DoD Standards: Hindrance or Help to Software Maintainability?

In the past thirty years the total life-cycle cost of software relative to computer hardware has risen dramatically. In addition, software maintenance costs are now equal to, or exceed, the cost of software development. As a result of these trends, software maintenance is now a significant portion of the total computer system life-cycle cost. This paper explores the extent to which the existing military standards and regulations governing software acquisition contribute to increased software maintainability, and thus, help minimize software life-cycle costs. In addition, recommendations for augmenting the standards through the use of measurable characteristics are offered.