Viernes 8 de Septiembre, 16:30 hs. (Aula II)

DR. MOHAMED E. FAYAD
J.D. Edwards Professor
Computer Science & Engineering Dept.,
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
fayad@cse.unl.edu, mfayad@computer.org, fayadm@acm.org
http://www.cse.unl.edu/~fayad

ABSTRACT:

Software has become a critical part of our daily lives. There are five significant points about software in general:
1. Software has and will continue to have the highest impact on the future economy. Currently, the software industry is having a major impact on the United States economy with an even greater potential in the future . According to the Business Software Alliance:
· Revenue: $102.8 billion in 1996 and shrink-wrapped software package sales reached $24.1 billion.

· Market position: Software is the third largest industry, behind care makers and electronics, in the U.S. economy in terms of value added.

· Growth: The software industry grew at a rate of 12.5 percent for the years 1990 through 1996, nearly 2.5 times faster than the overall U.S. economy. The packaged business software industry grew at even faster rate - 14.1 percent.

· Employment and wages: In the 1996 alone, the U.S. software industry directly employed 619,400 people. The software industry provides among the most highly paid and highly skilled jobs in the U.S. economy, with industry wages averaging nearly $60,000 annually per employee. The software industry's ripple effect created a total of 2,065,000 jobs and $83.7 billion in wages. By the year 2005, total direct and indirect employment will reach 3,345,000 jobs, paying 139.3 billion in wages.

· Taxes: The software industry generates at least $15.1 billion in direct and indirect federal and state tax receipts annually. These tax contributions will reach $25 billion by the year 2005.

· R&D: The software industry devotes more than 7 percent of its revenues to research and development spending, equal to 8.7 percent of total U.S. industry spending on research and development.

2. Software is the biggest cost item in any system development.
3. Software products must be treated as critical assets and essential resources.
4. Customers will be more involved in software development process.
5. Software standards to achieve uniformity, consistency, and completeness are essential.

In addition to direct and positive effects on the economy [Fayad94]:
1. The software industry serves as the engine for technical advancement and productivity gains in every other segment of the economy.
2. Software generates employment and improves productivity in other industries.
3. Software increases the standard of living.
4. Software is an agent of change, and practically every industry, in the U.S., is experiencing a transformation in how it works and an increase in productivity.

This keynote examines the situation of software industry in developed countries and discusses the problems, causes, and solutions.
 

Notes

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