Presentation

Recently, software development activity has become even more complex, as software companies are increasingly distributing resources in order to decrease costs and find new markets.

The problems and challenges inherent in the development process become more critical in the Distributed Software Development (DSD). Furthermore, the distance makes difficult the coordination and communication among the team members. Some empirical studies show that these problems translate into slower software development processes, while others suggest that recent tools supporting collaboration can minimize this delay.

Currently, DSD is a reality both international and national context. In Brazil, it is relatively common to find companies based in different states that join forces to lead a distributed software project. Furthermore, several multinational companies have software development activities in Brazil. To deal with the difficulties arising from the distribution, several approaches and technological solutions, organizational and social have been proposed.

The study of these approaches and solutions are aligned with the policies of the of Science and Technology Ministry which aims to improve the quality of processes, products and services of Brazilian software in order to make companies more competitive in the global market. Thus, following the global trend of scientific events on DSD, the seventh edition of the Workshop on Distributed Software Development (WDDS 2013) provides a forum for presentation and discussion of results and experiences among researchers and practitioners. The goal is to generate knowledge and share experiences to facilitate the adoption, evaluation and implementation of DSD projects both academia and industry in Latin America.