Global software teams

Whether you' already involved in a global software team, or planning to be, this book brings together the hard-headed analysis and proven "best practices" solutions you need to get the results you' aiming for.
Software development is tough enough when done locally -- it' even tougher when culture, language, distance and time-zone differences come into play.
Global Software Teams presents a blend of tough case studies and best-practices research to help you dramatically increase your odds of success.
Expert consultant Erran Carmel evaluates the success of global software teams to date, and shows the five "centrifugal forces" that can drive them apart.
Next, he introduces six equally powerful "centripetal forces" managers can use to keep things together: stronger telecom infrastructure, better collaborative technologies, a solid development methodology; careful architecture and task allocation; team building and more.
He offers carefully-considered ideas about integrating global IS organizations, and a "best practices" roundup of what really seems to work.
For all software professionals, especially those who organize, lead, or participate in, software teams that cross international boundaries.

FEATURES:

• Key technical, process, managerial and cultural issues unique to global software teams.
  
• Includes many real-world global case studies.
  
• What drives global teams apart -- and what helps them stick together.
  

Table of contents :

Acknowledgments ..... vii
Preface ..... ix
Part 1: Why Global Software Teams' ..... 1

Chapter 1: Why We're Seeing More Global Software Teams ..... 3
Chapter 2: Three Tales of Global Software Teams ..... 25
Chapter 3: The Bottom Line: Are Global Software Teams Successful' ..... 33

Part 2: The Five Centrifugal Forces OF Global Software Teams ..... 39

Chapter 4: Dispersion, Coordination Breakdown, Loss of "Communication Richness," and Loss of "Teamness" ..... 41
Chapter 5: Cultural Differences ..... 57

Part 3: The Six Centripetal Forces For Successful Global Software Teams ..... 81

Chapter 6: Telecommunications Infrastructure ..... 85
Chapter 7: Collaborative Technology: Generic Technology and Technology to Support Software Engineering ..... 91
Chapter 8: Development Methodology ..... 119
Chapter 9: Architecture & Task Allocation ..... 127
Chapter 10: Building the Dispersed Team through Trust, Communication, and Personal Bridges ..... 141
Chapter 11: Specialized Management Techniques ..... 173

Part 4: Global Information Systems Teams ..... 193

Chapter 12: Globalization and Information Systems ..... 195
Chapter 13: A Methodology for Defining Global Information Systems & Designing Global IS Teams ..... 205
Chapter 14: Holiday Inn's "A Passage To India" ..... 219

Appendix A: A Research & Data Collection Methodology ..... 229
Appendix B: Differences Between IS & Packaged Software Development Teams ..... 233
Glossary of Key Terms ..... 235
Endnotes ..... 239
References ..... 253
Index ..... 261