Learn:

- Agile Testing
- QA vs. Developer Testing
- Benefits of unit testing
- xUnit Frameworks
- The difference between unit testing and test driven development (TDD).

Join this webinar to learn what you need to know in order to start testing today.

Introduction to Unit Testing

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 10:00 AM US Eastern time, 15:00 UK

Discover why you should start unit testing, and how you can get started with automated tests quickly.

Sign up now and pass it on: http://www.typemock.com/introduction-to-unit-testing3.

The SATURN 2012 program includes more than 25 technical sessions, tutorials, courses, panel discussions, and keynote addresses that will explore how effective collaboration across geographical, cultural, and technical boundaries is increasingly prevalent and essential to system success. You will leave the SATURN 2012 conference with new ideas and solutions to implement in your organization. You will also have the opportunity to

• Share ideas and hear case studies on hot topics including cloud computing; software architecture for ultra-large-scale systems; certification, culture, and process; architecture evaluation and review; enterprise architecture; and the interaction of architecture and Agile development
• Take the first public offering of a new course from the SEI, the Advanced Software Architecture Workshop
• Learn from and interact with industry leaders (including keynote speakers Michael Stal and Andy Hunt), researchers, and senior members of the SEI staff

Join us for this insightful, engaging agile leadership event on May 8th at Steigenberger airport hotel, Frankfurt from 10:00 to 13:00

Who should attend:
This exclusive agile leadership event is for CXOs, Information Technology Leaders, Business Leaders, Delivery Leaders, Technology Architects, Product owners

Agenda

10: 00 to 11:30

-Session 1: Business value of agile

-Session 2: Deeper dive

-Session 3: Scaling agile

11:30 to 13:00

-Q&A, Complimentary lunch and networking

Business Value of Agile

-Connecting the dots between business and IT agility

-Quantified ROI of Agile versus traditional methods

-Current trends in the world of agile

Deeper Dive

-Differentiate real agile from the hoax

-From requirements to deploy - Deep dive into end to end agile delivery cycle

-Discover the new - Engineering practices like continuous deployment, ATDD, latest productivity frameworks

-Agile PMO - key success parameters, metrics and KPIs

Scaling Agile

-A large scale agile transformation success story

-Creating agile offshoring to your strategic advantage

-Solving the classic problems in offshoring with agile practices

-Practical road map to success - Governance, Fixed price agile contracts, Outsourced PMO

Benefits of attending the Better Software Conference West:

We look at why the success rate in software development is so much lower than other industries and how traditional waterfall development may work for civil engineering but not for software engineering, which is more about inventing than constructing. We then look at how Scrum addresses the core issues of software development by helping us “build the right thing” and “build the thing right”.

We examine key developer practices including Continuous Integration, Pair Programming, Coding Standards, Test Driven Development, and Refactoring. We look at what these practices are, how they are often misused, and how they can solve many of the fundamental problems in software development when applied correctly.

Scrum software development is a combination of principles and practices that have been proven more effective than traditional waterfall development for most projects. Many software developers can be reluctant to adopt any methodology because it can be superseded by a different one the following year. Scrum and XP have proven their worth and will be around for many years to come.

Benefits

At the end of this session you will know:

• How Scrum development differs from waterfall development
• The track record of the software development industry
• Why the “quality tradeoff” doesn’t apply to building software
• The different skills needed to do Scrum development effectively
• Key developer practices and how they are not what they seem
• Overview of CI, pair programming, TDD and refactoring
• The developer challenge: turning development practices into a practice

Who Should Attend

This training is for all team members, and will benefit architects; designers and developers; development and product managers; software engineers/programmers; testers and QA engineers; and technical analysts, leads, and writers. Familiarity with basic Object-Oriented (OO) concepts and terminology is recommended.

