantum properties overlapped, such as atoms that are excited or
not, photons that can be simultaneously in two places, electrons
and positrons or protons and neutrons with overlapping states.
A single transistor molecule may contain several thousand protons
and neutrons that can serve as qubits. The superimposition makes
it possible to represent much more data, increasing the capacity
of communication channels, allowing QC to process exponentially
faster than traditional computing. Instead of processing one
unit of data at a given time, QC will “think” in blocks processing
several data units at once as if it was only one.
Google demonstrated in December 2009 in
a controversial quantum chip developed by
D-wave an image search engine which, by using
superimposition, operated faster than current
search engines. It is as if you could search for
your socks in all drawers at once.
Another important application is quantum
encryption where a server scrambles qubit A
into qubit B and sends respectively to machines
A and B. What the server writes in your qubit is
replicated to the qubits of machine B, without the
risk of being blocked since it makes no physical contact, but uses
another phenomenon called, not coincidentally, teleportation.
Quantum systems continue to be difficult to control because
they are sensitive to even minimal interference and because
the window of time to control the particles is still very small.
However, despite these challenges, there is consensus that
this technology has developed faster than initially imagined.
With quantum computing, can we say that classic computation
is alive and dead at the same time?
For further information:
http://www.fisica.net/computacaoquantica/
http://qubit.lncc.br/index.html
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
15. 15
THE CHALLENGE OF LEGFACY SYSTEMS MODERNIZATION
Victor Amano Izawa
Most companies have a need to modernize their
systems to meet their business needs. These
updates are complex as they often involve
major changes to software that supports critical
business changes.
Modernization may be required for a variety of reasons, some of
which include 1. Compliance with regulatory laws; 2. Cut costs;
3. Optimize business processes. All of these are necessary for
an enterprise to stay ahead in a highly competitive market.
When it comes to modernization of legacy systems, cost is the
major cause that prevents companies from updating their systems.
Even though these expenditures are considered a critical
investment for the business, there is another obstacle which
discourages many ideas and proposals for modernization.
A modernization process can be long drawn and the process
may result in impact to their business process.
Does this mean that they should sacrifice their business and
remain less competitive? How can they mitigate this risk?
One solution adopted by many companies is to modernize
their infrastructure systems using distributed architectures
(high-performance clusters). Thus, companies can keep their
legacy systems with high performance and capacity, using high
processing power computers, rapid response hard drives for
large data volumes and optical fiber networks with high capacity
of data transfer.
When companies are developing a modernization strategy for
their systems, some factors, they should consider the adoption
of a software development process framework, scope and a risk
management approach.
Initially, a company must assess which of the available software
development process frameworks such as the Open Unified
Process (OpenUP) or Rational Unified Process (RUP), is best
suited to their requirements. A process framework enables an
organized and optimized modernization.
During modernization, it is possible, that many improvements
are presented as system requirements. It is important that each
one is analyzed and understood so that the defined scope is
not altered, because the inclusion of a simple enhancement can
increase the complexity of the modernization, and consequently,
impact other areas of the system. This could result in the creation
of new risks to stability and the risk of increasing the cost of
development.
Therefore, managing risk is very important for certain modifications
to avoid future complications.
The challenge of modernization can be met as long as risks,
costs and the process as a whole are managed properly. In
the current market, a company must demonstrate competence
to always innovate and stay ahead of competition and wisely
manage new challenges.
For further information:
Legacy Systems: Transformation Strategies (2002) – William M. Ulrich; Prentice Hall PTR
Modernizing legacy systems: Software technologies, engineering processes, and business practices
(2003) – Robert Seacord, Daniel Plakosh, Grace Lewis; Addison-Wesley
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
16. 16
TECHNOLOGY FOR SMART CITIES
José Carlos Duarte Gonçalves
For quite a while we have been saying that globalization is
making the world increasingly flat, with fewer geographical
barriers. But we are beginning to realize a greater phenomenon:
the planet is becoming smarter.
When I started my career in IT, 33 years ago, the memory of
an IBM S/370 computer was able to store up to 64 Kilobytes of
information. Any mobile phone today has thousands of times
this amount of memory.
The reach of technology has also taken an enormous leap over
these years. Today there are more than four billion cell phone
users in the world, which represents nearly 70% of the world’s
population. By the end of 2010, it is estimated that there will
be more than a billion transistors for each human being, each
costing one tenth of a millionth of a cent. More than 30 billion
RFID (radio frequency identification) tags are estimated to be
in circulation and two billion people connected to the Internet.
What does it all mean? It means that for the first time in history the
digital and physical world infrastructures are converging. Virtually
anything can become digitally connected for a low cost. The world
is moving towards a trillion connected things – the “Internet of
Things” made up of cars, refrigerators, buildings, highways, etc.
But to build a truly smarter world we increasingly need to worry
about the environment, the sustainability of the planet and the
depletion of its natural resources.
Today we have the opportunity to use technology to solve or
minimize major problems of society, such as traffic jams, drinking
water conservation, distribution of food and energy and health
services, among others.
One of the most critical issues is transport with chaotic traffic
jams in all major cities.
Just in the city of São Paulo the cost of traffic jams, taking into
consideration the idle time of commuters in peak transit times,
has reached more than R$ 27 billion per year. If we also consider
the cost of fuel and the impact of pollutants on the health of the
population, we end up with an annual surcharge of R$ 7 billion.
