"Buggy Software Still Takes a Toll"

News Item Dated: 27 August 2002
From:
NewsCom (08/27/02); Gilbert, Alorie

Although software quality is showing improvement, business customers continue to blame faulty software for lost productivity and finances. A federal report estimates an annual loss of almost $60 billion due to buggy software. Sometimes the problem may not strictly lie within the software: Inflated customer expectations, disorganized enterprise data systems, and poor deployment and project management have also been cited, but clients and companies agree that they have made progress in the installment and implementation of business applications. Vendors have started to admit that they released faulty software in the rush to get their products onto the market in order to maintain their competitive edge.

Others claim that they are working to produce better software through more thorough testing and quality assurance, because such a strategy yields long-term benefits that are more valuable than short-term sales increases. For example, Manugistics' flawless execution (FLEX) program, launched last year, dedicates 30 percent more worker power to quality assurance, according to the company. Software companies that take more responsibility in product support and maintenance can also boost customer confidence. Despite these efforts, analysts note that Wall Street is still pressuring companies to raise their revenues. And despite their best efforts, software firms admit that due to their complex nature, completely bug-free programs are nearly impossible to achieve.

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