Automatic generation of software systems
Noah S. Prywes · ACM SIGMIS Database the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems · 1974
Despite the continuing improvements in hardware , system sottware and programming languages, they ar e not considered sufficient to compensate for the dramatic projected increases in demand for sottware .One approach in forecasting the needs of businessmen, industrialists and scientists is as follows :The ratio of cost of sottware to hardware, whic h in 1970 was 2 :1, is projected to increase by 1985 t o 10 :1' .The 1970 U .S .Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate s show a work force of 360,000 engaged in softwar e development in the United States .Of these 137,000 were classified as business programmers, 97,000 a s business systems analysts and 126,000 were employe d in systems and scientific software° .Approximately, i n 1970, the cost of software was $10 billion, while th e cost of hardware was $5 billion' .These estimates ar e on the low side as they exclude some segments o f the U .S .economy and were registered at a low economic point .In spite of the decreasing costs of computer equipment, total U .S .revenues from computing hardwar e have been increasing since 1970 at a real rate tha t may be averaged at 10 percent annually .`Considerin g the large numbers of potential new users and ne w areas of industrial applications, this rate is projecte d to continue to 1985 .It will amount to quadruplin g the real annual cost of new computer equipment b yThe author is a professor in the Department of Corn-1985 .