Embedding research in the industrial field: a case of a transition to a software product line

Java Cards [4, 5] are small resource-constrained embedded systems that have to fulfill rigorous security requirements. Multiple application scenarios demand diverse product performance profiles which are targeted towards markets such as banking applications and mobile applications. In order to tailor the products to the customer's needs we implemented a Software Product Line (SPL). This paper reports on the industrial case of an adoption to a SPL during the development of a highly-secure software system. In order to provide a scientific method which allows the description of research in the field, we apply Action Research (AR). The rationale of AR is to foster the transition of knowledge from a mature research field to practical problems encountered in the daily routine. Thus, AR is capable of providing insights which might be overlooked in a traditional research approach. In this paper we follow the iterative AR process, and report on the successful transfer of knowledge from a research project to a real industrial application.