How to address this challenge? Cities such as Stockholm,
Singapore, London and Brisbane are already seeking smart
solutions to better manage traffic and reduce pollution. The
initiatives range from traffic forecasting to intelligent and dynamic
toll systems. In Stockholm, with the implementation of the urban
toll, traffic jams have decreased by 25%, the pollution levels
by 40% and the use of public transport has increased by 40
thousand people per day.
Government leaders and institutions need to identify the right
opportunities and obtain the necessary investment through
incentives and support programs. Becoming smarter applies
not only to large corporations but also to small and medium sized
businesses, the engines of our economic growth.
We will be increasingly evaluated based on the way we apply
our knowledge and our capacity to solve big problems. We must
embrace the challenge in order to seek to solve the problems
and make cities smarter.
For further information:
http://www.ibm.com/innovation/us/thesmartercity
http://cities.media.mit.edu/
http://www.smartcities.info/
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
17. 17
EVERYTHING AS A SERVICE
Sergio Varga
The evolution and robustness of virtualization technologies, the
advances in the performance and capacity of servers and network
components, and the increase of multi-tenant applications have
allowed companies to provide a variety of solutions using the
“as a Service (aaS)” model. Applications that until recently were
not imagined to follow this model now do so. For example, in late
2009 IBM released TivoliLive, a monitoring environment that uses
the “Monitoring as a Service” model. Other examples include
Box.net and Salesforce.com that integrate document storage
and customer relationship management offering new combined
services based on the “Software as a Service” (SaaS) model.
Communication as a Service
(CaaS), Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS), Platform as a Service
(PaaS), and Service Management
as a Service (SMaaS) are other
examples of this service model
that has gained wide adoption
in the last few years. According
to an IDC forecast this market
will grow from US$ 17.4 Billion in
2009 to more than US$ 44 Billion
in 2013. Research from Saugatuck
Technologies outlines that by the end of 2012 70% of the small
and medium size companies and 60% of large companies will
have at least one SaaS application. This shows that the service
model will not be tied to a particular company size.
The first large class of applications to leverage this service
model were Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
applications mainly targeting end-users. Following CRM other
applications began to be ported to this model. Today the long
list of applications includes custom applications developed
in-house. Other relevant use cases of aaS solutions are pilot
projects and analysis of applications to be implemented within
companies.
An important reason for the proliferation of aaS applications
is cloud computing becoming a reality. Several companies
are making cloud-based infrastructure available: Amazon
released Elastic Compute Cloud in 2006 and IBM released
Cloudburst in 2009.
However, a 2008 IDC study identified four major challenges
with making the “as a Service” model more pervasive: security,
performance, availability, and integration. Enhancing the security
of the deployed solutions and guaranteeing data privacy are key
priorities for companies that offer applications using the “as a
Service” model. Another priority is making applications available
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
at an acceptable performance level.
In addition to deploying servers
with high processing power, nu-merous
network presence points
around the globe are necessary
to minimize network latency. High
availability in these environments
requires continuity planning and
uninterrupted monitoring. A further
challenge is enabling solutions that
are easy to integrate with other
client systems, possibly hosted
on different cloud platforms in the future.
Despite these challenges, the easy implementation, the low
cost, and the lack of need to invest in hardware and software are
the greatest benefits for clients adopting applications offered
using this service model.
What might we witness in the near future? IT companies will
compete in this market where consumers will not invest heavily in
IT assets but will increasingly use business solutions as services.
For further information:
http://blogs.idc.com/ie/?p=543
www.ibm.com/services/us/gts/flash/tivoli_live.swf
http://www.saugatech.com/
18. 18
THE FOG AND THE FROG
Wilson E. Cruz
One of the most disturbing facts of our time is the excess of stimuli
that today goes through our eyes and ears and with any luck,
invades our brains. Every time someone comes along saying:
“it’s a lot of information! I can’t manage it!”
The phenomenon, pretty new, growing dizzyingly, and already
at the threshold of sanity, has disturbed at both personal and
professional levels the majority of the “connected” people.
To help me in the diagnosis of the situation, and open the door to
some themes of reflection, I use here Dee Hock, the founder of
the concept that defines the VISA Organization, and his fantastic
book “Birth of the Chaordic Age”: “Over time, the data turns
into information, information turns
into knowledge, knowledge turns
into understanding and, after a
long time (...) understanding can
transform into wisdom. (...). Native
societies (...) had time to develop
the understanding and wisdom”.
Note that the word “time” appears
three times.
Leveraging the fifth anniversary
of the Mini Paper Series, and
its tradition as an instrument of
dissemination, I venture some
issues and ideas that might bring some light to those who seek
direction in the middle of mist. Let’s start with the questions:
• How many Mini Papers have you read? More importantly,
how many of them have you sought information from the
section “To find out more”?
• Why does the result of your search in those famous sites go
out in that order, even though all the first hundred answers
have 100% adherence to your search argument?
• Finally, what does a frog do when it is in the middle of a fog?
If your answers did not bring you the feeling that you are just
scratching the surface of the most important issues of your life,
don’t waste your time with the rest of this article. Go to the next
subject, and then to the next. If, on the other hand, the answers
left you a bit uncomfortable or wary, it is worthwhile to reflect on
some points (reflect, not necessarily agree).
