Bristol, UK July 27, 2008 -- James , now a Software Architect at Microsoft, has spent his career in software testing. He was an early thought leader in model-based testing where his PhD dissertation from the University of Tennessee became a standard reference on the subject.

While a professor at Florida Tech, he founded the world's largest academic software testing research center and helped make testing a
degree track for undergraduates. Before he left Florida Tech, his research group had grown to over 60 students and faculty and had secured over $12 million in research awards and contracts. During his tenure at FIT he wrote How to Break Software and the series follow-ups How to Break Software Security (with Hugh Thompson) and How to Break Web Software (with Mike Andrews). His research team also developed the highly acclaimed runtime fault injection tool Holodeck and marketed it through their startup Security Innovation, Inc.

Title: The Future of Software and the Evolution of Testing

Abstract: Software is ubiquitous now but in the future, it will pervade nearly every aspect of modern life. We will rely on it for curing disease, feeding an over populated planet and reversing global climate change. Indeed, without software to simulate, calculate, model and design, the world's problems might very well be intractable. When in the history of mankind have we relied on something so much that has historically let us down so often? Can software overcome its bug-ridden reputation? What will testers need to do to help this happen?
James paints the Microsoft vision of the future of software and its role in society. He then talks about the software quality challenges that must be faced in order to enable a future of pervasive and ubiquitous software. James will argue that testing is not yet ready for this future and fundamental changes (some of which are beginning now and some are not yet even on the drawing board) will be required for testers to meet those challenges and secure a future in which software actually works. It will be a sneak peek into the future of software testing.

http://www.tcl.eu.com/news.html

Interesting links:

http://blogs.msdn.com/james_whittaker/
http://www.testingexperience.blogspot.com/

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