Description: There is an ever growing spectrum of software types from which system builders and IT managers can now choose. In order to help both the acquisition and supplier enterprises make improved decisions about why a given type of software may or may not be suitable for a given application and to identify relevant risk areas for such software, this paper attempts to identify a set of characteristics that relate to the use of software products. By assigning some sort of value to that characteristic, depending on the type of software to which that characteristic may apply, an improved decision may be made or at least a more complete set of risks can be identified. This paper attempts to create a big picture in order to place all types of software in a comparison tool that addresses a very large collection of characteristics and criteria. Author(s) : Ron Kohl and Patricia Oberndorf