• Get out of that trap that “the most accessed is the best”. In
any popular website, at the top of the list of recommendations,
appears the most downloaded, the most widely read news,
and the most watched video. Who ensures that the quantity
(especially the amount generated by others) guarantees
you quality?
• Create, grow and retain your sources list, based on your
system of values and preferences. You pay your bills, so
you are not a slave to the “universal encyclopedia” of others.
• Pay attention and preferably formalize your rules and merit
criteria. What is good for you? What matters for you?
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
• Set aside time to discuss. It has
been said here, but it is worth
repeating that at the end of
the frantic sequence ranging
from noise to the wisdom, the
discussion is the final filter.
• Finally, slow down. Pre-med-i-tat-
ed-ly. Cal-cu-lat-ed-ly. Note
that, right near the ground there
is less fog, and give little leaps,
shorter and accurate, spending
more time on the ground to look
around and evaluate the world.
In the middle of this, how about the birthday of the TLCBR
(six years!) and the Mini Paper Series (five years)? They can
be disseminators of information and useful knowledge, which
is quite much in this dense and low fog. However, I hope for
more. I hope to see them as the “native society” by Dee Hock,
seeking the thought, reflection, and with this, the understanding
and the wisdom.
For further information:
http://www.onevoeiroeosapo.blog.br
HOCK, Dee - “Birth of the Chaordic Age” – Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 1st Edition/ 1st Printing
edition (January 1, 2000)
19. 19
BEST PRACTICES IN REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION
Cássio Campos Silva
The activity of requirements elicitation is one of the most important
software engineering practices. Through this activity, the aim is
the understanding of user needs and business requirements,
in order to address them later through a technological solution.
In specialized literature, some works adopt the term elicitation,
instead of gathering, because this practice is not only the
gathering of requirements, but also the identification of facts
that compose them and the problems to be solved. For being
an interpersonal activity, this practice is very dependent on the
analyst’s understanding skills and on the user skills in expressing
their needs.
In a survey conducted by the Standish Group, five critical factors
for the success of a project were mapped: user engagement,
executive management support, clear descriptions of the
requirements, proper planning, and realistic expectations. Note
that the text in bold are the factors directly related to requirements.
Considering the complexity of requirements elicitation activities
and the dependence of the relationship between involved parties,
analysts should adopt a few good practices in order to facilitate
this process:
Preparation: Prepare in advance and in a proper manner for
the planned activities, which are generally conducted through
interviews, questionnaires, brainstorms and workshops.
Stakeholders: Map (in advance) who will be the participants
of the process, what are their roles in the project and in the
organization and what are their levels of knowledge and
influence. It is imperative that the right people are involved
as soon as possible.
Posture: Always look for effectiveness in communications, and
try to demonstrate prudence during conflict situations.
Understanding: Try to focus on understanding the problem and
avoid precipitate conclusions. In this first moment, the most
important thing is to know how to listen.
Past experiences: Positively use previous experiences to better
understand the problem. Avoid considering that the current
problem is the same as any other that has been solved in a
past client or project.
Documentation: Describe the problem in a clear and objective
manner. In case of doubt, consult the client and avoid inferences.
Try to use examples cited by stakeholders. The adoption of diagrams
and figures always help in the documentation and understanding
of the requirements. The creation of prototypes also contributes
to the common understanding of the proposed solution.
Validation: Ensure that stakeholders validate the documentation,
verifying the understanding of the problem and the desired
improvements and eventually make requests for changes.
At the end of the process it might be possible to demonstrate, in
documental form, the understanding of the problem, customer
needs and opportunities for improvements. This will delimit the
scope of the project and should guide the design of the solution,
as well as the project planning.
The measurement of the size, complexity and risks of a project
will depend on the quality and coherence of the requirements. It
is crucial that this activity is performed in a criterious and detailed
manner, because any failure in this moment could generate
unsuccessful projects, financial losses and unsatisfied customers.
For further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requirements_elicitation
http://www.volere.co.uk
Book: Requirements Engineering 2nd Edition-Ken Jackson
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
20. 20
THE MAN WHO SAW THE SHAPE OF THINGS
Fábio Gandour e Kiran Mantripragada
Benoît Mandelbrot died on October 14, 2010. He could have
been just another exotic name of science but he was much more
than that. Polish-born from a Jewish family, Mandelbrot was born
in Warsaw in 1924, into a family with a strong academic tradition.
He first studied in France and then in the United States. In 1958,
he began working as a scientist at the IBM T.J. Watson Research
Lab, where he advanced to IBM Fellow and Scientist Emeritus.
Benoît Mandelbrot was the mathematician who best understood
and published a new formulation for
representing the natural phenomena.
His understanding has led to the
creation of the word “fractal”, inspired
by the Latin word fractus meaning
broken, or shattered. He affirmed
that nature is governed by Fractal
geometry, because Euclidean
geometry couldn’t describe more
complex natural forms such as
clouds, trees, the path of rivers and
mountain ranges.
The classical Euclidean Geometry is
built from 3 elements: point, line and
plane. The point has no dimension,
i.e., it is a zero-dimensional element.
The line has a single dimension, the
length, and therefore, can provide a measurable quantity. Finally,
the plane presents two dimensions, length and width. With these
3 elements, Euclid of Alexandria, who lived between 360 and
295 B.C., built the Euclidean geometry.
Some mathematicians, such as Bernhard Riemann, observed
that the concepts described by Euclid can be extrapolated to
objects of “n” dimensions, such as hiperesferas, hyperplanes,
n-dimensional simplex and other “figures”.
