Diccionario de Datos del Modelo Entidad-Relación

This section has examined data from some fifty different written sources. To avoid introducing bias, as far as possible an objective view has been taken rather than a judgemental one. The conclusions fall into three general categories. These are the potential benefits of COTS IT, the problems of using COTS IT in military equipment and the issues to be addressed.

4.26.1 Cost and time scales

Lower costs and shorter development times are cited as a benefit of using COTS IT in as many as thirteen sources, while saving money occurs in a further two. The reduction of initial acquisition costs is brought up twice as opposed to reducing long-term maintenance costs which is referred to

four times. There is one reference each to reducing testing costs, adapting COTS IT to the military environment as the best way of leveraging commercial investment, obtaining significantly better performance at potentially lower costs, and reducing time into service. The final comment in this area is that convergence between military and civil technologies reduces costs.

Balanced against these cost benefits are comments that savings using COTS items can largely be lost in costs of testing and protection, new issues raised by the inclusion of COTS components may offset cost savings, and that no examples exist of systems using COTS software where through-life cost savings have been demonstrated. These costs may actually be higher. There are four references to the potential for COTS-based systems to increase overall whole life costs.

Other problems pointed out for COTS-based systems are that cost estimating is complex and unreliable, and that it seems impossible to obtain accurate whole life cost predictions. Mention is also made twice of the need for a more linear spend profile funding where COTS IT is employed.

4.26.2 Risk

Two papers suggest that the use of COTS IT is beneficial in reducing programme risk. One book highlights programme and cost risks when developing COTS and other software; risks that do not exist when using COTS software. A third paper commented that using COTS IT in a system can provide reusable components for other systems and fourth used the term in its title''*.

4.26.3 Latest technology and obsolescence

Nine references occur showing the benefits that the use of COTS IT allows - easy upgrades and the capacity to remain close to the state-of-the-art, but twelve point out the problems of keeping up with the rapid rate of change of technology.

There are a further eleven references to problems of obsolescence and twice there is a further comment contrasting the short life of COTS IT with the long-life of military systems. Suggestions are made that a systems engineering approach is needed to obsolescence management, and that centralised COTS component monitoring could provide a way of managing obsolescence.

4.26.4 Specification

The fact that COTS products rarely match the military requirement occurs three times while two state that such products normally contain undocumented features. Furthermore, one source mentions that COTS IT is more vulnerable and less robust, while another suggests that suppliers exaggerate product capabilities making their assessment difficult. However, the continuing reduction in weight of COTS IT is seen as a benefit. The problems involved in the use of COTS IT in safety critical systems also come up twice.

Eleven sources point to the problem that COTS is unsuitable for many of the more severe military environmental conditions, while just one examines protection and hardening methods.

and two mention wrapping any inadequacies of COTS IT. Ease of operation and management of COTS IT is mentioned once, as is the benefit of increased user satisfaction.

4.26.5 Security

There are thirteen references to the security problems likely to occur with COTS IT, while two see COTS IT security providing benefits. The convergence o f military and civil information security is also noted. Two individual sources suggest COTS security can be improved; one by adding crypto and communications protocols to wrappers, and the other by highlighting that emerging technology offers an approach to detecting malicious code.

4.26.6 Product control

Eight sources mention that going the COTS IT route means that MoD effectively loses product control. A further three highlight the problem of lack of configuration control of COTS products.

4.26.7 Standards

There are four references to the benefits of open standards and open systems that the use of COTS IT brings to military solutions. Commercially favoured architectures and standards are considered important in allowing compatible upgrades, as well as providing system flexibility. A further three references are made to improved interoperability (and one to doubts about it) as a benefit of using COTS IT, but a similar number refer to interfacing difficulties.

4.26.8 Modifications

Major systems will include COTS IT and require some modification or bespoke hardware and software. Two sources point to the need to avoid modifying COTS IT, and another says that modifying COTS IT will increase support costs and in time divorce the modified solution from standard COTS.

4.26.9 Support

Product support is seen as a problem in four papers, difficulties with availability are mentioned three times, reliability five times (one source thinks reliability will improve), maintainability twice and certification just once. A further one highlights that COTS IT is not designed for maintenance.

4.26.10 Conclusions

The review of the literature indicates benefits of COTS IT in initial acquisition costs, timescales into service, reduced programme risk and the ability to stay close to the state-of-the-art. Against these benefits are concerns about through life costs, obsolescence, inability to meet military specifications, poor security, lack of product control, problems with modifications and difficulties with product support. Thus, the view is that there are considerable advantages to the use of COTS IT provided that the various snags can successfully be overcome.