Your Instructor

David Bernstein’s continuing passion for software design and construction has led him to train more than 7,500 developers in the last 23 years for clients that have included Fortune 500 firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Yahoo!, Boeing, AT&T, Sprint, Medtronic, SunGard, State Farm, MetLife and Weyerhaeuser. As a longtime IBM consultant, David trained software engineers around the globe, giving them the skills to write the next generation of applications and operating system software while earning one of the highest satisfaction ratings in the history of IBM education. Since 2006, he has devoted his consulting practice to providing organizations with training and coaching for software developers and teams transitioning to Agile and Scrum.

Become a more proficient developer—Register for the next session of this webinar.

We look at why the success rate in software development is so much lower than other industries and how traditional waterfall development may work for civil engineering but not for software engineering, which is more about inventing than constructing. We then look at how Scrum addresses the core issues of software development by helping us “build the right thing” and “build the thing right”.

We examine key developer practices including Continuous Integration, Pair Programming, Coding Standards, Test Driven Development, and Refactoring. We look at what these practices are, how they are often misused, and how they can solve many of the fundamental problems in software development when applied correctly.

Scrum software development is a combination of principles and practices that have been proven more effective than traditional waterfall development for most projects. Many software developers can be reluctant to adopt any methodology because it can be superseded by a different one the following year. Scrum and XP have proven their worth and will be around for many years to come.

Benefits

At the end of this session you will know:

• How Scrum development differs from waterfall development
• The track record of the software development industry
• Why the “quality tradeoff” doesn’t apply to building software
• The different skills needed to do Scrum development effectively
• Key developer practices and how they are not what they seem
• Overview of CI, pair programming, TDD and refactoring
• The developer challenge: turning development practices into a practice

Who Should Attend

This training is for all team members, and will benefit architects; designers and developers; development and product managers; software engineers/programmers; testers and QA engineers; and technical analysts, leads, and writers. Familiarity with basic Object-Oriented (OO) concepts and terminology is recommended.

Your Instructor

David Bernstein’s continuing passion for software design and construction has led him to train more than 7,500 developers in the last 23 years for clients that have included Fortune 500 firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Yahoo!, Boeing, AT&T, Sprint, Medtronic, SunGard, State Farm, MetLife and Weyerhaeuser. As a longtime IBM consultant, David trained software engineers around the globe, giving them the skills to write the next generation of applications and operating system software while earning one of the highest satisfaction ratings in the history of IBM education. Since 2006, he has devoted his consulting practice to providing organizations with training and coaching for software developers and teams transitioning to Agile and Scrum.

Become a more proficient developer—Register for the next session of this webinar.

The conference is hosting MasterClasses a week before and after the conference. 

Please visit our website for full details http://agileafricaconf.com

In January we will discuss:

Stand Up Story Point Carry Over

Wed, Feb 8, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST

learn about common problems found in story point carry over, and what to do about it. 

Attend if you have seen or are experiencing any of these symptoms:

• Your team frequently has most of their story points carry over sprint to sprint 
• The team seems to start out great but stalls mid sprint / iteration
• Testing seems to get put off
• Your team does development in one sprint and testing in the next

Join future webinars to learn :

- When executives say one thing but do another.
- How a PM knows their agile project is in trouble.
- Use peer pressure change disruptive team behaviors.
- When a team room isn’t a room.
- Daily stand-ups when a team isn’t co-located.
- Why should the team resolve roadblocks?
- Measuring velocity during the holidays.
- We need that 1,000 page functional spec that no one reads.

In January we will discuss:

Stand Up Self-Defense 

Wed, Jan 11, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PST

learn about common problems found in the daily standup meetings found in most agile projects, and what to do about them. 

Attend if you have seen or are experiencing any of these symptoms:

- Your standup takes more than 15 minutes
- You don't have a daily standup, you have a daily sit down
- Team members "Give Status" to the project manager or scrummaster
- One person dominates the conversations
- Managers are giving orders during the daily stand-up
- You find yourself saying, "Ok Who wants to go next?" a lot.

