Adopt, Scale and Succeed with Agile

Whether you are starting your first Agile pilot or scaling across an enterprise, Rally provides a framework to help you successfully scale and mature Agile practices in a step-wise fashion. This section connects you with just a few of our available Agile resources.

• Get Agile training services on your site and schedule through Rally’s in-house experts
• Find the latest free downloads including white papers, webinars and articles
• Find public Agile training courses through Agile University
• Join the Agile conversation in our online community Agile Commons

For more information or to speak with an expert about the best knowledge and training for your Agile adoption, contact us at info@rallydev.com.

Rally Services

Delivered on-site, in public courses, and via phone and web conference, Rally's expert consultants introduce your teams to the project leadership skills and collaboration tools needed to deliver your first Agile projects within 60 days.

Downloads

In our Agile resource center, you can access free white papers, presentations, webinars and articles about Agile project management techniques and best practices for requirements management, test and defect management, and development management.

Agile University

Agile University is an online portal that provides a single source for information and registration of public Agile training courses taught by the industry's leading trainers. Whether you are building on the basics of Scrum methodology or want to challenge yourself with an Agile Product Management Course, Agile University has a course that fits your needs.

Agile Commons

Agile Commons is an online community that empowers Agile practitioners to interact, exchange knowledge and ultimately improve the results of their Agile development practices. The heart of Agile Commons is supporting the growing Agile community, while at the same time serving Rally customers through peer collaboration, online support and the exchange of best practices for succeeding with Agile.

---> Read More . . .

Do We Need Yet Another Methodology?

When the Hubble Telescope was launched into space it had a mirror built to the wrong specifications. It wasn't until the telescope was fully deployed and in the hands of its customers that the problem was discovered. A satellite's customers can't try using it until after it's in outer space, but why do we do this with software?

What if you walked into an electronics lab and saw work benches covered in old appliances? Would you keep that huge old TV with the quaint little round picture tube because it still had a good power supply? Would you keep an old AM radio because it was useful as an RF generator? You wouldn't because your work bench would be so cluttered you couldn't get anything done. But this is exactly what we do with software.

The Zilwaukee Bridge over the Saginaw River needed to be built in a hurry. The bridge was built up from both banks of the river to meet in the middle. But when they got to the middle one side was three feet higher than the other. When half of your project is on one side of a river and the other half is on the other you can't integrate your project until the very end, but why do we do this with software?

Extreme Programming (XP) was designed in response to these kinds of questions. XP was based on observations of what made computer programming faster and what made it slower. XP is an important new methodology for two reasons. First and foremost it is a re-examination of software development practices that have become standard operating procedures. And second, it is one of several new lightweight software methodologies created to reduce the cost of software. XP goes one step further and defines a process that is simple and enjoyable. ---> Read More . . .

What is Mozilla?

We’re a global communityof thousands who sincerely believe in the power of technology to enrich people’s lives.

We’re a public benefit organizationdedicated not to making money but to improving the way people everywhere experience the Internet.

And we’re an open source software projectwhose code has been used as a platform for some of the Internet’s most innovative projects.

The common thread that runs throughout Mozilla is our belief that, as the most significant social and technological development of our time, the Internet is a public resource that must remain open and accessible to all. With this in mind, our efforts are ultimately driven by our mission of encouraging choice, innovation and opportunity online.

To achieve these goals, we use a highly transparent, collaborative process that brings together thousands of dedicated volunteers and corporate contributors from around the world with a small staff of employees to coordinate the creation of products like the Firefox web browser. This process is supported by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiaries, especially the Mozilla Corporation.

Our community exists as a virtual Mozilla organization that is independent of employment status. Leadership in the Mozilla Project derives from respect: the more valuable your contribution, the greater your authority. We are a meritocracy, so even Mozilla Foundation employees must earn the respect of the community.

Mozilla’s technology and products belong to everyone. Not only are our products freely available, but our entire code base is a shared public resource. Many other projects use Mozilla technology as the foundation for their own products, both free and commercial.

In the end, the Mozilla community, organization and technology are all focused on a single goal: making the Internet better for everyone.

---> Read More . . .

When should Extreme Programming be Used?

Extreme Programming (XP) was created in response to problem domains whose requirements change. Your customers may not have a firm idea of what the system should do. You may have a system whose functionality is expected to change every few months. In many software environments dynamically changing requirements is the only constant. This is when XP will succeed while other methodologies do not.

XP was also set up to address the problems of project risk. If your customers need a new system by a specific date the risk is high. If that system is a new challenge for your software group the risk is even greater. If that system is a new challenge to the entire software industry the risk is greater even still. The XP practices are set up to mitigate the risk and increase the likelihood of success.

XP is set up for small groups of programmers. Between 2 and 12, though larger projects of 30 have reported success. Your programmers can be ordinary, you don't need programmers with a Ph.D. to use XP. But you can not use XP on a project with a huge staff. We should note that on projects with dynamic requirements or high risk you may find that a small team of XP programmers will be more effective than a large team anyway.


XP requires an extended development team. The XP team includes not only the developers, but the managers and customers as well, all working together elbow to elbow. Asking questions, negotiating scope and schedules, and creating functional tests require more than just the developers be involved in producing the software.

Another requirement is testability. You must be able to create automated unit and functional tests. While some domains will be disqualified by this requirement, you may be surprised how many are not. You do need to apply a little testing ingenuity in some domains. You may need to change your system design to be easier to test. Just remember, where there is a will there is a way to test.

The last thing on the list is productivity. XP projects unanimously report greater programmer productivity when compared to other projects within the same corporate environment. But this was never a goal of the XP methodology. The real goal has always been to deliver the software that is needed when it is needed. If this is what is important to your project it may be time to try XP.
---> Read More . . .

What is Extreme Programming?

Extreme Programming (XP) is actually a deliberate and disciplined approach to software development. About eight years old, it has already been proven at many companies of all different sizes and industries world wide.
XP is successful because it stresses customer satisfaction. The methodology is designed to deliver the software your customer needs when it is needed. XP empowers your developers to confidently respond to changing customer requirements, even late in the life cycle.
This methodology also emphasizes team work. Managers, customers, and developers are all part of a team dedicated to delivering quality software. XP implements a simple, yet effective way to enable groupware style development.
XP improves a software project in four essential ways; communication, simplicity,

feedback, and courage. XP programmers communicate with their customers and fellow programmers. They keep their design simple and clean. They get feedback by testing their software starting on day one. They deliver the system to the customers as early as possible and implement changes as suggested. With this foundation XP programmers are able to courageously respond to changing requirements and technology.
XP is different. It is a lot like a jig saw puzzle. There are many small pieces. Individually the pieces make no sense, but when combined together a complete picture can be seen. This is a significant departure from traditional software development methods and ushers in a change in the way we program.


---> Read More . . .