to develop high-quality digital products with long-lasting benefits - and to use the available resources responsibly in the process. This applies to the entire software life cycle, from design to operation.
Together with our customers, we develop digital solutions that meet their requirements and strategies. In doing so, we contribute our expertise in digitalization and use an iterative and collaborative approach to continuously learn and improve. We attach great importance to sustainability and incorporate this principle into all our processes and actions. We actively share our knowledge and promote an open exchange.
The dimensions of sustainability in software development
In our view, there are two key dimensions that contribute to sustainability in our software projects.
- When it comes to the ecological component, we focus primarily on the efficient and responsible use of resources. We consider the careful use of resources as early as the IT design and architecture stage, e.g. when creating the data model and selecting suitable algorithms.
Our doubleSlash Coding Codex, which is the responsibility of our developers, provides guidelines for the use of resources during software development. One example from the codex is: "Use efficient technologies". For example, we rely on newer versions of Java, as they have a smaller memory footprint compared to older versions due to their more efficient string storage. This not only saves memory, but also reduces costs. - The second dimension is dedicated to longevity and quality. This means that high-quality software solutions with a long service life are more sustainable than constant new developments. Good architecture, documentation, testing and security concepts help to make software maintainable and therefore durable. Aspects such as scalability, expandability and user-centricity play an important role here.
Growing social relevance of software
Behind "Green in IT" refers to the resource-conserving approach to software development. In addition, "Green by IT", i.e. the promotion of sustainable projects using IT, offers the opportunity to change structures and processes in such a way that they contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals.
The social relevance of sustainable software is increasing all the time.
Authors: Stefanie Scharmann & Stephan Olsowski
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