Complex event processing (CEP) monitors, aggregates, and analyzes large volumes of events in real (or near real) time across multiple data streams to offer instantaneous insight into live data on markets, transactions, customers, and operations -- thus enabling immediate response and better decision making based on ti

Data volumes across almost all industries are literally exploding with event data streaming from a wide range of sources -- including distributed messaging systems, blogs, databases, enterprise applications, telemetry feeds, and sensor devices like RFID. The volume and frequency of the data make it difficult to analyze.

For the last 40 years, we struggled hard to develop the scientific base an engineering team needs -- "craftsmanship" is what we tried to overcome! Now a new movement is trying to drag us back into the old times of chaos.

A true craftsman, be he a writer, an actor, or a carpenter, is known for his artistry and the ability to execute tasks to a high level of perfection. When we examine the history of software engineering, however, the components necessary to place this profession alongside other esteemed crafts are often overlooked. Software engineering began similarly to other crafts, where over time rigor and discipline evolved as the profession matured and advanced.

After 60-plus years, it's high time our industry matured into an engineering discipline. By now generic, adaptable design models should have emerged and stood the test of time to become industry-wide standards. Such models would entail the automation of most manual -- and hence error-prone -- aspects of software construction, fine-tuning, and evolution.

In recent years, the "software craftsmanship" movement has articulated a sensibility long shared by senior developers entrusted to build high-functioning, complex systems.

Software systems become unmaintainable sooner or later. Modifications get more and more expensive, and after a while modifications become unaffordable. Eventually, the pain becomes intolerable, and a new system is developed. Then the same game starts over again.

The promoters of craftsmanship1, 2 have brought to the discourse about software development a fresh emphasis on care, creativity, and professionalism. Craftsmanship is attractive to developers and business alike; too much poor software is produced nowadays, and such software is in nobody's interest. However, neither is idealized software craftsmanship, which ignores business realities. The gap between turning out software and crafting physical products is deep and multidimensional.

The early days of computing were dominated by technology-savvy developers and technology-savvy users. Computer users were like customers at an amusement park who had to be "this tall to ride this ride," and just about everyone met the requirements. That pretty much put usability issues on the back burner and out of mind.

Recent advances in source code analysis techniques enable us to quantify technical debt. By so doing, software quality can be tied to cost and value through a common denominator: the dollar.

Three core questions need to be satisfactorily answered to effectively govern a software development project:

Why are we doing the project?

Can we afford the project?

Is the risk associated with the project acceptable?

Traditional process/compliance-centered approaches to IT governance have not proven totally effective against the general malaise of often poor return from IT investments. This Executive Report by Dr.

Traditional process/compliance-centered approaches to IT governance have not proven totally effective against the general malaise of often poor return from IT investments. This Executive Report by Dr.

When we hear the term "IT governance," our minds invariably are drawn to such topics as management, control, compliance, and ultimately the avoidance of the multitude of IT disasters that litter our IT implementation experience to date. After more than half a century of experience, why are we still bemoaning embarrassing time and cost overruns, functional mismatches, and IT infrastructure issues?

When we hear the term "IT governance," our minds invariably are drawn to such topics as management, control, compliance, and ultimately the avoidance of the multitude of IT disasters that litter our IT implementation experience to date. After more than half a century of experience, why are we still bemoaning embarrassing time and cost overruns, functional mismatches, and IT infrastructure issues?

IT industry

Society is becoming increasingly dependent on complex, technology-rich systems. With increased complexity comes increased potential for disaster, since we currently lack the ability to understand how such large-scale, interconnected systems behave and we cannot appreciate the growing level of systemic risk they present.

IT industry

Society is becoming increasingly dependent on complex, technology-rich systems. With increased complexity comes increased potential for disaster, since we currently lack the ability to understand how such large-scale, interconnected systems behave and we cannot appreciate the growing level of systemic risk they present.

With today's serious budgetary constraints, business and IT decision makers are forced to carry out rigorous due diligence in devising their business-IT alignment strategies. Practitioners must make sure that their strategies assimilate flexible business plans with scalable IT architectures and promote effective cost reductions while delivering the right business value or results.

Last week I was driving to one of my favorite restaurants, listening to National Public Radio. There was a story about the closing of an automobile factory in Fremont, California, USA (see "The End of the Line for GM-Toyota Joint Venture," 26 March 2010).

Last week I was driving to one of my favorite restaurants, listening to National Public Radio. There was a story about the closing of an automobile factory in Fremont, California, USA (see "The End of the Line for GM-Toyota Joint Venture," 26 March 2010).

A recent project of mine has been to improve the skills of a group of about 40 business analysts in a large insurance organization.

The majority of organizations using high-performance analytic databases are employing them for specific, compute-intensive applications intended to supplement the analytic processing of their main data warehouse. However, it appears that analytic databases are finding growing use as primary data warehouse databases as well.

Cloud computing has arrived, is rapidly maturing, and is nearing a tipping point for some enterprise solution realms.

Cloud computing has arrived, is rapidly maturing, and is nearing a tipping point for some enterprise solution realms.

In Greek mythology, Sirens were dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who resided on cliffs and rock-infested islands. Sailors who sailed near were compelled by the Sirens' enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast (adapted from Wikipedia).