Join future webinars to learn :

- When executives say one thing but do another.
- How a PM knows their agile project is in trouble.
- Use peer pressure change disruptive team behaviors.
- When a team room isn’t a room.
- Daily stand-ups when a team isn’t co-located.
- Why should the team resolve roadblocks?
- Measuring velocity during the holidays.
- We need that 1,000 page functional spec that no one reads.

El formato de este evento incluye la realización de conferencias presentadas por destacados panelistas nacionales e internacionales así como también sesiones de discusión e intercambio de conocimiento entre colegas del área.

Este evento es también un importante punto de encuentro y networking para profesionales de diferentes empresas de la industria del software.

El objetivo final del Scrum Bolivia Day es ayudar a consolidar una comunidad ágil y dinámica de profesionales interesados en aprender, aplicar y expandir Scrum en sus diversas facetas.

Network with, and learn from, the finest Agile experts, industry luminaries, thought leaders, innovating practitioners, practicing experts and top authors. Fully immerse yourself in the full array of Agile development methodologies, technologies and tools, leadership principles, and management philosophies and processes.

Then return home with transformative new skills, ideas and perspectives that you can put into practice immediately.

Our 2012 event has a lineup that is jam packed with events. Over the course of six days, attendees will be invited to attend not only the 3-Day conference but also hands-on tutorial sessions and community participation events to assist in networking and knowledge sharing. Whether its making connections through social media or through exciting networking events such as the always popular Welcome Reception, LSSC 2012 is your opportunity to hear different industry perspectives, visit old friends and meet new friends!

The six day overview provided below is to just a quick glance at the exciting events awaiting this year's attendees.

Project Management Institute’s research shows that the use of Agile has tripled over the past several years.  Analysts predict that moving forward, Agile development methods will be utilized in approximately 80% of all software development projects.

In response to this trend, PMI launched its PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)^sm certification.

If you use agile practices in your projects, or your organization is adopting agile approaches to project management, the PMI-ACP^SM certification may be right for you.

In this complimentary webinar, Leah Zimmerman (PMP & PMI-ACP) and Rick Hammond (PMP) will discuss the nature of this certification and its impact on individuals and their organizations who obtain it.

The webinar will cover:

• What is the PMI-ACP^sm?
• What need does it fulfill?
• Is the PMI-ACP right for me?
• How does the PMI-ACP contrast with other “agile” certifications?
• What is the value this cert brings to my organization?
• What are the Education and Experience eligibility requirements?
• What does the exam cover?
• What is the best way for me to prepare for the exam?
• What’s the next step?

Don't miss this opportunity! Attendance is free. 

Each participant is eligible to win a free seat in UMBC Training Centers upcoming PMI-ACP workshop in June!

For more information please visit http://www.umbc.edu/trainctr/news/pmi-acp-webinar.html

Free and Open to the Software Engineering & IT Community
SolutionsIQ. 10785 Willows Rd NE, Suite 250, Redmond, WA

Plenty of Free Parking!!
Reach out to our LinkedIn group if you want to CarPool/Rideshare

Food & networking from 5:45 to 6:15 (pizza, salad, soda )
Announcements from 6:15 to 6:30
Presentation from 6:30 to 7:45
Q & A from 7:45 to 8:15
Doors close at 8:30

Surviving the Kobayashi Maru: Coping with Failure on Agile Projects
by Tom Perry

One of the central tenets of Agile has always been to "Fail Faster." But let's face it, failing sucks! For the little stuff it may be OK, but when its you and your team on the line, failure isn't nearly so attractive. Failure comes with a cost as well as a benefit. In this session through a series of collaborative discussions we discuss ways to bring compassion, reality, and a quick recovery back to teams that have recently failed. Attendees will have a chance to share their own perspectives and strategies for dealing with failure and subsequent recovery.

Bio

With more than twenty years in software development, Tom Perry has worked on teams at startup companies, large corporations in the Fortune 100, and the State and Federal government. His background includes testing, development, project/program management, agile coaching/mentoring, and training. As part of Tom’s involvement in the greater agile community, he led the Seattle Eastside chapter of the APLN. Check out Tom’s blog for more information about his writing, presentations, and current projects at agiletools.wordpress.com or follow him on twitter @tlperry.

