From: adaworks@netcom.com (AdaWorks)
Subject: Re: Is COTS the answer?
Date: 1996/03/25
Date: 1996-03-25T00:00:00+00:00 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <adaworksDou337.Cq@netcom.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: 314EE805.7135@escmail.orl.mmc.com
Ted Dennison (dennison@escmail.orl.mmc.com) wrote:
: Now you tell me, what are the odds that in 15 years when this thing
: breaks the Navy will be able to go out and buy a new shock-resistant
: 486DX PC and get a new copy of Windows NT 3.51 from Microsoft, etc?
Of equal importance.
Commercial software is one of the few products that includes
a fine-print disclaimer on every copy. It is somewhat like buying
a used-car, "As-Is."
The disclaimer usually says something to the effect,
"This software might do what you expect it to do but
if it doesn't we, the software publisher, cannot be
held liable. Also, we abandon all repsonsbility for this
product it does any damage to you, your business, your
clients, or anything or anyone else.."
On the other hand, the software publisher does give you a full
warranty on the quality of the media on which they distribute
their product.
When you buy a COTS product, you do not buy the product. Rather,
you purchase a license to use the product.
When you license a COTS software product, it is restricted to the
platform indicated on the license.
I know of no COTS software that is suitable for "safety-sensitive"
applications. This includes a lot of operating systems.
Richard Riehle
--
richard@adaworks.com
AdaWorks Software Engineering
Suite 27
2555 Park Boulevard
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(415) 328-1815
FAX 328-1112
next prev parent reply other threads:[~1996-03-25 0:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 10+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
1996-03-15 0:00 AJPO is still clueless about the reality of DoD Ada rejection Gregory Aharonian
1996-03-18 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-03-18 0:00 ` Byron B. Kauffman
1996-03-21 0:00 ` Ken Garlington
1996-03-28 0:00 ` Peter Finney
1996-03-19 0:00 ` Robert Munck
1996-03-19 0:00 ` Is COTS the answer? Ted Dennison
1996-03-25 0:00 ` AdaWorks [this message]
1996-03-20 0:00 ` AJPO is still clueless about the reality of DoD Ada rejection David Emery
1996-03-20 0:00 ` David Emery
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