Mandelbrot, with a brilliant observation noted that there are
“broken” dimensions, meaning that there are “n-dimensional”
objects, where “n” is a real number. Thus, if a line has a single
dimension and the plane has two dimensions, what would be a
“1.5 dimensional” object? In fact, Mandelbrot showed that such
objects exist and can be described by the theory which he called
the fractal geometry.
Fractal geometry study objects with interesting properties, as for
example, the Sierpinski Carpet, which is the result of successive
removal of the central square, after the division of the original
major square into nine equal and smaller squares, forming an
object with an area that tends to zero and perimeter that tends
to infinity. The image shown below is an extrapolation from the
“Sierpinski Carpet” to the “Sierpinski Cube”. Observe that the
cracks [fracture] of a dimension into another minor, of the same
shape and contained within the first, creates an endless dimension.
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
Benoît Mandelbrot may have been
a victim of his own creation because
the images constructed from the
Fractal geometry had a strong
appeal to the world of the arts.
This appeal made Fractal geo-metry
to be seen and used more
as an illustration tool than as a
mathematical model for repre-sentation
of nature. For example,
the search of the word “fractal” on
Google Images features more than
1 million results, all of them of great
visual appeal.
For being a mathematician, Man-delbrot
has never been considered a candidate for the Nobel
Prize, because there is no such category in the awards. But the
practical use of Fractal geometry can, in the future, recognize
his contribution to other areas, such as Physics or Economics.
If anyone shows, for example, that the evolution of financial crises
has also a fractal behavior, justice will have been made. In another
line, Stephen Wolfram and cellular automata theory, explained
in his book “A New Kind of Science”, can be the beginning of
the correction of this historical misconception.
For further information:
http://tinyurl.com/34f59ty
http://www.math.yale.edu/mandelbrot/
http://www.wolframscience.com/
21. 21
SOFTWARE METRICS
Daniela Marques
The fact that quality is an important item for any product or service
is not disputed. Software that is used to support the various
business lines in companies must also demonstrate higher quality
levels with each new version. It is also a fact that new versions
are required to meet new demands, as well as offering new
features to customers. This brings up the question of how to
increase productivity in software development while maintaining
or increasing quality standards.
Software metrics are among the tools employed by Software
Engineering. These metrics can be as considered a set of attributes
of the software development cycle, that were previously known
and documented.
Despite the existence of
IEEE 1061-1998, a lack of
consensus on the use of these
metrics still persists, though
few doubts remain that they
are essential to the software
development process. After
all, with metrics it is possible to
perform analysis on informa-tion
Qualitative analysis of defects found
Data Code Environment Requirements
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
collected in order to be
able to track software development, make plans to keep the
project on schedule and achieve the desired level of quality.
Regarding quality, it is important to stress that everyone involved in
the process of developing software must participate in determining
the software quality levels, as well as in the resolution of any non-compliance
to the originally specified requirements.
Software metrics can be divided into direct measures (quantitative)
and indirect measures (qualitative). Direct measures are those
that represent an observed quantity, such as cost, effort, number
of lines of code, execution time and number of defects. Indirect
measures are those that require analysis and are related to the
functionality, quality, complexity and maintainability.
Software metrics directly assist in project planning. For example,
the metric “LOC (Lines of Code)” is used to estimate time and
cost by counting lines of code.
The productivity during each test (derived from the execution time)
and the number of defects found provide the information needed
to estimate project completion and the effort required for each
testing phase. The amount of defects found also provides data
for determining the quality of the software (an indirect measure)
and root cause analysis of defects helps to formalize a plan for
improvements in future versions (see example in chart).
There are several existing metrics with many applications
in the software life cycle. It is the responsibility of the project
manager to coordinate ac-tions
to determine the quality
standards required and defi-ne
which elements should be
measured and monitored
during the cycle. Collecting
this information allows not
only a better monitoring of
the software development
process, but also the quali-tative
analysis of the software as a product. Historical metrics
allow change requests or new feature proposals to be more
accurately estimated, since similar projects tend to go through
the same problems and solutions.
To maintain or raise the software quality level it is essential to
measure and monitor throughout the development cycle. Metrics
provide not only a vision of the real situation but also allow you to
plan and take action in the search for continuous improvement.
For further information:
http://www.kaner.com/pdfs/metrics2004.pdf
http://standards.ieee.org/findstds/standard/1061-1998.html
22. 22
COMPETENCY-BASED MANAGEMENT: IT’S KSA TIME
Pablo Gonzalez
It can be said that managing people is a constantly evolving
science filled with challenges. In this context, a management
model that is becoming increasingly popular in organizations
is the so-called competency-based management model, with
a main goal to nurture and better prepare employees for higher
productivity and suitability to the business, thus enhancing the
intellectual capital of the organization.
Based on this, managing competencies means to coordinate
and encourage employees to reduce their gaps (points for
improvement), know what they are capable of executing (current
competencies) and understand what the company expects of
them (competencies required).
The term “competency” can be represented
by three correlated properties summarized
by the acronym KSA — Knowledge, Skill and
Attitude. Knowledge refers to the assimilation
of information one has acquired throughout life,
and that impacts their judgment or behavior
— the experience. Skill refers to the productive
application of knowledge — the know-how.
Finally, Attitude refers to one’s conduct in
different situations and in society — the action.
