Distributed Product Development Using Extreme Programming

Abstract

This paper uses the experience of developing a shrink wrapped software product to examine issues related to distributed software development using agile methodologies. The work is based on the author’s time at IONA Technologies as a senior manager delivering their Web Services Integration Platform (WSIP) product suite. It is focused on the issues of distributed development using Extreme Programming (XP) by describing the development effort: its organization, practices, and processes and evaluating, using both qualitative and quantitative measures, the success of four of the practices adopted by the team (distributed stand-ups, cultural exchanges, common source code, and shared vision). Regardless of the ultimate success or failure of the product and development effort, the lessons taken from the experience are valuable and have reinforced many of the observations and experiences reported by others [1, 2].