Software Engineering Standards and Models

This chapter explores the evolution and the importance of software engineering standards for the software quality assurance (SQA) specialist. Software engineering, like other disciplines, is based on the use of well‐defined practices for ensuring the quality of its products. In software engineering, there are several standards, which are actually guides for management practices. A rigorous process is the framework for the way standards are developed and approved including, among others, international ISO standards and standards from professional organizations such as IEEE. Standards can be used either to prove or refute elements in a court of law. Standards often become legal requirements when they are adopted by governments and regulatory agencies. The chapter briefly reviews the main business models in the software industry. The standards are commonly used in the following business models: custom systems written on contract, mass‐market software and commercial and mass‐market firmware.