Agile FAQ
On March 3rd Serena Software announced it will release a full suite of Agile lifecycle management tools by years' end. These tools will allow IT departments and ISVs to manage Agile projects over the web using Serena's on-demand service. Serena will be the first major application development tools vendor to deliver a pure agile toolset to support the exponential growth of agile in the enterprise.
This page will be updated often. Check back frequently to get the latest information.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is Agile software development?
2. What will Serena's Agile product be?
3. How does Agile in general and Serena's Agile product specifically help customers?
4. When will Serena's Agile product be available?
5. Will the Agile product replace any existing Serena products?
What is Agile software development?
Agile software development is a framework for building software that heavily promotes iterations throughout the entire lifecycle of the project. Although there isn't a single method or methodology, each one uses iterations (often called sprints) that typically last anywhere between a week to four weeks to define, build and release a set of functionalities. Agile teams are comprised of stakeholders across the delivery and consumption organizations and prefer to use face-to-face communication rather than classic documents.
The Agile family of methodologies is often contrasted with the waterfall methodology. While waterfall is a very common and highly predictable way to deliver software, it's criticized for its rigidity and low tolerance for change during the lifecycle. Since Agile relies on frequent iterations, it is much easier to improve or add further functionally throughout.
There is no such thing as a single Agile methodology. Many exist such as Scrum, Extreme Programming, DSDM, FDD, Crystal, and Lean 6 Sigma. What’s common between them is the heavy reliance on skilled practitioners, strong personalities, collaboration, and the need for simple yet powerful tools. What's mostly different is the way that project management is being covered. With its heavy adoption across a variety of projects, Scrum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_%28development%29) is highly popular and being a ScrumMaster is a heavily sought-after skill.
It is important to note that Agile is not a "loose" methodology in which there are no rules that define how things get done. In fact, Agile teams follow very disciplined and rigorous processes to achieve their goals, and much use is made of project management skills and tools. But the fact that Agile relies more on heavy collaboration between people than through tight management of documents and artifacts is often confusing.
An extensive Wikipedia entry on Agile can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development and is a great source of overall information and links to further literature.
Finally, it’s worth reading the Agile Manifesto that was released in 2001 and still very much holds the essence of what Agile stands for: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_Manifesto.
What will Serena's Agile product be?
Serena's Agile product will be an On-Demand offering that allows Agile teams to conduct project and program management that is tightly integrated with requirements tracking and management, defect tracking and management, and test tracking and management.
Key characteristics of the Serena Agile product will be its simplicity, prescriptive nature, high value to individual contributors, and openness towards SOA and ALF standards. Some of the planned key features include the ability to manage products and product lines, define and estimate product release content, deliver product releases, and coordinate multiple projects and programs simultaneously – all while providing a highly collaborative environment.
How does Agile in general and Serena's Agile product specifically help customers?
Agile helps organizations burn faster and in a more collaborative way through the ever-growing application backlog. Because it promotes an iterative approach to defining, building, testing, and releasing functionality, its promise is to more rapidly deliver working software that exactly mirrors the customers' requirements. And while Agile has its challenges, its adoption has grown from 15% in 2005 (according to Forrester in November of 2005) to 70% in 2007 (according to Dr. Dobbs Journal in July of 2007 at www.ddj.com/architect/200001986) and the number of certified ScrumMasters is growing exponentially (according to the Scrum Alliance at www.scrumalliance.org.)
Serena's Agile product will provide best-in-class Agile lifecycle management capabilities in an easy-to-use On-Demand product that not only enforces the discipline and process, but also the collaborative features needed to make Agile work for teams of all sizes and all configurations. Details about specific functionality will be made available over time on www.serena.com/agile.
When will Serena's Agile product be available?
We expect a preview of Serena's Agile product to be available in the 3rd quarter of 2008, and general availability of the first public version in the 4th quarter of 2008. In no way does this information represent a commitment on behalf of Serena, and we urge you to regularly check this web site for further details and announcements.
Will the Agile product replace any existing Serena products?
The Agile product will be complementary to other Serena products including Dimensions, Mariner and PVCS.