No IWSM conference this year

Dear reader,

The IWSM organization has decided not to organize a conference this year. Although the 2020 conference was a success, the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are causing too many uncertainties for the country that is organizing the next edition of the IWSM conference.

But there is an alternative

For those of you that have an interest in Software Cost Estimation there is an alternative. With IT-budgets getting tighter and demands for new or better software on the rise reliable cost estimates for software projects are becoming more important than ever. For that reason COSMIC and Nesma have decided to organize a summit on this topic.

Software Cost Estimation Summit

SCES ‘21 is a dual-mode summit meeting where leaders in the field of software cost estimation from industry, government and research share their insights and experience in forecasting the cost and other resources needed to complete a software intensive project within a defined scope. Since almost everything developed or constructed today involves a significant software component, software cost estimation is becoming increasingly important.

SCES ‘21 will be held on November 9 and 10. The physical part of this summit will take place in the beautiful Philharmonie in Haarlem (the Netherlands), where you can connect physically with the speakers and fellow software cost estimation professionals. Since COVID restrictions limit the number of people that can safely be brought together, most of the summit will be also available online. In this way anyone who is not able to join this summit or does not feel comfortable to travel to the Netherlands can still share in the insights and experiences that will be shared.

More information can be found on nesma.org/sces21.

Walk down memory lane

Those of you who have been to the IWSM conference in 2019 are already familiar with the Philharmonie. Relive that conference by watching the photos taken there.

Cost Estimation Challenge

During the SCES ’21 the finals of the Cost Estimation Challenge will be held. Just like last year practitioner teams can compete on making the best substantiated Software Cost Estimate. The teams get the specifications 4 weeks in advance and will present their results to a jury of Software Cost Estimation professionals. Watch the conference website nesma.org/sces21 for more details or contact challenge@cosmic-sizing.org.

Best Research Award

We want to give the floor to the best Software Cost Estimation research of the past few years. Have you written a research paper on a standardized approach to Software Cost Estimation that has been published on January 1, 2018 or later, please send it in to awards@cosmic-sizing.org. Do you know a paper written by someone else, you can also nominate that paper via the same address. An independent jury of Software Cost Estimation professionals and scholars will judge the nominated papers.