Automatic testing: quality raiser, dollar saver

Two months ago, a U.S. Navy spokesman, citing Department of Defense cost estimates for the past year, provided a stark case for increased reliability and easier maintainability of electronics systems. Out of a more than $81 billion budget ($50 billion of which went to salaries), $15.3 billion were spent on electronics with, remarkably, more than a third ($5.4 billion) of this cost eaten up in system maintenance and support. In prognosticating future trends, the Navy spokesman declared that there is every indication that maintenance and support costs will be "going up."