In this post, Nicholas Carr asserts that software will have to eventually reach Bell telco levels of reliability. I agree with this argument and believes it applies to almost all businesses. Disciplined focus on process management is the only sure-fire way to attaining this standard of reliability (also known as five nines (99.999+%).
With software forming an increasingly vital part of the infrastructure of the world’s economy, reliability, stability and security are paramount concerns. In the past, software companies routinely shipped bug-ridden programs, figuring they could patch and update them later. And their customers took what they were given. That’s history – or will be soon. In the future, the best business software companies will distinguish themselves by producing industrial-strength, bulletproof code – code that approaches Six Sigma standards.