We have to accept and cope with the fact that 99% of the people on the
other side of the table don't have the foggiest what we are talking
about when we describe the technical necessities and gotchas. They are
Money Elites and We Are Socially Beneath Them Because They Know The
RIGHT People Who Sign Checks.
I do think that this is a big problem, the notion that software is just like any other product that can be purchased. I heard of a project at an institue of higher learning that has gotten itself into heaps of difficulties, as I understand, because they thought they could buy COTS systems and integrate them (with another expensive ESB tool). The problem is that none of the COTS software systems provide services for integration, so the development team has to go to the underlying data-stores for data and replicate it between systems. So it seems that in the process of minimising risk by buying COTS they have in fact added to it greatly.
This notion of purchasing solutions is the heart of the problem in my opinion, you'd think that the requirements of such a system whilst complex, are not at a level that is'nt handled successfully in large businesses very regularly. Also, it would make alot of sense for the similar institutions to get together and build an combined effort, probably as free and open-source, and share the costs. So, it does seem to be a case of those with the $ getting to make the call and not listening to those with experience and if you do have the $ then the urge to have a shiny new toy is a difficult thing to resist.
Steve
