Software runs the world, and standards keep it safe

ASU’s Lynn Robert Carter helps set global benchmarks to prevent computer failures and spark innovation

Every time you log into your bank account, stream a movie or board an airplane, you’re depending on the computer systems that make modern life possible. But without any guarantee that the software behind those services was built safely or correctly, the smallest oversight in a single line of code could mean massive financial loss, security breaches or even threats to human life. In a world where software runs nearly everything, how do we make sure it doesn’t run amok?

In the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, Lynn Robert Carter is helping shape those rules, ensuring that the digital systems we rely on every day are not just functional but trustworthy.

The high cost of cutting corners

News headlines remind us what can go wrong when software fails. The 2024 CrowdStrike incident, caused by poor patch management, shut down countless businesses worldwide. The Boeing 737 MAX crisis exposed software flaws with tragic consequences.

These aren’t rare accidents. They are warnings.

Carter is a Fulton Schools professor of practice, and for him the lesson is clear: Many of these issues could have been avoided if teams had well-established software standards to follow.

“The purpose of having software standards is to ensure best engineering practices,” he says. “There are many problems in computer science that have already been solved, and it’s neither helpful nor necessary to keep creating new code from a blank page.”

In other words, why reinvent the wheel and risk breaking it when you could use a proven design?

Building better code by standing on standards

Standards are the backbone of safe, reliable and affordable software. They provide blueprints for how to manage everything from user login systems to quality assurance processes. Far from slowing innovation, Carter argues, they accelerate it.

“It’s critical to be able to distinguish between new problems that have not been solved and old problems that already have solid solutions,” he says. “This lets engineers devote their energy to innovation.”

Carter plays a central role in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE, Software & Systems Engineering Standards Committee, or S2ESC, which has been setting global benchmarks since 1976. Today, the committee oversees dozens of active projects that seek to define development best practices. The group is now preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026, a milestone highlighted in a recent paper co-authored by Carter and Ruth G. Lennon, a lecturer at the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny, Ireland. The report traces the history and evolution of S2ESC and underscores how the committee’s efforts have shaped decades of software practices and continue to guide the future.

The committee’s standards don’t only benefit large corporations. Because the IEEE process is accessible to individuals and small enterprises, the impact spreads widely and can help even small startups create solid software.

And the work doesn’t stop with industry. Carter is also transforming how future software engineers learn. Traditionally, students have been taught programming by starting with a blank console window, building solutions from scratch. Carter is pushing for a hybrid approach: showing students strong, common solutions to everyday problems, then encouraging them to learn from and build upon that code. By doing so, he prepares students not just to write code, but to engineer it thoughtfully.

His aim is to ensure students graduate with an understanding of both how software works and how it can be responsibly built using proven, existing solutions.

“Richard Hamming famously joked that, in computer science, we stand not on the shoulders of giants, but on each other’s feet,” Carter says. “Duplication of effort has always been a problem, and the need to resolve the matter is growing more urgent.”

Where experience meets vision

Carter isn’t just teaching students about standards. He’s been shaping them for decades. With more than 50 years of experience across industry, defense, medicine and academia, Carter’s career is a blend of hands-on engineering and visionary leadership.

Now in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, Carter brings that wealth of experience to students and colleagues alike. Beyond teaching, he is deeply involved in the IEEE, and his volunteer work spans more than 40 years. He has held leadership roles with ABET, the international accreditor of engineering and computing programs, and the International Federation for Information Processing.

Simply put, if there’s a conversation about how to make software safer, smarter and more sustainable, Carter wants to be in the room.

Writing code … and writing it right

As the IEEE S2ESC prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Carter’s message resonates louder than ever. The software that shapes our daily lives is only as reliable as the standards behind it. From airplanes to smartphones, from hospitals to video games, these invisible guardrails are what keep innovation from veering off course.

Through his teaching, leadership and relentless advocacy, Carter ensures that the next generation of engineers won’t only write code; they’ll write it responsibly, building on decades of proven solutions while daring to solve tomorrow’s problems.

In an age when software failures can ground flights or crash stock markets, Carter reminds us of a simple truth: Excellence in software engineering isn’t just about clever code. It’s also about setting the standard and making sure we all live up to it.