Software Development .vs. .Software Maintenance
- DoD looks at systems from total lifecycle perspective
- 60-80+% of the lifecycle costs of software occur in maintenance
- Arguments based on lower development costs total only 20-40% of the story
- On most projects, development and maintenance are two separate contracts
- Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software is not always the correct choice
- Decisions must be made on lifecycle costs not development costs
The Procurement System Has an Inherent Conflict Between Development and Maintenance