Ireland's Largest Communications Software Research Centre Gets Agile

Wednesday 14 September 2005

Waterford based Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG) and Dublin based Exoftware partner to bring Agile thinking to the TSSG's innovative start-ups.

WATERFORD and DUBLIN, Ireland // Waterford based Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) and Dublin based Exoftware, today announce a partnership to provide Agile software development process assistance to the TSSG’s start up companies based in Ireland. The TSSG, based in the Waterford Institute of Technology noted that the partnership is a key element in ensuring the group’s projects are utilising the latest in software thinking and strategy. In addition, the work with Exoftware will ensure the projects maintain the utmost in quality standards and technical excellence.

Barry Downes, Commercial Director of the TSSG elaborates on why the organisation decided to go with Agile. “Our projects are looking at innovations throughout the global telecoms industry, and are funded through the EU 6th Framework, EU eTen, Enterprise Ireland and the HEA. We want to ensure that our research delivers real commercial value. In order to do that, we needed a rigorous, disciplined, yet flexible approach to our software development.”

The TSSG is structured around five broad areas of research, reflecting the changing industry landscape. They currently cover areas such as accounting, services and frameworks, IP Next Generation, Integrated Management and End User Services. The objective of these research groups is to drive innovation into commercial reality.

“Exoftware has been working with us specifically on Agile for software productisation. They have ensured that we are delivering software products that are of the highest quality; with clear end user value. We have gained significantly in areas such as predictability and productivity as well. We know that their continued support will solidify the TSSG’s place as a leader in the telecoms marketplace” adds Downes.

Brian Hanly, director of new business development for Exoftware, Ireland’s only specialist in Agile Software Development methods, welcomes the partnership with the TSSG.

“The global competition in the telecommunications sector is fierce, and for Ireland to be a leading player we must ensure we do everything in our power to stay on the bleeding edge. The TSSG has realised that to produce bleeding edge technologies for the telecoms sector, you need a solid software process to help you get there – and Agile is that process.” Agile software development methodologies, which include processes such as DSDM, Extreme Programming and Lean Software Development, promote high business value software, delivered early and often – of the highest quality. Companies throughout Ireland have been turning to Agile – to ensure they can deliver high quality software quickly to the marketplace.

“By focusing on rapid release and an iterative development process, Exoftware can significantly reduce software development risk, improve the ability to respond to changing business needs, and perhaps most importantly, deliver business value,” states Hanly. “At the foundation of Exoftware is our focus on technical excellence and delivering business value, something we regularly help clients deliver on.”

_Ends

Contact: Exoftware Priya Patel +353 1 4100 527 ppatel@exoftware.com

Contact: Telecommunications Software and Services Group Margaret Grene +353 51 302936 mgrene@tssg.org

Editor Notes: About Exoftware Exoftware is the foremost specialist Agile software development methods, providing the most holistic and complete range of Agile software development methods services in the market. Our services range from Agile mentoring though to Agile Nearshore/Onsite Software Development. Our work takes us from the boardroom to the technical production floor, working with companies at varying levels of experience with Agile.

The misalignment of business and IT has lead to technical issues, poor quality software and software lacking business value. Through our approach we seek to align business and IT and address these complex issues ensuring speed to market brings lasting competitive advantage delivered through high value, high quality software.

We have combined our deep knowledge and experience in software development, specific industry sectors, and Agile to provide hands on, practical ways to deploy and adapt Agile for companies such as GE Mobile, HP, BNP Paribas and LogicaCMG.

We have a pure focus on getting beyond the general and use a unique framework to embed as much of what we know into a team and an organisation.

Businesses and the software development organisations that enable them can longer afford to fall short of their objectives.

Working with Exoftware will give you a lasting asset in the form of transferred know-how and the delivery of a new business process and capability, where learning is on the job and the situation relevant. What’s more, we have consistently and successfully reduced testing cycles, improved speed to market, increased speed to profit, increased predictability, and reduced the over all software lifecycle.

The question companies are now asking themselves is not if they should adopt Agile, but when – and who will be there to guide them.

For more information about Exoftware please visit http://www.exoftware.com

About TSSG The Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG) was established at Waterford Institute of Technology in 1996 and nearly ten years later the group can rightly claim its place as Ireland’s largest communications software research centre with 80 staff and students working on a varied portfolio of basic research, applied research and pre-product R&D projects. Research, is by its very nature a collaborative process. And almost all of the research carried out at the TSSG, whether it is funded by Enterprise Ireland (EI), the Irish Higher Education Authority (HEA), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), or the European Commission is done in virtual collaboration with industrial partners and with other research organisations at home or abroad and in doing so the group has established a strong reputation both nationally and internationally. Complementary to this reputation the TSSG has developed an integrated infrastructure specialising in the management of large-scale multinational projects.

Current research work at the TSSG includes the HEA M-Zones programme, which has undertaken fundamental research in the area of managing smart spaces, the SFI PI award for Foundations of Autonomic Networking, and EI IMPRUVE, a project funded by the Enterprise Ireland Applied Targeted Research Programme (ATRP) with the brief to develop leading-edge technology in the ambient intelligence arena.

The group has a proven track record, in designing and developing innovative software for mobile devices, which was successfully trialled as part of the EU-funded and TSSG led OPIUM project (http://www.ist-opium.org). Other TSSG led EU projects include Opium, Albatross, NITOURA II, and Flexwork. Current TSSG projects include DBE, aimed at providing Europe with a recognised advantage in innovative software application development by its SME industry; SEINIT, an Internet security project which aims to provide a trusted and dependable security framework that is ubiquitous, works across multiple devices and heterogeneous networks, and is organisation-independent and centred around the end-user. And DAIDALOS – Designing Advanced network Interfaces for the Delivery and Administration of Location independent, Optimised personal Service.

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