A Study on Global Software Development (GSD) and Software Development Process in Malaysian Software Companies

Abstract

Software development processes have been tremendously changed since last two decades. Due to GSD or IT globalization, traditional practices of software development have been replaced by lightweight methodologies; global software industry has been reshaped and has taken new direction. Software companies are struggling to cope with these changes to stay competitive in the international markets. The companies need to understand these changes, their consequences and how to accommodate them. A lot of new processes and approaches of software development have been introduced. It is difficult for companies to select an appropriate process suitable for their project and environment as well as for addressing the challenges associated with GSD. Therefore, it is required to identify the GSD factors that bring change in software processes and also play role in the selection of a suitable process. In this context, the present study has been conducted on Malaysian companies. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the software processes currently being used by the Malaysian companies; how GSD affects these processes and what is the change in processes after GSD. The present study finds the answers of these questions to help in understanding the current software development trends in Malaysian software companies. It will contribute to formulate a process selection framework for Malaysian companies.