10Xofy announces the launch of a new technology for software development. This technology enables one to

• Define the software flow visually, in terms of individual modules that are interconnected
• Get the individual modules developed by programmers in conventional language such as Java
• Burn the application, which combines the modules with the flow to create a deployable

In other words, this is like in Lego, where you assemble building blocks (colorful too!) to create the software, and get developers to make those building blocks.

The 6 key benefits of using this technology are:

• The flow always stays current with the actual software throughout all the changes that happen, which means that you have a visual documentation to refer to at any time, to understand how the application behaves.
• The deliverable from developers is one module at a time, and not the complete application. This keeps the scope small thereby improving work productivity and quality. The small modules are amenable to unit testing.
• Efficient resourcing is possible. Key resources / experts may be brought in to deliver modules pertaining to their skills and can be released to other projects beyond that. Also, someone who understands the flow diagram can assume responsibility of the software, without needing any understanding the underlying programming language. These could be managers or even domain experts.
• You get runtime monitoring for zero effort. One can connect to the application at runtime and visually see how it flows.
• Your information is better protected. No developer has the complete source code.
• Maintenance is easier. You can pinpoint a problem to one or more modules and get a programmer to perform a surgical fix. This saves effort and cost, throughout the long maintenance phase.

The last point is often underestimated but is quite important. Typically, the maintenance cost over a software’s long life is quite high — way higher than the development cost. It’s not practical to expect the same resources who developed the software to be available to maintain it. The software gets altered by many programmers in many ways that it can turn into a spaghetti — both leading to a long time to locate and fix a problem. However, MGF prevents this and keeps the application modular throughout its life. Further, as said above, it helps pinpoint the problem to a module and focus programming effort only to that module, thus saving effort and cost.

In a typical new product development scenario, MGF is expected to save 50% or more of the development cost, and 67% or more of the maintenance cost. Because of the attractive maintenance savings over the long term, there may be a business case to move some existing products to MGF.

Update December 2017: MGF was used outside our company for the first time and it came out with flying colors. (A case study document and customer reference are available and may be shared.) We are now ready to work with 3 to 5 companies only — with a deep engagement with the customers to make sure that they are trained and use it correctly on their projects to drive tangible benefits. Write to us in case your company is starting a project and you would like to evaluate how this tool can bring benefits.

Also note that this technology is patent pending and is under active development. There isn’t much information available on the net yet. Write to us to let us know your interest and we will be happy to understand how we could help you.