Siemens Telecommunications, the Pretoria-based operation of the German industrial giant, has become a core contributor to Siemens`s global application development initiative through the implementation of Rational ClearCase, the configuration management tool supplied by CCH Software Development.
ClearCase allows the application development team at Siemens Telecommunications, working in C++, Assembler and Java, to form part of Siemens`s global development team, with all developers contributing to the team effort while working to the same quality standards and ensuring they remain in synch. ClearCase takes care of replication, conversions, synchronisation and platform interoperability issues, and, in effect, gives Siemens the ability to develop around the clock, around the world.
In total, more than 1 000 developers at 15 sites use ClearCase to manage more than 60 development projects.
"For Siemens, quality in software development is a non-negotiable," says Siemens Telecommunication configuration manager Andries Joubert. "Our facility is ISO 9000-accredited and works to the same quality standards as our German head office. We subject our software to intensive, months-long testing to eradicate all problems."
Most of Siemens Telecommunications application development teams around the world make use of ClearCase to manage version control, workspace management, build management and process control. "We know everyone is working according to the same standards and processes, and only on the areas of the development that they should be, which increases security," says Joubert.
The ultimate output of Siemens Telecommunications` ClearCase-oriented efforts in Pretoria is software for deployment in Siemens`s Intelligent Networks business stream. An example of how productive ClearCase has made the division is the fact that they have produced 26 applications since October 1999.
ClearCase has been deployed across an exceptionally robust Unix and Windows NT architecture at Siemens Telecommunications, including three high-end SMP Siemens servers running multiple operating systems. Developers working on NT machines are able to access the Unix servers due to ClearCase`s cross-platform integration.
To keep it in synch, software is submitted daily to the main development centre in Berlin. In future it is also planned to have a multisite client between Pretoria and the OS/390 mainframe in Munich. Only changes are submitted to ClearCase, reducing the time required to be online.
In addition, Siemens Telecommunications has a number of developers based in Cape Town, and ClearCase is used to synchronise their efforts.
"In my initial business case, I targeted 100% annual return on investment," notes Joubert. "We have achieved this over the last two years."
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