Published on the 16/07/2010 | Written by Newsdesk
It’s the way of the future – developers and users working to together on a daily basis, via the web, to create software that really does fit ‘requirements’ snugly…
One of six winners in the Australasian 2010 Consensus Software Awards, Aviarc, from NZ’s Core Technology, allows business users to co-create software by engaging in its actual development, via the web – and to get instant feedback.
The process also allows the developer to create working software before needing to add code. This “requirements” focused model of development allows for the development of a fully working application early on, because the application develops on a daily basis, through co-creation with the user, says the Consensus citation.
Consensus judges commented that analyst “Gartner and other industry seers believe Core Technology is on the cusp of a revolution in the way software will be developed, delivered and supported in the future.”
Catch wins test
Another New Zealand company, Catch Ltd, received its award for its Enterprise Tester product, which addresses the major challenge in software development – traceability of testing back to the original requirements. It does this by collaborating with other products, notably JIRA, the Atlassian issue-tracking and project-management tool – integrating this with Enterprise Architect to create “a world-first integration”. The result is Catch’s solution costs only 10 percent of that of comparable solutions.
Both products are aimed at the whole Australasian market.
The other four winning software products all hail from Australia and include Edumate 3, The Café Simulation, JHMI Human Machine Interface and SecureEd.
Edumate is an integrated, single database which allows for the collaborative collection of school student information. Web-architected, it is described as a “student-centric hub of shared knowledge”, uniting the fragmented knowledge of a student’s profile throughout his or her school life – from K1 to Year 12. It puts this information at the fingertips of school administrators, teachers and parents.
Human Interface Engine
JHMI – Human Machine Interface, from Victoria’s the Thales Group, is an air traffic management display system which provides a “complete framework for Air Situation Display applications”.
Designed to be highly reliable and scalable, and adaptable to a broad range of systems, the judges’ citation commented, “When we talk of ‘mission-critical’, controlling 47 percent of the world’s airspace must rate at the top of the scale… Thales’ software manages hundreds of thousands of global real-time aircraft interactions at any one time.”
The human challenge of doing this is “impeccably and elegantly addressed by Thales’ new Human Interface Engine (JMHI), said the judges, adding that JMHI has been internationally recognised and is currently in operation in Singapore and Australia, with other international proposals on the table.
SecureEd is a safe internet service for home and school. A suite of programs, it provides advanced web and email filtering, as well as security and reporting. Its Queensland-based developer, NetBoxBlue, has also developed a Cyber Bullying Prevention Engine as part of the suite. In addition, it is currently developing patent-pending SafeChat technology which will provide control over email content – including emails between students within the school, instant messaging and social networking posts.
Rules are applied to e-communications, blocking and/or alerting the school to the use of swear words, bullying or racial abuse terms. The software can also be loaded onto school laptops used at home and home PCs. The judges commended NetBoxBlue for extending coverage beyond the school firewall. Over 100 schools in 18 countries already use the software. It also has potential for use in the public sector.
Café Simulation
The Café Simulation is aimed at Year 10 and Year 11 students and takes them through running their own café – or five. Developed by Australian Business Week, it takes students through the process of setting up a simple one-person ‘sandwich’ business, later evolving into a full-range café or a small chain.
Starting off with simple ‘what ifs?’, for pricing and costs etc, once student participants understand turnover and break-even etc, business life becomes competitive as they face market demand constraints, but they can use advertising and promotions to help here. They can also borrow money, motivate employees and make a contribution to community support.
The judges described the simulation as a “Clever Country” concept, designed to help develop Australia into a “creative and innovative society”.
“ABW is a lighthouse for the rest of the community.”
Eleventh awards
Set up in 1999, Consensus aims to recognise excellence through its range of awards and recognition programmes.
This year’s awards, the eleventh, were presented by Australia’s Communications Minister Stephen Conroy in Sydney earlier this month. Michael Graf, regional manager, ISV & developer relations for IBM Australia/New Zealand co-presented the awards.
The awards are supported by Austrade, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the Australian Computer Society and the New Zealand Computer Society.
The six award presentations were followed by four highly commended certificates, which is evidence of the high quality of solutions chosen by the judges to be finalists, says Consensus.
For more information, go to: www.consensus.com.au.
