Software is more important than ever today and yet its commercial value is steadily declining. Microsoft, for instance, has seen its gross margins decrease for a decade, while startups and corporations alike are distributing free software that would have been worth millions a few years ago. Welcome to the software paradox. In this O’Reilly report, RedMonk’s Stephen O’Grady explains why the real money no longer lies in software, and what it means for companies that depend on that revenue. You’ll learn how this paradox came about and what your company can do in response. This book covers: Why it’s growing more difficult to sell software on a standalone basis How software has come full circle, from enabler to product and back again The roles that open source, software-as-a-service, and subscriptions play How software developers have become the new kingmakers Why Microsoft, Apple, and Google epitomize this transition How the paradox has affected other tech giants, such as Oracle and Salesforce.com Strategies your software firm can explore, including alternative revenue models

Software is more important than ever today and yet its commercial value is steadily declining. Microsoft, for instance, has seen its gross margins decrease for a decade, while startups and corporations alike are distributing free software that would have been worth millions a few years ago. Welcome to the software paradox. In this O'Reilly report, RedMonk's Stephen O'Grady explains why the real money no longer lies in software, and what it means for companies that depend on that revenue. You'll learn how this paradox came about and what your company can do in response. This book covers: Why it's growing more difficult to sell software on a standalone basis How software has come full circle, from enabler to product and back again The roles that open source, software-as-a-service, and subscriptions play How software developers have become the new kingmakers Why Microsoft, Apple, and Google epitomize this transition How the paradox has affected other tech giants, such as Oracle and Salesforce.com Strategies your software firm can explore, including alternative revenue models

Real-world examples and step-by-step instruction help readers to maximize the power of Paradox, ObjectPAL, and the Event Model. Prestwood gives tips and tricks for optimizing Paradox tools and features and offers information on converting data from other relational database products.

Discover DevOps secrets from leading experts. Viktor Farcic interviews DevOps industries voices including Mike Kail, Greg Bledsoe, Jeff Sussna, James Turnbull, Kohsuke Kawaguchi, Liz Keogh, and more. Key FeaturesLeading DevOps experts share their insights into modern DevOps practiceEngage with the real-world challenges of putting DevOps to workStrengthen your DevOps practices now and prepare for future DevOps trendsBook Description DevOps promises to break down silos, uniting organizations to deliver high quality output in a cross-functional way. In reality it often results in confusion and new silos: pockets of DevOps practitioners fight the status quo, senior decision-makers demand DevOps paint jobs without committing to true change. Even a clear definition of what DevOps is remains elusive. In DevOps Paradox, top DevOps consultants, industry leaders, and founders reveal their own approaches to all aspects of DevOps implementation and operation. Surround yourself with expert DevOps advisors. Viktor Farcic draws on experts from across the industry to discuss how to introduce DevOps to chaotic organizations, align incentives between teams, and make use of the latest tools and techniques. With each expert offering their own opinions on what DevOps is and how to make it work, you will be able to form your own informed view of the importance and value of DevOps as we enter a new decade. If you want to see how real DevOps experts address the challenges and resolve the paradoxes, this book is for you. What you will learn Expert opinions on: Introducing DevOps into real-world, chaotic business environmentsDeciding between adopting cutting edge tools or sticking with tried-and-tested methodsInitiating necessary business change without positional powerManaging and overcoming fear of change in DevOps implementationsAnticipating future trends in DevOps and how to prepare for themGetting the most from Kubernetes, Docker, Puppet, Chef, and AnsibleCreating the right incentives for DevOps success across an organizationThe impact of new techniques, such as Lambda, serverless, and schedulers, on DevOps practiceWho this book is for Anybody interested in DevOps will gain a lot from this book. If you want to get beyond the simplistic ideals and engage with the deep challenges of putting DevOps to work in the real world, this book is for you.

This book brings together diverse voices from across the field of sustainable human computer interaction (SHCI) to discuss what it means for digital technology to support sustainability and how humans and technology can work together optimally for a more sustainable future. Contemporary digital technologies are hailed by tech companies, governments and academics as leading-edge solutions to the challenges of environmental sustainability; smarter homes, more persuasive technologies, and a robust Internet of Things hold the promise for creating a greener world. Yet, deployments of interactive technologies for such purposes often lead to a paradox: they algorithmically "optimize" heating and lighting of houses without regard to the dynamics of daily life in the home; they can collect and display data that allow us to reflect on energy and emissions, yet the same information can cause us to raise our expectations for comfort and convenience; they might allow us to share best practice for sustainable living through social networking and online communities, yet these same systems further our participation in consumerism and contribute to an ever-greater volume of electronic waste.By acknowledging these paradoxes, this book represents a significant critical inquiry into digital technology’s longer-term impact on ideals of sustainability. Written by an interdisciplinary team of contributors this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of human computer interaction and environmental studies.

How do firms measure returns from their substantial investments in information technology? Lucas answers this question by providing a framework for measuring the competitive advantages and profits gained through investments in information systems.

Is technological innovation spinning out of control? During a one-week period in 2018, social media was revealed to have had huge undue influence on the 2016 U.S. presidential election and the first fatality from a self-driving car was recorded. What’s paradoxical about the understandable fear of machines taking control through software, robots, and artificial intelligence is that new technology is often introduced in order to increase our control of a certain task. This is what Ezio Di Nucci calls the “control paradox.” Di Nucci also brings this notion to bear on politics: we delegate power and control to political representatives in order to improve democratic governance. However, recent populist uprisings have shown that voters feel disempowered and neglected by this system. This lack of direct control within representative democracies could be a motivating factor for populism, and Di Nucci argues that a better understanding of delegation is a possible solution.