24 October 2010 - 12:54Software architecture in 2010

I just finished reading this article by Jean-Jacques Dubray and I am left with the impression that the author blows out of proportions some IT developments.

The article showcases how the Massachussets Department of Transportation decided to open up a bus schedule data feed and found out that within a short period of time a number of client applications started using it. What is really interesting is that these applications provided basically the same functionality across a large number of platforms (iPhone apps, web-site, SMS and IVR systems). Basically MBTA delegated the development of client applications across multiple platforms to parties best suited for doing so.
A pretty neat division of labor emerged: the management of the data feed is carried out by MBTA while the client apps are developed by people at large.

Interesting as it may seem this development is neither new (mash-up have existed for quite a while) nor the beginning of a revolution in IT. This development is just the creation of an eco-system of applications built around MBTA’s data feed. I don’t share MBTA’s enthusiasm over it because delegating the development of client applications to benevolent third parties undermines the reliability of the bus schedules delivery. While this approach did allow them to cover a large number of client platforms without a significant investment it has also created a number of applications which seem to be nothing more that a hobby and which may be taken down without any notice. The eco-system of client apps will evolve over a certain period of time before settling down, during this period the delivery of bus schedules will be as fickle as the applications in charge of it. I am not sure that this is what MBTA had in mind when it opened its data feed to outside parties…

All in all, an interesting experiment in the relationships between various applications, but not a tipping point for the IT industry.