Introduction

Systems increasingly depend on the successful integration of COTS products. Practitioners and researchers must be ready to meet the challenges of acquiring, building, maintaining, and managing COTS-Based systems. In three intensive days of tutorials, presentations, and panel sessions, ICCBSS provided a unique sharing, learning, and networking opportunity. Conference participants added their voices to a spirited dialog addressing viable solutions for today and forecasting trends for the future.

Fighting the Good Fight
Process

Traditional software development processes often do not work when applied to COTS-based systems. Commercial products in the marketplace are not built to meet your specific project needs. The papers in this track presented processes needed for building and maintaining COTS-based systems.

Enabling the Integrator
Technology

Integrators lack visibility and control of commercial off-the-shelf products. Integrating and trouble-shooting systems that use commercial products is challenging. This track highlighted both state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice techniques used for building and maintaining COTS-based systems.

Voices from the Front Lines
Experience

Nobody said that integrating commercial off-the-shelf software in real COTS-based systems would be easy. This track showcased veterans of this challenge--commercial and government practitioners from a variety of software domains--who reflected on issues, successes, and helpful hints.