Reserve your seat for the webinar at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/336070030

Learn more about cPrime and Agile Coach, Jeff Howey!

Organizations from startups to Fortune 500 are gaining competitive advantages by using agile techniques and games for numerous initiatives including software development, project management, and product development to name a few. Come learn more by joining our engaging, supportive, and fun event.

For more details, visit the conference site: www.AgileGames2012.com

Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Date: 2/22/12 | Cost: Free (Including Dinner)| Location: Platform Lab

1275 Kinnear Road Columbus, OH 43212

RSVP at www.cohaa.org

Facilitators:

Bob Myers: has over 20 years in the IT industry and is currently serving as the President of Pillar. Prior to joining Pillar, Bob served as a CIO, CTO, and IT Director. He was a consultant for CGE&Y and was a Director/Partner in one of the largest internet growth companies. Bob has also been a founding partner in the creation and sale of two Internet related start-up companies. For the past 10 years Bob has focused on strategic technology engagements that impact business process improvement, sales growth, cost displacement and new business operating models. Bob's primary skills are in the area of Business Process Re-engineering, IT Engineering and Object Oriented Framework Development.

Matt VanVleet joined Pillar in 2005 as VP of Fulfillment for the Ohio Valley Region after years of notable accomplishments. Matt has developed a testing practice focused on functional test automation and application performance management. Matt founded Solstice Software, a company that wrote Automated Unit and Integration Testing Products and continues to push the envelope with test automation. He is one of the key innovators around our Speed To Value (S2V) approach. Matt's skills and experience has been instrumental in the development of Pillar's Practice Management model that maximizes the impact of productivity by enforcing those proven concepts and training.

Thank you to Pillar for sponsoring dinner!
Thank you to Platform Lab for sponsoring the facility!

Date: 3/29/12
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 PM
(Food and Networking 5:30 - 6:30)
Location: Nationwide Rings Rd Building
5100 Rings Rd Dublin, OH 43017

***Please Note the Address Change***

Jon Terry is Chief Operating Officer of LeanKit. Prior to joining LeanKit, Jon held a number of senior IT positions with hospital-giant HCA and its subsidiary HealthTrust Purchasing Group. During that time he was among those responsible for launching HCA’s widespread adoption of Lean/Agile methods. Jon earned his Global Executive MBA from Georgetown University and ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He is a Project Management Professional and a Certified Scrum Master.

Parking details TBD

The most important IT project in your company’s history is coming up, and you need to assign it to your best Agile team, how do you figure out which team it is? Or maybe your just deciding how to pass out year-end bonuses, how do you tell which teams performed the best? For one reason or another, any company with multiple Agile teams will at some point want to compare those teams to see which teams are being more productive. How do you measure a team’s productivity? Can you measure a team’s productivity? We will explore these questions and more at this upcoming Agile Lunchbox in a “Fishbowl Panel”.

RSVP www.cohaa.org

Not familiar with a “Fishbowl Panel”? The panel will initially consist of 3 people, and 4 chairs on stage. People in the audience are encouraged to ask questions, but may not answer any questions or give opinions. However, at anytime, any audience member may go sit in the empty chair and join the panel to answer questions and contribute their views and opinions. Once an audience member sits in the empty chair, the panelist to their right will go sit in the audience (at the least disruptive time), leaving an open seat for the next audience member who wants to join the panel.

To get us started, we have 3 panelists.

Matt Van Vleet- COO of Pillar
Joe Astolfi - Director at Quick Solutions
Michael Kaiser- Manager at Centric Consulting

Date: 2/29
Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm
Cost: Free (Including Lunch)
Location: OCLC
6565 Kilgour Place
Dublin, OH 43017

Thank you to Pillar for Sponsoring the food
Thank you to OCLC for Sponsoring the facility