October 30, 2009, 0800-1045

(This is a temporary entry – there will be more description and perhaps more literature later….)

Creating technology is far from easy – specifically, creating software involves a number tools and techniques that are crucial to overcome the fact that systems are complicated, abstract, and involves interdependencies with many other systems. To understand this we will hear from some of the most experienced software engineers and software project managers in Norway.

Our guest lecturers on October 30 will be Dalip Dewan, Senior Vice President of Technology, and Rune Steinberg. Both work at Visma, one of the largest software companies in Norway.

Dalip Dewan has a very interesting background, has built large systems and been responsible for the design and building of software platforms to facilitate consolidation and integration of acquired software companies under the Visma umbrella. He is an excellent speaker and a very demanding discussant – come prepared!

With Dalip will be Rune Steinberg, a computer scientist who has collaborated with Dalip on the development of software engineering and management methods for more than 10 years.

I can promise an exciting class on how to manage software development, particularly integration of many systems, as well as real-world experience on how to manage the people that make the systems.

Read the following:

• if you do not have experience with computer programming, systems development or software engineering, read the appropriate Wikipedia entries and progress from there. Checking out entries on C, C++, Java, Ruby on Rails, client-server computing, object oriented programming, agile software development and extreme programming (not to mention SCRUM, very popular in Norway) may also be a useful exercise. Or read a book. There are plenty around.
• Dive into Neal Stephenson’s In the beginning was … the command line, probably the best piece on humans’ relationship with technology (and use of metaphors to understand it) ever written.