Cots-based Mediator-Supported Collaborative Software Development Process

The role of software today is more important than ever, its importance is continuously increasing. Software has become a strategic core technology and an inseparable part of many systems. The development of software is changing radically with accelerated speed. In addition to technological and methodological changes, the business strategies of software development have also been changing remarkably as well. The software industry today became one of the most influential branches of business in the present growth of the global economy. The software development methods have expressed a constant search for solutions to provide cost saving, better quality and timely software to market. As these changes in practices are taking place software development process time to time is shifting from one paradigm to another in the quest of its improvement.Anecdotal evidence from literature indicates that the benefits of COTS-based software development are clear such as to reduce development cost and shorten time-to-market. However, the supply chain of COTS in software development activities also raises risks such as COTS vendor that does not sufficiently satisfy the integrator's requirements e.g., document on the product is not available, slippage in schedule, vaporware, modifications made by the vendor can alter the compatibility of one COTS with other, vendor's non assured long time support in the supplied COTS etc. Thus vendor plays a pivotal role; dependence on vendor is inevitable in the scenario.This study presents the investigation of vendor market place in view of the existing issues between the vendor and integrator in context of buyer and supplier relationship. On the basis of these issues vendor marketplace differentiated into three main categories. In addition to this some of the important priorities like schedule, cost, document support, modification support, agreement support, geographic location of the vendor are taken as assumptions, in view of these priorities of integrator, vendor support analyzed. Collaboration was considered and recommended as the solution of the existing issues, prior to recommend collaboration between vender and integrator, the basic collaborative activity (Pair Programming) was investigated in order to probe the collaborative working of two brains is better than one as long as both are actively trying to accomplish the same goal and what types of optimum benefits can be achieved through collaboration.At this stage of research many questions arises such as how do the vendor can be brought into strong collaboration? How the appropriate vendor can be selected for the collaboration? How the long-term collaboration can be established and maintained?The answers of all these questions reached at a conclusion for some intermediary source to deploy. Thus mediator is introduced in the COTS business supply chain scenario for continuous mediation, creation and maintenance of long term better collaboration between integrator and vendor and for the settlement of issues in order achieve the optimum benefits.