The software development community may remember 2008 as the year that C++ regained respect as a robust development platform. With the recent shift to multi-core processors and the accelerated adoption of service orientated architecture (SOA) standards like Service Component Architecture (SCA), C++ developers soon will be able to harness significant improvements in performance and integration.

While developers often think of developing new applications on Microsoft's .NET or a variety of Java platforms, C++ remains one of the most widely deployed development languages for mission critical applications. The reason for this is simple; C++ continues to be better for many use cases, and software developers want to be able to use the 'right tool for the job.' In addition, because of recent releases of servers leveraging multi-core chips and new developments in SOA, many developers can use 2008 to look at their existing C++ applications in a whole new light.

"The Gartner applications research team received more customer inquiries about, 'How can I modernize my legacy applications,' than any other topic in 2007, and that trend looks to continue in 2008," said Mark Driver, research vice president at Gartner. "Overall, enterprises are looking to generate higher performance and broader integration with what they already have. They can do more than they think, especially with the innovations around multi-core and SOA, and they do not need to start from scratch."

"2008 will be an inflection point in C++ development. With the new developments in supporting multi-core hardware and SOA, C++ will again achieve parity in a company's strategic application portfolio," said Bart Foster, chief executive officer of Rogue Wave Software. "Rogue Wave continues to invest in developing solutions businesses need to tap the new potential in C++ applications."