Quality of software packages: the forthcoming international standard (Reprinted from Computer Standards and Interfaces, vol 17, pg 115-120, 1995)
A Draft International Standard (ISO/IEC DIS 12119) states quality requirements for software packages (documentation, programs and data). It requires that a product description be available to the prospective buyers to help them decide whether a product is fit for their tasks. The DIS also gives instructions how to test a software package for compliance with the quality requirements. The Standard may be used for granting a quality mark for software packages, like the national German standard from which it was developed. The latter had some impact on newly produced software packages, and it has helped to improve the practice of testing laboratories both in testing products and in consulting developers. The same effect may be expected from the International Standard. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
software package product description quality mark software product user documentation certification scheme kite mark conformity mark product selection