Requirements engineering in 2001: (virtually) managing a changing reality

Trends in society and technology force requirements engineering to expand its role from a one-shot activity in the development process to a virtual image that accompanies the changing reality of a system. A maturing software market will also require a better understanding of the differentiation in market segments for requirements engineering and standardisation of methodologies within these segments. On the research side, this will require a coherent perspective of hitherto parallel research directions towards a comprehensive understanding of requirements processes, as well as the optimal exploitation of new technologies that support the main role of requirements engineering; mutual learning of all stakeholders concerned.