The concept of linking and synchronization is most often associated with the Web, collaboration tools and mobile apps. Gmail is in sync with my Android smartphone. When I edit a Google Doc, my colleagues see the changes immediately be it from a desktop or mobile device.

Last week, Tasktop Technologies launched the latest version of its open-source technology. It extends the concept of linking and sharing to application lifecycle management (ALM). To me, Tasktop Sync 2.0 passes the glue test.  It binds legacy technologies with its new, modern counterparts.

And it does it in a most modern way.  It uses the principles of linked data to network data artifacts that too often get lost during application development, especially with large teams. By connecting the data through REST-based APIs, a transparency emerges that bridges gaps in communication between developers and testers. That in itself fosters collaboration, which makes for better planning and pinpointed maintenance.

Developers Set the Tone

Developers increasingly use tools like Jira from Atlassian to manage tasks during application development.  It fits the emerging lifestyle that we see everywhere. Developers may access Jira  from an iPhone, the Web or email. But like many modern services, Jira is disconnected from the multiple application lifecycle management suites such as HP ALM and IBM Rational software that were built long before the cloud came in vogue.

A Lack of Standards

Mik Kersten is CEO and founder of Tasktop Technologies.  Kersten is also the lead for Eclipse Mylyn, the open-source, task-focused interface for application development that is built on Eclipse itself.

Kersten maintains that ALM has a lack of open protocols which makes it difficult to connect modern apps with ALM suites. It’s unlike email which has Exchange and IMAP. ALM should also have its own protocols that fits with its own unique architecture.

As a stack, ALM tools should have methods for linking and synchronization. It needs an open-source glue. That’s the importance of Open Services Lifecycle Collaboration (OSLC), which Tasktop has integrated into Tasktop 2.0. OSLC is “a community of software developers and organizations that is working to standardize the way that software lifecycle tools can share data (for example, requirements, defects, test cases, plans, or code) with one another.”

Here Kersten gives an overview in an IBM video for how OSLC integrates with ALM tools by using open APIs.

The glue in OSLC is in the ability to link data from multiple tool sets to provide the ability to track the most granular artifacts in the software development lifecycle. That’s critical to enterprise software development that often consists of teams throughout the world, using multiple ALM tool suites.

Linked data concepts are the foundation of OSLC. It follows a universal truth that the Web now connects more than hyperlinks. It connects data from apps that is presented according to Web protocols. The APIs act as the connectors to the data which is then communicated in a Web framework.

Over the past several years, Tasktop and IBM have collaborated on the OSLC protocol. Initially OSLC is being used for organizations with IBM CLM tools in their stack. Specifically this means IBM Jazz.

Linked data is a new means for connecting multiple data sources. It shows connections we can not see otherwise. It fosters community and a framework work together on common goals in the application lifecycle.

Tasktop Sync 2.0 is a reminder that its not just about big data. It’s about getting data to the right people to perform the tasks that need completing. That means using Web metaphors to form synergies between developers and testers that have not historically been visible.