The software technology support center: help for acquiring software tools

The Software Technology Support Center (STSC) is the Air Force focal point for advocating, sustaining, and disseminating software tools and environments and information about them. The STSC categorizes these tools by primary function and evaluates them by various criteria. The STSC has developed a software tool evaluation model (STEM) which serves as a model of an ideal tool. The STEM represents an ideal standard against which tools can be measured in terms of functionality and performance. The STSC is identifying tools within various categories and evaluating them systematically. The evaluation results and tool descriptions are maintained in a database which then serves as a basis for providing guidance to organizations interested in obtaining tools for their embedded software development/maintenance needs. In addition to its tool evaluation function, the STSC provides technical consultation, sponsors an annual STSC conference in April, and provides current awareness to users through its periodic CrossTalk technical reports.<>