A lifecycle process for the effective reuse of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software

Abstract

2. INTRODUCTION In the last several years our industry has undergone a significant transition in our approach to the use of existing commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products in building systems. The government, for example, has shifted from discouraging the use of commercial products to actively encouraging their use. This shift is based on a number of factors, not the least of which is the spiraling cost of customdeveloped software. More and more, solutions are built by integrating COTS products rather than building “from scratch”. In response to this emphasis, increasing numbers of COTS products are available, and industry is beginning to address the issue of making them interoperable.