To illustrate the application of this concept in
an organization let us imagine that, on a scale of zero to ten, your
skill in “negotiation” is six. Assuming the minimum level required
by the company to be ten, we can say that you have a gap of
value four in this competency. Based on such result, together
with results of other techniques for performance analysis such
as 360-degree feedback, a plan is created to reduce the gaps
and through which the company will suggest how and when
these gaps will be addressed. The goal is to enhance existing
competencies aligned to the strategic objectives of the organization
through an individual professional development plan.
The implementation of competency-based management is not
complex but requires a few specific methods and instruments.
Having a well-defined mission, vision, values, strategic goals
and processes are some of the key steps for its adoption.
HR is responsible for setting the array of required competencies
in collaboration with managers of each area. Another essential
factor is to maintain active communication throughout the
project, in order to clarify objectives and maintain evaluated
employees awareness of the outcomes. It is also noteworthy
that the lack of preparation for evaluators to provide feedback as
well as resistance from employees might hinder model adoption;
this difficulty, however, can be mitigated through prior training
and awareness.
The use of technology may be an accelerator since it assists in
the identification and storage of competencies over time, as well
as allowing for the generation of charts and reports for analysis.
Following this model, the company can better structure the
professional roles and competencies that
are essential for their business, increase
task efficiency, identify talent, and ensure
professionals have the necessary competitive
edge to succeed.
Thus, competency management is flexible
enough to be adopted by companies of all
sizes, from small to multinational organizations,
proving to be feasible and effective in multiple
scenarios.
Companies such as Coca-Cola, IBM, Embraer,
Petrobras and Shell, among many others, have already adopted
measures aimed at competency-based management and report
significant improvements in terms of task effectiveness, employee
recognition and motivation, among other benefits.
In short, it is up to the company to use this model in a cycle
of continuous improvement in which, at every new project or
evaluation cycle, new indicators should be created, and old ones
re-evaluated in order to measure results and plan the next steps.
It is within this context that competency-based management leads
to corporate excellence and satisfaction of those who represent
the greatest asset of a company: its people.
For further information:
http://slidesha.re/19HNtL
http://bit.ly/fMylgE
http://www.gestaoporcompetencias.com.br
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
23. 23
DAILY SCRUM FOR EVERYONE!
Renato Barbieri
It’s lunchtime at the Morumbi
Shopping mall in Sao Paulo.
I arrived early since – as
regulars know – it is the
only way to secure spots
at the larger tables on the
mall’s restaurants without a
reservation. At the chosen
restaurant, waiters and
maitres are all standing up,
gathered in a circle. The
maitres lead a quick meeting
with general guidelines and
a few specifics. New waiters are presented to the team and
receive a warm welcome. Some waiters share anecdotes, ask
quick questions and after ten to fifteen minutes the meeting is
closed. This episode occurs daily in all restaurants of this chain,
according to one of the maitres. Scene cut.
The Agile Movement was born as an initiative of software developers
with the goal of finding alternatives to traditional development
methods so as to turn this activity into something lighter and nimbler;
this undertaking resulted in the publication of the Agile Manifest
in February 2001. Among the new methodologies that emerged
from this movement, eXtreme Programming (XP) preaches, as
one of its basic principles, to hold daily meetings taking no longer
than fifteen minutes, in which all participants remain standing and
share experiences and issues at hand. Another agile methodology,
Scrum, also encourages quick daily meetings known as Daily
Scrum Meetings (or simply Daily Scrum), with the same purpose:
share experiences and issues in a fast, agile and frequent way.
In a Daily Scrum, each participant must answer three basic
questions:
• What has been done since the last meeting?
• What do I intend to do until the next meeting?
• What prevents me from proceeding?
The idea is not to turn those moments into mere status report
meetings, but to share what each member has done and will
do to achieve the group’s collective goal. Issues and inquiries
are only briefly mentioned, as their details and solutions should
be tackled externally with the appropriate people.
The Scrum methodology includes a facilitator in the team, the
Scrum Master, who has a fundamental role in Daily Scrum.
He acts as a moderator and the guardian of the methodology,
not allowing discussions to extend beyond the given time and
scope. He keeps the focus on essentials and points out any
overdoings and distractions.
The practice of Daily Scrum can be adopted in many situations
beyond software development. We have practical usage examples
in support teams and restaurants (as shown in the example at
the beginning of this article,), adapted to their needs but keeping
its primary objective: collaboration in teamwork.
And why not adapt a good idea? It is common to think of
methodologies as “straitjackets” that, instead of supporting
and helping professionals, restrict actions and inhibit creativity.
This is an outdated concept unfitting of the Agile Movement.
Best practices are flexible by nature and allow for reviewing of
its own concepts and implementations. The Daily Scrum is no
exception and doesn’t even need to be daily (as the original
name suggests) but should be frequent. And most important
of all: these meetings should foster the union of its participants
and ensure that, for each one of them, they all collaborate to
achieve a common goal.
For further information:
http://www.agilemanifesto.org
http://www.scrumalliance.org
http://www.extremeprogramming.org
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
24. 24
HOW TO PLEASE THE CUSTOMER WHO CONTRACTS SERVICES?
Rosemeire Araujo Oikawa
Imagine the following real-life situations:
• Running out of towels in a hotel room after returning from a
whole day at the beach;
• Receiving your car from the valet with scratches after a
perfect dinner in a restaurant;
• Waiting ten minutes for your call to be answered by a Call
Center and then not getting your problem solved.
