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White paper
Instantly connecting developers
across the miles
How new technology accelerates the success of development teamsLike a team of star football players, software developers need to keep the communication lines open and work rapidly to move projects toward the goal line. However, the growing reliance on remote programmers means team players are not all on the same playing field, making it much harder to score. Shrinking travel budgets mean remote programmers won't be able to physically come together, increasing pressure on development directors.
When the team is distributed, developers often leverage instant messaging, email and conference calls to move projects along. If programmers are not able to rapidly share their ideas and concerns, production schedules move in slow motion.
What can be done to speed the efficiency of remote programmers? Is there an easy way to empower When programmers are in programmers to collaborate, regardless of their physical locations? remote locations, they are forced to employ time- To meet these challenges, many software development teams are turning to real-time online consuming processes that collaboration solutions. Designed to provide all the advantages of physically being in a single location, take them away from their these solutions allow remote developers to share their screens and interact live with their peers from core responsibilities any location. This white paper will examine key developer challenges and reveal the many advantages of real-time online collaboration solutions.
Challenges facing remote developers
Nothing beats face-to-face communication. However, booking flights to bring the team together is no longer an option for most developers. "People continue to go through tough times and cut back in travel. We are seeing some businesses that have a mandate to cut travel 30 to 50 percent," said Frost 1& Sullivan analyst Roopam Jain.
The ability to grab a programmer's eye is much more difficult when that person is outside the office. The benefits of white boarding a concept or reviewing code with peers are replaced by time-consuming documentation, tedious screen captures, detailed markups and endless phone calls.
Managing remote programmers can also be challenging. As one development director explained, "I have to make extra effort to maintain the quality of interactions and beware of how I say things, as my 2body language is not communicated via a telephone call."
Morale challenges also emerge. One remote programmer described, "I've learned to cope with a lot, and adapted my work habits. It has forced me to become much better at communication, and describing the what, why and how of my programming. I believe that remote pairing is physically, 3emotionally and intellectually taxing. If I was 100% remote, I don't think I could handle it long-term."
When programmers are physically separated, a lot more time is needed for explaining and documenting rather than brainstorming and coding. For example, regular conference calls are often necessary to keep everyone on task and ensure issues are discussed in a public forum. When programmers are not physically there, they might be tempted to mute their phone, leave the room or perform some other activities, fully disengaging from the meeting. A lack of visual communication also makes it hard for people to convey their ideas.
1 Boulton, C. (December 12, 2008). eWEEK. Web conferencing fills void in tight times.2 Sepulveda, C. (July 2003). IEEE. Agile development and remote teams: Learning to love the phone.3 Wooley, C. (December 18, 2008). Pivotal Labs Blog. Best remote pairing settings 2008.
2These issues reduce the overall productivity of development teams, creating significant opportunity costs as the team struggles to meet shrinking development windows. Fortunately, new technology is changing the way remote programmers communicate.
Greater pressure to do more
The sluggish economy puts more pressure on developers to release new software to spur sales and When the team is retain existing clients. Add competitive pressures by more nimble competitors and the development expected to produce manager faces major challenges. As more progress must be made more quickly, having an efficient more within shrinking time development team is essential. and budget windows, the communication limits ... [download for more]
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