About
Simon Butler is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Technology at the University of Skövde's School of Informatics. He is an active member of the Distributed Real-Time Systems research group and contributes significantly to undergraduate computer science education. His academic work bridges theoretical research with practical industry applications in software development.
Butler's research interests center on the challenges software developers face in creating and maintaining software systems, with particular focus on program comprehension, software maintenance, and the socio-technical and educational aspects of software development in hybrid environments where open source and proprietary solutions coexist. His work addresses critical issues in Internet of Things (IoT) systems and the practical implementation of open source software solutions in industrial contexts.
His publication record from 2018-2023 reveals a strong research trajectory focused on open source software adoption, interoperability challenges, and standardization processes. His work spans diverse venues including Software Quality Journal, Journal of Systems and Software, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, and OpenSym proceedings, demonstrating both academic rigor and practical relevance to industry challenges.
Butler is actively involved in several significant research projects including SUDO (2020-2024) addressing lock-in effects in IT systems, OSSD (2021-2023) developing educational programs for sustainable digitalization, and LIM-IT (2016-2020) investigating interoperability and long-term maintenance challenges. His teaching portfolio includes core computer science subjects such as Operating Systems, Object Oriented Programming, Algorithms and Data Structures, and Distributed Systems.
As a member of the Distributed Real-Time Systems research group, Butler collaborates with industry partners to address real-world challenges in software development practices, particularly focusing on how organizations can effectively integrate open source solutions while avoiding problematic lock-in effects that compromise long-term system sustainability.
