On Technology Convergence and Platforms: Requirements Challenges from New Technologies and System Architectures

In this chapter, we investigate some opportunities and challenges for requirements engineering resulting from major changes in the technical context in which ICT systems operate, in particular from the continuous trend towards information and communication technology convergence. We illustrate these challenges with two major examples, one concerning requirements monitoring as a self-governance mechanism in Internet-based social networks, the other concerning the role of requirements modeling as a mediator between different cultures in embedded systems engineering for the automotive industry. Starting from a brief re-iteration of Thomas Friedman's argument on standards evolution, we finally discuss platform strategies as an important emerging challenge for organizational RE.