The list of adverse situations that may happen when contracting
services is huge. As customers have become more demanding
and aware of their rights, the tendency is that this list continues
to grow so service provider companies must be prepared to
deal with it.
Nowadays, the services market
represents 68.5% of the world’s
GDP. Companies have learned
to outsource what is not their
business’ focus, to sell products
as services, to provide specialized
services, and many are learning
how to work in a process-driven
fashion. With all that being said,
it seems some forget the most
important thing: to meet a customer’s expectations.
Establishing a SLA (Service Level Agreement) is the key to start
a successful relationship with the client. This document is the
means by which the service provider translates the customer’s
expectations on goals to be delivered, penalties which may be
applied and duties that should be discharged. The challenge
here is to have well-defined SLAs, because faults occur precisely
when client’s expectations are not correctly translated in this
agreement.
In order to have well-defined SLAs, the following aspects should
be taken into consideration:
• To understand the needs of the service’s users (‘user’ is
the person who uses the service, and ‘customer’ is the one
who pays for it);
• To understand how the service will support a customer’s
business and the impacts it can have on them;
• To establish achievable and truly measurable levels;
• To structure the agreement with a service provider mindset,
and not with one of a product seller;
• To create a cost model that supports service levels offered
to the client;
Agriculture Manufacture
Service
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
• To specify service levels for
all main service components,
including outsourced parts;
• To define agreements with the
internal and external teams res-ponsible
for service execution.
The effectiveness in defining and
managing SLAs is the basis for
the delivery of quality services.
The formalization of a client’s
expectations and the clear under-standing
between parties about what was contracted and what
will be delivered shape the perception about a service, making
it measurable and precise.
To achieve a SLA is to deliver what is expected, while exceeding
it might compromise the cost and even to pass unnoticed by
the client. On the other hand, failing SLAs may compromise
the relationship with the client, or the perception of the overall
service quality. SLAs should be more than just measurements,
but rather an instrument supporting the continuous improvement
of services and companies’ business processes.
For further information:
http://www.gartner.com/DisplayDocument?id=314581
Source of data: Banco Mundial http://data.worldbank.org
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
1800 1815 1830 1845 1860 1875 1890 1905 1920 1935 1950 1965 1980 1995 2000
Fonte dos dados: Banco Mundial (http://data.worldbank.org)
0%
25. 25
SPECIAL IBM CENTENARY: SAGE, A CRADLE FOR INNOVATION
Marcelo Sávio
The United Stated Air force, driven by the impact of the explosion
of soviet experimental atomic bombs in the early 50, initiated
an ambitious project called SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground
Environment) for the creation and implementation of a defense
system against bombers.
This system was deployed between 1957 and 1961 and operated
in a distributed fashion over twenty-three data processing centers
installed in huge bunkers in North America, each containing two
large computers called AN/FSQ-7 (Army-Navy Fixed Special
eQuipment). This machine, specially designed by IBM, was
labeled an “electronic brain” by the press headlines of the time,
and to this date it is considered the largest computer that has
ever existed: it weighed over 250 tons and contained over 50
thousand electronic valves, consuming 3 megawatts of electricity.
This system processed data from hundreds of radar stations,
calculated air routes and compared these against stored data
to enable quick and reliable decision-making to defend against
enemy bombers, potentially loaded with highly destructive
nuclear weapons.
To make such complexity work, a number of innovations were
introduced in the project, such as the use of modems for digital
communication through ordinary telephone lines, interactive video
monitors, computer graphics, magnetic-core memories, software
engineering methods (the system had more than 500 thousand lines
of code written by hundreds of programmers), error-detection and
system maintenance techniques, real-time distributed processing,
and high availability operations (each bunker had always one of
its two computers running in stand-by mode).
The experience acquired by participating companies (Bell,
Burroughs, IBM, MIT, SDC and Western Electric) and individuals
were subsequently extended to other military and civilian systems
projects. For instance, some worked on the design of ARPANET,
the computer network that resulted in the Internet that we all use.
Others worked in the system of civil air traffic control for the FAA
(Federal Aviation Administration) in the United States. SAGE
also served as a model for the SABRE system (semi-automatic
Business-Related Environment), created by IBM in 1964 to track
American Airlines flight reservations in real time – a system still
running to this date.
SAGE was operational until the end of 1983; nonetheless, when it
was completed in early 1962, the main threats to air safety were
no longer bombers, but fast intercontinental ballistic missiles
against which the system was rendered useless. Despite its
premature obsolescence , SAGE marks an important milestone
in the history of science and technology: by becoming the first
real-time, geographically distributed online system in the world,
it explored uncharted territory, with the help of innovative ideas
and technologies that remarkably contributed to raise the then-newborn
computer industry.
For further information:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/icons/sage/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCCL4INQcFo
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
26. 26
KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION: THE CONSULTANT’S CHALLENGE
Márcia Vieira
Current society, whichis being called “Hypermodern”, promotes
a culture marked by excessive consumption of information,
disposable things and temporary relationships. The pace of
change and the lack of time lead to an accelerated way of life,
and a state of constant attention and search for information about
multiple subjects. This new scenario generates job opportunities
for consulting on various organizational disciplines, such as
Corporate Governance, Information Technology, Marketing and
Sales, amongst others.
