Engineering on the Internet for global software production

Over the past two decades, researchers and tool vendors have introduced tec hniques and tools to improve software engineering processes. But most of th ese are host-centered systems with closed architectures, fixed database dri vers, specific network requirements, and platform-dependent client and serv er software. These restrictions make sharing information difficult, complic ate tool integration, and limit global user access from diversified softwar e environments. These are the major obstacles in global software production . Today's Internet technology provides a powerful and cost-effective means of overcoming these obstacles. Internet technologies allow distributed networ king, global access, platform independence, information sharing, and intern ationalization. The Internet provides a nearly ubiquitous communication inf rastructure, enabling team members to connect to the development process ea sily. This article reports the authors' innovative work in the arena of construct ing an Internet-based, global software-engineering environment.