From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.1 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_05,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 103376,5cebec2c33ffff82 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: adaworks@netcom.com (AdaWorks) Subject: Re: Is COTS the answer? Date: 1996/03/25 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 144187824 sender: adaworks@netcom22.netcom.com references: <314e3103.370551677@news.interramp.com> <314EE805.7135@escmail.orl.mmc.com> organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) newsgroups: comp.lang.ada Date: 1996-03-25T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: 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