According to the Brazilian Institute of Organization Consultants,
consultancy work can be defined as “the
interactive process between a change agent
(external and/or internal) and his/her client,
where the agent takes the responsibility to
help client’s executives and employees in
the decision making, though not having
direct control of the situation that should
be changed by him/her”.
As a change agent, the consultant must be
skilled in identifying and solving problems,
and demonstrate a passion for disseminating
knowledge. When this does not occur, there is a risk of being
discarded by the logic of Hypermodernity. It basically means that
in order to be a good consultant in any organizational discipline,
one must seek useful, practical and applicable knowledge, with
a result-driven focus. Keeping your skills current, and extending
one’s knowledge, is the greatest challenge and, at the same time,
one of the biggest motivators in the consulting professional career.
Good memories in my career as consultant remind me of
distinguished professionals who had the ability to provide
creative solutions and to achieve great results from a wide range
of information and acquired knowledge.
As knowledge is the consultant’s essential raw material, one can
state that the knowledge generation process is the starting point,
where consultants must always seek a cause and effect, and
manage customer expectations regarding problem resolutions.
Knowledge generation establishes a continuous cycle and a
synergistic relationship between explicit and tacit knowledge.
Explicit knowledge, in general, is easier to get, through corporate
knowledge bases, courses, training, or available media. Yet, the
tacit knowledge results from a professional’s work experience. In
a globalized world, it becomes more difficult to integrate these
knowledge types. For this reason, it is vital
that the consultant maintains an extensive
relationship network, and develops new ways
of acting together, with individuals and groups
(teamwork), for the purpose of integrating
the parties and problem views, as well as
deepening all its aspects. The knowledge
integration competency and the ability to get
an overview of the whole are fundamental
to the consultant.
In addition, to get the understanding of how
the concepts are built and articulated, and not just to accept
the parties’ point of view, helps to identify problems, suggest
changes and bring other cultures’ view. The consultant is one that
in addition to having the know how must learn how to think and,
therefore, must have a high level of education and an attitude
of lifelong learning, where learning how to learn and team work
skills are a guiding principle.
For further information:
http://www.ibco.org.br/
Books: Apprentices and Masters: The new culture of learning. Juan Ignácio Pozo (2002) and Introduction
to thought complex. Edgar Morin (2003)
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
27. 27
SPECIAL IBM CENTENARY: IBM RAMAC: THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IN COMMERCIAL COMPUTING
José Alcino Brás
During the 1950s computers were no longer restricted to military
applications, and started to be required for the automation of
enterprise business processes. In order to meet this market
demand, in 1956, IBM released the IBM 305 RAMAC (Random
Access Method of Accounting and Control), its first mass-produced
computer, designed to run accounting and commercial
transactions control applications, such as order processing,
inventory control and payroll.
The big news with the 305 RAMAC wasn’t its processing power
but the use of a new peripheral device for data I/O called “IBM
350 disk storage unit”, which allowed very fast data writing and
reading compared to other storage media used until then. Having
the size of two refrigerators, the IBM 350 consisted of 50 disks
of 60 cm diameter centrally mounted on a single pivot propelled
by an engine, adding up to 5 megabytes of capacity accessed
at a rate of 10 kilobytes per second.
The RAMAC disk drive represented a true milestone in
technology evolution, in which several technical barriers were
overcome, such as finding the suitable material for making the
disk and the magnetic surface, and creating a mechanism
for reading and writing with a fast and accurate movement,
by positioning it in the physical location of the data which
spun at the speed of 1,200 rotations per minute. Besides
that, it had to guarantee not to physically touch the magnetic
disk surface, by injecting compressed air between the disk’s
surface and the read and write head.
By allowing the information to be written, read and changed in a
few seconds, and, more important, to be accessed in a random
fashion, it eliminated the need for sorting before data processing,
which until then was a requirement imposed by the technology
of magnetic tape or punch card equipment that were the most
used data store methods at the time.
RAMAC’s success made its production achieve more than 1,000
units sold and installed around the world, including Brazil, where
it arrived in 1961. This machine ended the era of punch cards
and introduced a new era, where corporations began to use
computers to conduct and streamline their businesses, making
use of online transaction processing and storing large volumes
of data on magnetic disks.
The technology introduced by RAMAC was the seed that originated
the magnetic disks produced up to the present day — formerly
called “winchesters”, then “hard drives” and just “HDs”, today —
that nowadays are available on the market with a storage capacity
greater than 2 terabytes, spinning at 15 thousand rotations per
minute and reaching data transfer rates that exceed 200 megabytes
per second (more than 20 thousand times higher than IBM 350).
Maybe that group of engineers from IBM’s lab did not imagine
that RAMAC would represent the beginning of an era to one of
the most important technologies in the computer industry? One
that would completely change the storage and processing of
information, an intangible good, with a great value to several
society segments, which in turn keep demanding and generating
even more information, in a last year’s estimated growth volume
of more than 1 zettabytes (1 million terabytes). Bring on the disks
to store it all!
For further information:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/icons/ramac/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVIKk7mBELI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOD1umMX2s8
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
28. 28
THE EVOLUTION OF THE IT SERVICES DELIVERY MODEL
Eduardo Sofiati
The IT services market has evolved significantly in recent years.
Providers and customers aim to enlarge the terms of service
contracts, in order to obtain greater benefits – not just cost-reduction
– through better alignment between technology solutions and
business requirements.
