Global Software Teams: Colloborating Across Borders and Time Zones [Paperback]

Erran Carmel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 013924218X | ISBN-13: 978-0139242182 | Publication Date: January 2, 1999 | Edition: 1

KEY BENEFIT:Whether you're already involved in a global software team, or planning to be, this book brings together the hard-headed analysis and proven "best practices" solutions you need to get the results you're aiming for.KEY TOPICS:Software development is tough enough when done locally -- it's even tougher when culture, language, distance and time-zone differences come into play. Global Software Teams presents a blend of tough case studies and best-practices research to help you dramatically increase your odds of success. Expert consultant Erran Carmel evaluates the success of global software teams to date, and shows the five "centrifugal forces" that can drive them apart. Next, he introduces six equally powerful "centripetal forces" managers can use to keep things together: stronger telecom infrastructure, better collaborative technologies, a solid development methodology; careful architecture and task allocation; team building and more. He offers carefully-considered ideas about integrating global IS organizations, and a "best practices" roundup of what really seems to work.MARKET:For all software professionals, especially those who organize, lead, or participate in, software teams that cross international boundaries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

92421-7

The first best-practices guide to organizing and managing global software teams. Examine what drives global teams apart and what keeps them together. Covers technical, procedural, managerial, and cultural issues Includes real-world global case studies.

Software development is tough enough when it's done locally - but it's even tougher when you're trying to manage cultural, language, and time-zone differences too. In Global Software Teams, expert consultant Erran Carmel brings together the latest best practices and real-world case studies in global software development-showing what works and what doesn't.

Discover five "centrifugal forces" that drive global teams apart and six equally powerful "centripetal forces" you can use to hold things together. Learn the best ways to apply:

• Telecommunications infrastructure.
• Collaborative technologies.
• Development methodologies.
• Software frameworks and architectures.
• Team building techniques, and more.

Learn how to build trust among key players regardless of location. Discover which projects best lend themselves to global teams. Understand the obstacles to "follow-the-sun" software development. Whether you're already involved in a global software project - or expect to be - this book provides the answers that can make the difference between success and failure.

About the Author

ERRAN CARMEL teaches cutting edge Information Technology courses and directs American University's program in Management of Global Information Technology in Washington, DC. He has studied nearly 100 software companies and published over thirty articles on software development and information systems. He resides in Bethesda, MD.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 269 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 1 edition (January 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013924218X
• ISBN-13: 978-0139242182
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,122,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For almost two decades Erran Carmel has been studying the globalization of technology work, including global teams, offshoring of information technology, new kinds of global sourcing, and the emergence of software industries around the world. He has written two successful books. His 1999 book, "Global Software Teams," was the first on this topic and is considered a landmark in the field, helping many organizations take their first steps into distributed technology work. His second book, "Offshoring Information Technology," came out in 2005 and was popular in outsourcing courses around the world. His new book, I'm Working While They're Sleeping" came out in late 2011.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book you should not miss., April 15, 1999

By 

G. J. Hofstede "Gert Jan Hofstede" (Ede Netherlands) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Global Software Teams: Colloborating Across Borders and Time Zones (Paperback)

If you have anything to do with global software development, read this book. It will bring you food for thought and fun and you will profit a lot. The book is never too deep to be readable nor too shallow to be usable, and obviously based on a wealth of real-world experience. I much liked the absence of over-hyped rhetoric.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was written to be read!, February 23, 2000

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Global Software Teams: Colloborating Across Borders and Time Zones (Paperback)

This book is a gold mine! For those needing guidance in global software development practice, this book is a must read."Global Software Teams" supplies orginal prescriptions for dealing with cultural differences and collaborative teams not found anywhere. A work in progress, the advice on Global Information Systems Teams is well reasoned. Important telecommunications, development, methodologies, architecture and task alloiaction, and management techniques provide a useful survey of pertinent topics that will benefit any project, especially those engaged in global software development.Dr. Erran Carmel has written a book software managers can use.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Leadership on Global Implementations, January 3, 2002

By 

"globalprojectmanager" (Riverwoods, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Global Software Teams: Colloborating Across Borders and Time Zones (Paperback)

Global Software Teams provides an excellent resource for projects teams embarking on a global implementation project. The book provides insight into how to engage team members of different cultures and backgrounds as well as tools to use to support their continued active participation on the project. I have employed the key messages from the book on my global projects with excellent results.