Der Informationssektor in Österreich

eitskräften
durch N4aschinen
sein, anclererseits
existiert eine Unzahl möglicher Anwendungen,
die sehr wohl einen Einsatz der damit wieder nutzbar gewordenen Akti'itaten fur neue Ar_
rvendungsgebiete erlaubt. Die fuchtung dieser Entwicklung ist großteirs von aktuellen Ent_
scheidungen abhängig, es foigt eine Darstellung von pessimistrschen und optirlistischen Arr:umenten
rm Bereich der Softu are-Erstellung
.,The reasons which are sometimes advanced to justifi, a pessimistic lorecast for
future software emplovment are these.
(i) The automation
ofcodrng and testing ofnew soiii.r,are
(ii) The spread of Object-Oriented programming (OOp) and orher rechniques
lvhich -ereatly increase softrvare labour procluctivity
(iii) The unir,ersal availability of standard packages, rnany of which are user_
friendly relieving trre users ofthe need to hire specialist sonrvare personnel
(ir') The improved skills of software users. many of *,hom no longer need
'hand-holdine'
suppon. A high proportion ofgraduates in many different
discrplines norv have computer skills, even though they are not designaled
as software or conputer professionals.
(v) Related to this. the need for rnainfranre clata processinq or specialist supporr
uroups is said to be diminishing rvith the shift to client_sener nelrvorKs.
(vi) The subcontracting ofsome solirvare activities to Asia ancl to the caribbean
(and on a small scale now to Eastern Europe).',,',
,,The main reasons
lor a more optimistic
forecast
are the follouing
(i) lcr will continue to diffirse at a very high rate over the next decade There
are still innumerable applications of computers and all of these reouire soft_
ware fbr their implementation. As we have already argued, rising labour
productivity in software rvould accelerate rather than retard diflüsion. so
that output and ernployment gro*,th u,,ould outstrip labour productil,ity
crowth.
'r
Frcclnilr & Soete I99-t. S. 6l
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