Page - v - in The Future of Software Quality Assurance

Foreword In June2002DavidParnas,oneof thepioneersof softwareengineering,wrote1: Software is well known for low reliability and lack of trustworthiness. In part this is attributable to the difficulty of dealing with the complexity of today’s software systems, but the inadequate knowledge, skills, and professionalism ofmany of the practitioners also contributes to thisproblem. Moreover, we can thank the inadequately qualified people who produced today’s software for theunreliabilityand complexityof theproducts that serve as support software for new products. Dave sees the inadequate education of the people involved in software develop- mentasa majorproblem. In thefield of software, lifelongeducationand training is essential tokeepuptodatewith therapidevolution. iSQIhasbeendealingwith this problemfor15yearsnowandhascertainlycontributed inmanyareas to improving theeducationofpeopleand thus the qualityof thesoftware. The many contributions in this book clearly reflect the numerousways software qualityassurancecanplaya critical role in multipleareas. About 75 years ago, the first electronic computers were used to calculate mathematical problems—also from the military sector. In the following years, computers increasinglytookoverroutinetasksandtasks that requiredahighdegree ofprecision.Duetotechnicalprogressandtheassociatedspeedofthesystems, large amountsofdata can nowbe processedandevaluated in a short time.The computer now dominatesoureveryday lives. It hasbecome indispensable,because without it our life todaywouldno longerbepossible. Today we are at a radical turningpoint. (So-called)artificial intelligence is used inmoreandmoresoftwaresystems,be itautomaticspeechprocessing,autonomous driving or machine learning. In many areas we no longer use software exclusively to make life easier, but also as a tool to help us make decisions or simply delegate decision-makingtasks to thesoftware itself. 1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Parnas Citation from David Parnas’s preface to the German book Spillner/Linz “Basiswissen Softwaretest”. v