Integrating developing countries into the process of engineering dependable software

In the development and rigorous verification of high-integrity software for safety-related industrial applications, an area of software engineering is identified, which does not require geographically close contact between software engineers and end users. On the contrary, the distance enforces more accurate specifications and better documentation, and reduces the danger of falling into thinking traps. A software engineering methodology specifically suited for distributed industrial control systems and programmable logic controllers employed in safety-related environments is described, which solely comprises the graphical interconnection of application-specific softwareICs at the end user. The use of the methodology requires extremely high demands for the quality of the software-ICs and, hence, high staff costs. Therefore, it is feasible to carry out these tasks in regions that possess a large number of well-trained but less well paid (by European or U.S. standards) engineers. As a side-effect of participating in the production and safety licensing process of dependable software, the development of information technology in those regions is fostered.