Unfortunately, there does not exist a valid or reliable measure to value software. Software is further complicated by architectures. With high development costs and low variable costs, one much ponder the methodologies and assumptions used to price software. The three cases were chosen with an interest in diverse architectures, usage, and vendor business objectives. Architecture can change many factors such as the dynamics of a market and the cost of ownership to the buyer.
Usage stems from both buyer business processes and architecture.
Usage is one of the typical metrics of value. However, as the cases are investigated it is shown that in some cases other variable such as flexibility are more important generators of value. To the vendor, the most important metric is the ability to achieve the business goals of the product. A product may be produces as a test platform for future products, thereby lowering the financial performance objectives and increasing the volume and degree of usage as the objective. The business objectives of an application are determined by business strategy that takes into account factors internal and external to the vendor.