The future of software

The application is dead, say experts, who share their vision of the future of software, as they describe the new ways in which applications will be written, sold, deployed and managed.

The application is dead, according to the pundits. That expensive, inflexible, monolithic enterprise app just doesn’t cut it in today’s real-time, on-demand, always-connected, Webified world. But what takes its place?

In this package of stories, industry thought leaders share their vision of the future of software, as they describe the new ways in which applications will be written, sold, deployed and managed.

� Charles Stack, president of Flashline, says traditional apps are an anchor that weigh companies down. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) will replace old apps and will help companies align IT with business.

� Rick Faulk, president of WebEx Small Business, argues that the wave of the future is on-demand software that is available anytime, anywhere to employees, customers and business partners.

� Greg Papadopoulos, Sun CTO, says open source and software as a service are the two big trends. Eventually, they will morph into what he calls open services.

� Consultant Josh Greenbaum takes a hard look at the relationship between software vendors and enterprise customers and believes that SOA will shift the balance of power to customers.

� Analyst Tom Kucharvy lays out the challenges that independent software vendors face. Change is inevitable, uncertainties abound, but there is opportunity for vendors that remain agile and flexible.