The Economic Impact of STARS-Supported Technologies

This document is an annotated version of a briefing that was presented in December 1991 at the STARS '91 Conference, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The briefing describes a model that can be used to calculate DoD software life-cycle costs and the effects on those costs of technologies being developed or supported by the Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems (STARS) program. The model estimates and tracks the amount of software that is developed and maintained, and translates that amount into effort and cost estimates. The model has parameters for the individual and synergistic effects of advanced reuse, process, and tool technologies. Four scenarios, each reflecting different assumptions about investments in software technology and the speed at which these technologies will be adopted, are analyzed, and cost estimates are presented. Though the model and its parameters are subject to change, preliminary conclusions are: small increases in the speed of technology adoption result in large savings, the STARS program appears to be cost-effective, and achieving a decrease by a factor of two in software expenditures by the year 2000 will be difficult. ; IDA/HQ-91-40620, SBI-ADE501502.