Dr Robert Firth is a Senior Member, Software Engineering Programme, NUS-ISS
- What are some of the current IT trends in Singapore now?
In general, I believe IT trends in Singapore tend to lag behind the US and Europe. One reason is that most IT in Singapore is done by or for multinational companies, which tend to be conservative in outlook and slow to adopt new IT ideas and practices. Another is that most entrepreneurs look for government funding, which tends to inhibit their creativity.
However, I do see two trends that might become significant. One is the interest in Agile programming principles, which is growing, as the demand for the ISS Scrum master course shows. I think this is an excellent development. A second is a slow, but visible, growth of “insourcing”, the pulling back of IT development into the parent company rather than sending it offshore. I also approve of this trend: if you measure the total life-cycle cost of ownership of IT, and not just the initial development cost, then insourcing makes a lot of sense because long-term maintenance of the product is faster, more responsive, and of higher quality if the expertise in in-house.
- What are some of the emerging IT trends of the future?
Clearly, “pervasive computing” is the prominent future trend. People now use computers not just at home or in the office, but on the move, and throughout the whole day. In parallel, we see the growth of social media, virtual communities, and continuous communication. This is a change as great as the invention of the agora by the Greek city states, which first brought people together physically to exchange ideas, goods, and services.
- What are some of the challenges of the IT industry and how does one keep up?
When I first entered this profession, in 1968, the main challenge was the rapid evolution of technology, both hardware and software. We were still learning about compilers, real-time kernels, multiprocessor systems, communications protocols, and so much more. Those concerns seem much smaller now, after 45 years of evolution.
The current challenges, as I see them, are twofold. First, how do we manage the transition to pervasive, ubiquitous computing in a way that maximises benefits while minimising risks and costs. Computers are now an unavoidable part of everyday life, and most of our built environment, from lifts in skyscrapers to the electricity grids of nations, depends on their correct, full-time functioning.
Secondly, how do we move computing from a largely functional role – accounts, emails, data storage – to a more hedonic role – social media, entertainment, value co-creation. To mention only motion pictures, the effective use of computers is something that Japanese anime does well, and the typical western blockbuster does very badly. The fate of Singapore’s motion picture “Zodiac” is a warning to us all that production values, not special effects, drive the user experience, and that those values are hard to realise.
If Singapore is to become a trend setter, rather than a trend follower, we must encourage better ideas, better development processes, and, above all, a realisation that almost all computing is now customer and user centred, not developer or company centred.
This article is first published in NUS-ISS quarterly e-newsletter, Issue 3 (Jul-Sep 2013).