50 Years of Software Development for Information Systems. Some Milestones

The use of computers for information systems started in the mid fifties of the previous century. In this paper only the software side of information systems will be considered. The purpose is to present the most remarkable developments in that area. Before doing this, we take a look at the criteria for system quality and we explain how system structure influences system quality. Then the most important developments concerning methods and techniques for making software for information systems are reviewed, indicating how they contribute to system quality. The paper ends with a concluding remark.