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Eleven Trends From 2007


By Alan Zeichick
December 26, 2007 — 
The rise of scripting languages, the fall of SCO. The war between REST and WS-*. Windows Vista whimpered while the Mac roared. Those are some of the key stories that SD Times followed last year.

We expected, frankly, the big story of the year to be Windows Vista, but as we look back through our notes, it was only one of about 11 top stories that our reporters and editors followed. Here’s what 2007 looked like from our perspective.

1. Dynamic languages are on the rise. We went into 2007 knowing that Ruby would be a popular topic, thanks to Ruby on Rails, and that JavaScript was resurgent, thanks to AJAX-based rich Internet applications. However, we did not anticipate that there would be such broad big-company support for dynamic languages—and there was, from everyone from Microsoft to Sun, CodeGear to Eclipse. If you were learning a new language in 2007, it wasn’t Java or C#; it was a dynamic language.

2. HP settled in as a major player in software test. Customers didn’t know what to think, when Hewlett-Packard made its play for Mercury Interactive. HP’s track record in software has always been spotty, and after its recent management turmoil, many customers were nervous. However, HP seems to have executed the acquisition well, and is now firmly established as a big player in software test. The big question is…what will HP do next?

3. Web 2.0 raises security concerns. Rich Internet applications are attractive to consumers because they make the Web more pleasant to use. They’re also attractive to hackers because the new technology introduces the potential for new (and nasty) vulnerabilities. We reported that development managers are nervous about the implications of AJAX and other RIAs for their application. We’re nervous too.

4. GPLv3 is completed, and the lawsuits start. This was a surprise for two reasons. First, the controversial GNU General Public License update was far less acrimonious than expected. After all the protestations, it launched with scarcely a whimper. And second, we have this company, BusyBox, suing companies for violating its open source license by embedding its code without releasing the end product back as open source. We suppose that someone’s got to be the test case…but who are those guys, anyway? It’s not BusyBox driving this; it’s the Software Freedom Law Center.

5. Big disconnect about SOA and SasS and mashups. The challenge is that many organizations don’t know the difference between service-oriented architectures, software as a service and mashups. Vendors think that SOA is strategic, but enterprises see it as a tactical integration methodology. Analysts think that SaaS is taking over the world as a new paradigm, but enterprises see it as a tactical, case-by-base decision. As for mashups…where are they?

6. The REST versus WS-* wars kick off. The WS-* group of standards is huge, unwieldy, but robust. The REST specs for Web services communications are agile but limited in scope. Both REST and WS-* are important tools for an enterprise toolbox. Sadly, some developers are trying to turn this into a religious war.

7. Microsoft loses the first round in the Office Open XML standardization efforts. Microsoft’s attempt to push through a super-complicated proprietary standardization for an OSI rubber stamp failed. However, there appears to be little doubt that OOXML will be standardized at some point—whether it’s in February 2008 or later. Microsoft will not back down, and eventually its ruthless lobbying will succeed.

8. Microsoft Silverlight takes on Adobe Flash. Flash has served as the de facto platform for multimedia Web delivery for a long time—and Microsoft, justifiably, wants to challenge that with its new Silverlight product. The developers in Redmond have go to a long way before their Flash-killer can draw blood, but they win kudos for not limiting it to running on Windows and Internet Explorer. Competition is good for everyone.

9. Windows Vista fizzles while Mac OS X “Leopard” sizzles. The biggest question that consumers and enterprises asked about Windows Vista is, “Can I still get Windows XP on my new computer instead?” While Windows Vista offers good eye candy, it just hasn’t caught on, and the complex licensing and hardware requirements don’t help. Meanwhile, Apple’s Mac market share expands while Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard” roars out the gate to great fanfare—despite an inexcusable number of bugs.

10. iPhone meets Gphone. Mobile phones have served the enterprise for years—just look at the BlackBerry and Palm Treo. The gorgeous iPhone, with its large screen and full-featured Web browser, took the world by storm. Too bad that the phones are locked to a limited number of carriers. When Apple finally lets developers write native apps, the iPhone will explode. But soon, Google’s forthcoming Android software platform will give the iPhone a run for its money, raising the bar for the whole mobile industry.

11. SCO imploded. The long-standing lawsuits that SCO brought against companies like IBM and AutoZone evaporated when the courts ruled that Novell, not SCO, owned key Unix intellectual property. Its arrogant protection racket a failure, SCO is now in bankruptcy. With the exception of its backers, investors and employees, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t rejoice in Darl McBride’s comeuppance.


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