The Future of Software

Continuing the trend-watching of Technology 2001, which discussed the technologies that could well define the computing and communications environment that lies ahead, The Future of Software assembles the observations of leading computer scientists, strategists, and planners in both business and academia, this time tackling software development. Despite the extraordinary advances during the past few years in computing power, Derek Leebaert and the other contributors see as the biggest challenge for the future the development of software that can fully exploit the the computer's ever-increasing capabilities. Each author addresses the particular aspect of software that is his or her specialty, examining how various developments and applications will transform the way we think about and use comptuters as we enter the next millennium. The topics include the history and evolution of software, the future of software and how it will change the way we live, software standardization, work group computing, computer supported collaboration, end-user programming, natural language and natural- intelligence capabilities and limitations, the Japanese software industry, software and the law, and the coordination of knowledge.