Assessing the Value of a Quality Assurance Certificate for Software: An Exploratory Investigation1

An analysis of the opinions of decision makers who select software for business use indicated that a software quality assurance certificate would add value to and confidence in a software product. Marketing research techniques were used to obtain and analyze data from business users of software. Their problems, anxieties, influences on software choice, the value of a certificate in the choice process, and the importance of auditing the various aspects of the software development process were assessed. The findings indicate that such a certificate would benefit users and demonstrate how marketing research techniques can be applied to assess market acceptability. This study used three market segments and proposed two services to cater to their needs.