ThoughtWorks Studios Announces Interactive Webinar Series Focused on Agile Software Development

Foremost industry experts from ThoughtWorks and ThoughtWorks Studios to share best practices during series of upcoming online discussions

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ThoughtWorks Studios

Jan 22, 2010, 09:03 ET

LONDON and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtWorks Studios, (www.thoughtworks-studios.com) a global leader in Agile ALM tools and training, today announced the ThoughtWorks Agile Webinar series that will address some of the most pressing issues surrounding successful Agile software development. In addition, the Webinars are offered to meet the needs of a global audience, with varying start times based on North America, Europe and Asia time zones.

"This interactive, educational series will allow participants to learn and be connected with our Agile experts regardless of their location in the world," explained Cyndi Mitchell, managing director for ThoughtWorks Studios. "We have designed this series of Webinars for project and portfolio managers who want to accelerate the adoption and success of Agile-based techniques. Interaction and collaboration are central to all of our Webinars, and we invite every attendee to be an active participant in the discussion."

ThoughtWorks Studios will offer the following Webinars led by the industry's foremost thought leaders and subject-matter experts:

-	The Financial and Budgetary Impact of Agile and Lean (Suitable for North America: Wed., Jan. 27, 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. EST) Ross Pettit, client principal at ThoughtWorks will elaborate on the financial risks of "leaned- out IT." Pettit will share why Agile teams that are better aligned with corporate financial priorities enable a higher rate of capitalization, consume less cash, provide better cash management, protect yields and reduce exposure to "black swan" events.



-	Agile Metrics that Matter (Suitable for Europe and Asia: Wed, Feb. 17, 4:30 p.m. IST/ 11 a.m. GMT) In this Webinar, Patricia Carlin, general manager of ThoughtWorks' Bangalore office, will discuss metrics versus diagnostics, reporting progress and how best to provide visibility into software development projects. Carlin also will examine the necessity of producing metrics that add value and eliminating metrics that are deemed irrelevant. This discussion also includes guidelines on effectively using metrics on Agile projects as well as different types of metrics that have been used on large ThoughtWorks development projects.




-	Applying Agile to Multi-Team Projects (Suitable for North America: Wed., Feb. 24, noon PST/ 3 p.m. EST) Adam Monago, vice president for client services for ThoughtWorks Studios, will focus on the challenges and pitfalls of managing software projects when multiple teams are involved. This presentation takes examples of experiences with clients around the world to shed light on best practices, as well as avoidable pitfalls when applying Agile to multi-team development projects.




-	Making Short Releases on Medium Projects a Large Possibility (Suitable for Europe and Asia: Wed., Mar. 17, 4:30 p.m. IST/ 11 a.m. GMT) Umar Akhter, senior project manager for ThoughtWorks, will share key insights on release management, and ways of making shorter and regular releases on medium to large projects possible. He will also discuss other relevant topics, such as planning for frequent releases, required infrastructure, automation, discipline, negotiating with customers and process improvement.



-	Releasing Excellent Software (Suitable for North America: Wed., Mar. 24, 9 a.m. PDT/ noon EDT) Cruise product manager, Jez Humble will discuss the importance of releasing excellent software fast. Many teams endure long, painful release processes resulting in little value. Delivering great software for users frequently and fast can be accomplished through build, test and deployment automation skills. Humble will explore how to achieve these results during this interactive Webinar.




-	Making Feedback Work in Agile Teams (Suitable for Europe and Asia: Wed., Apr. 14, 4:30 p.m. IST/ 11 a.m. GMT) Sumeet Moghe, training manager for ThoughtWorks, will share the keys to achieving success in Agile teams. Feedback in peer groups facilitates a shift from 'forming, storming and norming' to the most effective stage in Tuckman's model - performing. This aspect, an important concern of luminaries in Agile, will be discussed in deep detail.




-	Leading the Transition to Agility (Suitable for Europe and Asia: Wed., May 12, 4:30 p.m. IST/ 11 a.m. GMT) ThoughtWorks project manager Jann Thomas will explore the next set of challenges confronting program and project managers. Agile software development methodology is sweeping the IT Industry and, in turn, a majority of organizations are adopting one of the many 'brands' of Agile, including Scrum, XP, Lean, Crystal Clear and DSDM. As these types of adoptions accelerate, organizations are looking for ways to ease into Agile practices without losing productivity. During this Webinar Thomas will explore the ways to lead an organization through their transition to Agile.

For more information on ThoughtWorks Studios Webinar series or to register for a specific event please visit: (http://www.thoughtworks-studios.com/agile-webinars).

About ThoughtWorks Studios

ThoughtWorks Studios is a global leader in Agile ALM tools and training. Its products and services are used by organizations as a foundation for sustainable Agile adoption, where project management, automation and engineering best practices are required. The company's Adaptive ALM^™ solution provides a platform for managing all aspects of the software development lifecycle – from requirements definition and project management to test automation, quality assurance and release management. The three products that make up Adaptive ALM, Mingle® (project management), Twist® (test automation) and Cruise® (release management), are available as an integrated solution or as stand-alone products. The company also provides in-depth training courses that cover all aspects of Agile ALM through its Agile Workshops series. Backed as an independent division of ThoughtWorks®, the pioneering leader in Agile development and best-practices, ThoughtWorks Studios' customers include 3M, Barclays, BBC, eBay, Honeywell, McGraw-Hill, Rackspace and Vodafone. It is headquartered in San Francisco and Bangalore, with offices in London and select cities in Europe, Asia and Australia. For more information, please visit www.thoughtworks-studios.com.