Software systems reliability characteristics

The target of the present trend of the software industry is to design and develop more reliable programmes, even if, in the beginning, this requires larger costs necessary to obtain the level of reliability. It has been found that in the case of programmes which contain large amounts of components - financial and accounting programmes are also included here - the actions taken to increase the level of reliability in the operational stage induces a high level of costs. This one is superior to the one that involves obtaining systems of programmes with an adequate reliability, before releasing them on the market and before using them. Before taking into account the material and financial aspects that involve obtaining the adequate reliability, we must consider the social effects that occur because of the lack of reliability of programmes.