Architectures you've always wondered about

Host: Randy Shoup

Have you ever browsed to a site like eBay or Amazon and wondered, or even fantasized about what software architecture they may have used, and what insights their teams must have after solving such complex and large-scale problems? This track will give you an exclusive chance to learn directly from some of the most well-known and high-volume web applications in the world. In previous QCons, this track featured Amazon.com, MySpace.com, SecondLife, eBay, Linked-In, Yahoo!, Orbitz.com, and the BBC.com. This year will feature Facebook, Linked-In, and even more case studies of some of the most notable large scale systems in the world.

Kanban/ Lean Software Development

Host: David Anderson

Kanban has been described as "the first new Agile method for 5 years," by Sanjiv Augustine, while others have commented in 2009 that they "haven't seen buzz like this since the birth of XP." What is Kanban all about? Why is it creating such a buzz? How does it fit with other Agile methods? And when would you choose to use it? Kanban is based on a very simple principle - agree a limit to work-in-progress, and pull new work only when something is finished. From this simple principle a whole set of emergent rules have evolved into the latest collaborative game of software development. Experts who've been using Kanban in the field for several years will talk about how they use Kanban, how and why they adopted it, the effects it had on the culture of their organization and how they see the future of Lean software development evolving.

The Cloud: Platform or Utility

Host: Stefan Tilkov

What exactly is The Cloud? What should it be? There is a diversity of answers to this question and this session will explore at least two of them. Will the Cloud be a collection of (mostly) proprietary platforms, or will it truly be the next incarnation of the Web (a utility with open standards and protocols enabling ubiquitous computing)?

Agility as a Craft

Host: Dion Stewart

This track will explore the concept of software development as a craft and why that is so appealing to the agile community. Speakers will address the concept of software craft, agility as a craft, and becoming a master craftsman.

Architecture for the Architect

Host: Joseph Yoder

If you think Architecture is about enterprise products, big technologies, committee-generated standards and expensive vendor "solutions", then this track is probably not for you. On second thoughts, perhaps it is.

Technical Skills for Agile Development

Host: Steve Freeman

Many organisations have adopted Agile development practices over the past ten years and are now discovering that there's more to it than iterations and stand-ups. One of the best features of the Agile movement was that it reset the balance between the business and technical sides of a software organisation. True Agility--the ability to respond rapidly to change--requires both good business decision- making and strong technical skills and practice.

Browser as a Platform

Host: Dylan Schiemann

The browser is emerging as the new client platform. AJAX, RIA, and the ongoing JavaScript performance races are fueling this development. This is most notably applied for front-end applications of SaaS and/or cloud applications, but increasingly also as a platform in it's own right, as we are starting to see browser-based applications that are not tied to a specific back-end system, but rather exists in them selves or integrate a number of other web-based services.

Emerging Languages

Host: Ola Bini

The last few years have seen a resurgence in the use of alternative languages. Solutions built on top of languages like Python, Ruby, Groovy and Scala is becoming more common, both to build integration solutions and full-fledged systems. In this track we will look at some of the languages and how they are used in the enterprise, what benefits they give and what to look out for.

SOA: Hits and Misses

Host: Robert D. Schneider

SOA is considered by many to be widely used, mature, technology worthy of a retrospective. This track will introduce case studies that show where and why SOA has succeeded and where and why it has failed to live up to expectations.

Cool Stuff with Java

Host: Scott Delap

In many ways the future of Java is less defined by its own ecosystem than it is by the way it is being used in new application domains and how it works with other technologies and languages. This track will explore interesting and novel ways that Java is being used to solve unique and challenging problems, and how the boundaries of Java are being pushed in the process (as well as some edge cases in Java itself).

DSL in Practice

Host: Neal Ford

Domain Specific Languages (DSLs) aim at bringing the abstractions in software development closer to the real world of business concerns. Lots of information exists about the plumbing to create DSLS. In this track we present practical applications and tools that are useful today.

The Enterprise-IT Ecology

Host: Dave West

How can IT be better integrated with the enterprise? Business decisions that drive IT. Can IT recover from its current "commodity" status and once again become a strategic driver for the enterprise? This type of question and topic will be addressed in this track.

The Many Facets of Ruby

Host: Charles Nutter

Ruby has seen a dramatic growth in popularity over the last few years, and there are now many facets to the Ruby story - multiple implementations, game-changing web frameworks, and large-scale use in enterprise solutions. Join us as we explore many aspects of Ruby in today's world.

Cool Extra Sessions

Host: TBA

TBA

Solutions Track - Performance and Scalability

Host: TBA

TBA

Solutions Track - Thursday

Host: TBA

TBA