Adventures in Software: An Alliance of Academia, Industry, and Government

What is SEI? It is the Software Engineering Institute which has as a primary
objective the improvement of the production, management, and maintenance of large
software systems used by government, industry, and academic environments. In this
thesis, I propose to describe and define this newly-founded organization funded by
the Department of Defense. My study concentrates on the history, goals, present
status, and future outlook of SEI. While such information exists, it does so in an
array of material; thus, many people cannot piece together the story of SEI. So, I
have gathered and integrated existing materials: in-house notes, pamphlets, newspaper
and journal articles. I have also synthesized and analyzed primary informationinterviews
with people who were instrumental in the creation and development of
SEI. Hopefully, I can provide a lay reader with a story that will demystify and
clarify the shrouded, thus often misunderstood, conception of the Software
Engineering Institute.