Legacy systems, software maintenance and computing curricula

A large number of organisations still rely on computer information systems that were originally developed many years ago. The maintenance of these legacy systems represents a substantial proportion of an organisation's information technology effort. Even with new approaches such as software re-engineering, there is still a need for software maintenance. Despite this need it is a topic that is generally overlooked in university curricula and most graduates in information systems, computer science and software engineering are not adequately prepared for this task. The paper discusses the various aspects of software maintenance and the skills required to maintain systems successfully. Finally, it proposes topics that should be included in university curricula if graduates are to be provided with the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain systems, be they, legacy, re-engineered or modern.<<ETX>>