You can download a PDF version of the 15 issues of the newsletter. To read them you will need Acrobat Reader.

Issue 1 March '98
In the first issue we had an American (Tom DeMarco) and European (Annie Kuntzmann-Combelles) perspective on the role of SPI in the new millennium. The Technology Focus section was devoted to testing with some advice from experts in the field.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
SPIRIT
BEPTAM
ATOS

Issue 2 June '98
In this issue Marco Maiocchi debated the 'soft' human factors involved in creating an SPI culture. We also focused on the implications of adopting an object-oriented approach to software development.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
MOOD
MEDAS
PROMIS

Issue 3 July '98
In Issue 3 we looked at risk analysis and assessment and how the approach can differ between large and small organisations. Our Technology Focus section gave an opportunity for the RISE programme team to discuss some of the results of their 1997 survey into the level of software best practice in Europe.
ESSITrain projects included in this issue:
RAPID
SCATE
TAPISTRY
TRAPSP

Issue 4 Oct '98
In Issue 4, Maarten Boasson gave his views on the failure of software engineering to become a scientific discipline. We also focused on the way forward for software development tools.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
ISUC
APPLY
INCOME

Issue 5 Jan '99
In Issue 5, Wolfgang Strigel from Canada related his views on promoting SPI and productivity. We also focused on RAD and DSDM.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
PARADIGM
DSDM2L2
RAMSES

Issue 6 Mar '99
In this issue Dr Hadi Jassim discussed his views on the role of the project manager. We also focused on configuration management with input from Charles Maier.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
INCOMM
CHANGE
SPICE

Issue 7 Jun '99
In Issue 7 those involved with the SPIRE and TAPISTRY projects looked at how small companies deal with software process improvement activities. We also featured some initiatives developed to help make process improvement models more accessible to small software organisations.

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
ACQUASY
VITE
IMPUCT

Issue 8 Aug '99
This issue had a thought provoking article by Colin Tully who considered the differences in the American and European approaches to promoting SPI. We also looked at the ESPINODE project and how it was spreading the SPI message.

ESPINODE's included in this issue:
ESPINODENL
QIS
ESPINODE-Ireland
GR-NODE

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
PLAN-IT

Issue 9 Dec '99
In this issue we asked Ed Yourdon to give us his views on the Y2K effect and trends for the new millennium. Robert Glass reviewed the past software engineering 'breakthroughs' and whether they lived up to their promises

Issue 10 Jan '00
In the viewpoint section we had an article on an interesting project going on in Spain, from Dr Natalia Juristo. She and her team have developed a framework to quantitatively measure the effects of SPI so companies can make "improvements based on facts rather than fashion".

We also focused on Requirements Management. Two experts in the field, Richard Stevens, and Professor Kevin Ryan gave us their thoughts and opinions and 6 best practice themes for requirements management.

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
ARMT

Issue 11 March '00

In this issue we focused on Usability. Nigel Bevan, usability expert and contributor to several international standards, described developments in the quality standards world, which are promoting a broader view of quality that incorporates usability.

Erik Van Veenendaal explained the TMap approach, described the updates and additions in the revised version, and discussed the trade-offs needed when developing a system for maintainability versus usability.

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
MeLiOR
OFTPIVE

Issue 12 Jun '00

In this issue we focused on Metrics. Christophe Debou, who helped to develop ami and to introduce the approach to Europe, discussed the progress European companies have made in applying metrics. We also looked at how a small organisation might approach measurement.

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
PROMI
PRO3

Issue 13 Sep '00
In this issue Kent Beck put forward a manifesto for Extreme Programming or XP. Beck explained the philosophy behind XP and why it is catching on round the world.

Also in this issue FPA expert, Marie O'Neill explained the value of FPA and the differences between the three main approaches to functional size measurement.
ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
PROMOTE

Issue 14 Oct '00
In our viewpoint section we had an interesting discussion on the differences and similarities between the CMM and ISO 9001 and also the of the emergence of the new version of the latter, ISO 9001:2000

Also in this issue we reported on the German ESPINODE, IMPROVE, which has, in addition to the evaluation of process improvement success in ESSI PIEs carried out an empirical study of the main challenges facing European software development organisations.

ESSI PIE's included in this issue:
PIOJAVA
RESPECT

Issue 15 Nov '00
In this final issue we felt it appropriate to round off the publication of Software in Focus with some perspectives from the project team on challenges that face software engineering in the years ahead We also reviewed the lessons of the ESSI PIEs covered in our pages and the Commission reflected on what has been accomplished through ESSI and outlined some possibilities for future initiatives.

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