I recall making my first steps into this industry as a fresh-faced computer science graduate. I quickly learned that with each generation there are a few relics that end up falling by the wayside. I’ve heard stories of how software releases that can now be done instantaneously would take hours to compile. Or of how programmers had to struggle with Notepad rather than what we have nowadays—the fancy integrated development environments (IDEs) with automated code completion, color-coded syntax highlighting and complicated debuggers. And I can just about remember the time when an Excel file was a valid tool for defect logging and tracking. It’s amazing how things have changed in just a few years.
It hasn’t taken long for me to realize what relics will live and probably die during my time. Though I’ve spent just one lunchtime with IBM Bluemix, I can tell it will be around for the long haul. Bluemix is the IBM platform as a service (PaaS) offering that enables organizations and developers to quickly and easily create, deploy and manage applications on the cloud. In a mere 30 minutes I was able to have a sample Java application running on a Java server in Bluemix on WebSphere Application Server Liberty Core, hooked up to an IBM Rational Jazz source control system with a DevOps automated build and deploy pipeline. And those 30 minutes included my learning time.
If I were to do that in a traditional enterprise development setup it would take days to acquire the right servers and configure and set them up. And adding more capacity would require me to order additional hardware. Bluemix is designed around an agile, continuous deployment pipeline, also known as a DevOps philosophy. This means I get to spend more time working on technology solutions to our clients’ problems, rather than on rote tasks that distract from the important issues. And that can only be a good thing for our clients and for myself. To feel empowered to be able to do so much in such a short period of time and with just a few clicks is a truly great thing. And all of this was accomplished without having to reach out to another person. With over 50 add-on services and growing, Bluemix is getting more and more capable by the day.
In an interview in 2010, with reference to a competitor’s rumored upcoming device, Steve Jobs said “If you see a stylus, they blew it.” I can’t remember the last time I used or saw a device with a stylus. It has become one of those relics of the past.
Similarly, in 2014 I say, “If you’re not using PaaS for development within two years, you blew it.” I firmly believe this is the future path that all software development is headed down. So get on the train before it leaves the station!
What are your favorite memories from “the good old days”? And what are the relics you’re looking forward to leaving behind? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment or continue the conversation with me on Twitter @rabh.
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