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August 1997
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Bits
/ Geek Mystique
Software Ranks Just Behind Cars and Gadgets
Software ranks just behind cars and electronics in revenue generated in 1996, according to a recent study by Nathan Associates (Arlington, VA). The study concludes that the U.S. software industry generated revenues of $102.8 billion in 1996. Since 1990, the software industry has gr
own at an annual rate of 12.5 percent, which is nearly 2.5 times faster than the general economy. Software companies employ 619,000 people.
Death, Taxes, and Bugs
Nothing is certain but death and taxes-- and, in these modern times, software slips. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service is intimately familiar with the latter two--taxes and software slips--which is why the new commissioner of the IRS will not be a lawyer or an accountant, but a geek. The
reason: the IRS's well-publicized problems with modernizing its computer systems.
The new job for Charles Rossotti, formerly chairman of the Virginia-based consultancy American Management Systems, is to manage a big fix for the IRS's computer woes. These problems were highlighted last year by such boo-boos as the $400 million that was spent on an in-house application that never worked and other expensive snafus.
Matthew Wilson more...
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