The traditional model has specialized providers to deliver repetitive
services, which are based on efficiencies and scalability gains,
providing competitiveness. Since the IT services market has
many competitors, each provider aims to propose differentials
in order to attract and keep customers and thereby increase their
participation in this market.
Some providers are focused on models
that add more value to the offered services,
meeting the business requirements of their
customers. The provider, in this case, is
perceived by the client as a strategic partner
rather than a supplier and tends not to offer
commodities, but rather solutions.
As an example, we can mention the evolution
in the service offerings recently launched by
outsourcing segment of infrastructure and telecommunications,
which are aligned with latest technology trends, such as Cloud
Computing, SaaS (Software as a Service), Virtual Desktops,
Unified Communications and Network Security. This evolution
is transforming the traditional outsourcing model into a utility-based
model, which changes the concept of IT asset ownership.
According to Gartner, by 2012, 20% of enterprises will no longer
have IT assets, which turns into opportunities for providers
to leverage completed offers, capable of delivering services with
more agility and quality through the adoption of leading-edge
technologies
Regarding the performance of the service providers, there has
been a lot of evolution in recent years.
Through the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) they can
measure the effectiveness of the processes and technology
solutions that have been applied on contracts. SLAs (Service Level
Agreements), which been driving the outsourcing contracts for
quite some time, have also evolved in the definition of indicators
more aligned to services and systems availability which impact
clients business.
In order to survive and grow in this market so stirred up, while
still maintaining healthy results, service companies must follow
strategies which are being adopted, mainly in global companies:
Standardization: maximizing the use of common models for the
major part of the services portfolio, in order to enable repetition
in the delivery, resulting in economies of
scale and simplification in the structures
of the delivery;
Integration: Execute delivery models, as
efficiently as possible, using all the power
that the provider has, in order to obtain the
lowest possible cost with people taking
advantage of skills availability existent in
each region;
Automation: Reduce manual tasks at the
maximum in order to lower down costs and raise the quality of
service deliverables.
It is possible to reflect on the remarkable developments in IT
service delivery over the years. In the old format, providers
created a new approach for each project, offering customized
models for each customer, an inefficient method that generates
wastage of time and money. Currently they are looking for ways
to simplify the design of projects, particularly their bases, through
standardized and simplified models, based on best practices
and industry knowledge. With that, more time is used to solve
business problems specific to each customer, turning IT into an
arm that stimulates growth and generates savings, making the
company prepared to meet new challenges.
For further information:
http://www.ibm.com/services
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL
29. 29
SPECIAL IBM CENTENARY: IBM 1401, WHEN TIMES WERE DIFFERENT...
José Carlos Milano
Given the correct proportions, it could be said that the IBM 1401
computer was, in the Sixties, so important for the dissemination
of enterprise computing of small and medium-sized companies
as the PC is for consumers of today. To get an idea, over ten
thousand units of this model had been sold, when many readers
of this article had not even been born. Those were different
times for sure...
The 1401 was the first fully transistorized computer manufactured
by IBM (when it replaced the vacuum tubes). It was smaller and
more durable than its predecessors. It was released in 1959 and
sold until 1971 (and many continued to work into the 1980s). Its
success was so great and so much code had been developed
for it, that IBM was forced to create an emulator in microcode to
run the 1401 programs in the mainframe models that followed,
starting with the System/360, released in 1964. Surprisingly, many
of these emulators continued to be used in other mainframe
models until 2000, when finally the remaining programs for the
1401 had to be rewritten because of Y2K (millennium “bug”).
The ease of programming languages through the SPS (Symbolic
Programming System) and then with Autocoder were largely
responsible for the success of the 1401. Earlier, most computing
environments (called Data Processing Centers) consisted of the
“mainframe”, the 1401 itself, and the “frames” of the punch unit
and card reader (1402) and the printer (1403). Tape drives or
magnetic disks did not exist yet.
Since operating systems did not exist either, the creation of
executable code, from symbolic programming made by the user,
was very peculiar. The SPS program preceded the program written
by the user. All of the programming was done with punched
cards. By pressing the “load” button in the 1402 card reader, the
SPS program was loaded into the memory of the 1401 that would
then read and translate the user-written program to executable
code. Actually, the translation of the user program took place
in two stages. In the first, it generated a bunch of cards with
the partial translation. Those cards were then fed back into the
card reader of the 1402. Finally, the cards with the final program
were generated and were ready for execution.
The smallest addressable memory unit in the 1401 was the
“character”, comprised of eight bits (physically a ferrite core
for each bit). This “character” would be the equivalent of what
we now call “byte”, a term that just happened to exist in the
era of the System/360. Out of these eight bits, six were used
to represent the character, the seventh was the parity bit and
the eighth represented a “word mark”. A “word” in the 1401
represented a variable sequence of consecutive characters,
the last of which was called “word mark”. That’s why the 1401
was known as a machine that processed words of varying
sizes. Each instruction in its machine language could be 1, 4,
7 or 8 characters long.
Despite all the beauty of technology, it was not trivial to program
these fantastic machines, especially if compared with current
systems development environments. In the past 50 years, the
facilities and programming techniques today allow an enormous
productivity in code creation. Does anyone dare to estimate
how many lines of program code must exist in the world today?
For further information:
http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/icons/mainframe/
http://ibm-1401.info/index.html
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BRAZIL