Lifecycle software management is a way for software producers to control how their products are licensed and distributed. Businesses continue managing software lifecycle elements after a title is released to provide consumers with additional features, upgrades and security updates. Software product life cycle management also refers to facilitating the purchase of additional software that works in conjunction with the original title.

Independent software vendors can learn about business software lifecycle management through tools offered by a lifecycle management company or through software consultants. You can learn more about software lifecycle management (SLM) education and training through:

1. Training programs provided by manufacturers of application lifecycle management solutions.

2. Seminars that cover the latest industry innovations.

3. Tutorials that explain how to use various lifecycle management solutions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take classes provided by manufacturers of software product lifecycle management tools

Because there are many different solutions available to manage the lifecycle of software, you should get training for the particular solution you want to use. Some common solutions include software programs that manage product lifecycles and consulting groups that monitor the management of lifecycles for products. Many consulting groups and manufacturers of management solutions also provide education for software companies, as well as training and implementation sessions.

I recommend: Borland ALM provides comprehensive education and training for those who use its lifecycle solutions. Rally Software Development covers training topics that can help businesses implement its software products for management.

Sign up for seminars that teach you more about your software lifecycle manager

Seminars are a quick way to learn more about your software lifecycle manager. Seminars are often held in a day and can provide you various training opportunities, additional skills assessments, and an overview of how lifecycle management technology is best utilized in your business.

I recommend: McCabe Software provides seminars as well as longer training courses that teach all the knowledge and skills you need to work with its lifecycle management software. Pragmatic Software offers training seminars that cover basic and advanced topics for using its lifecycle management software.

Find tutorials to learn about software program lifecycle management

If you want a self-guided course on software program lifecycle management, choose from one of many tutorials that explains the concept of lifecycle management, or tutorials that address specific management solutions.

I recommend: The Parametric Technology Corporation offers an eLearning library for its software line that includes basic and advanced tutorials. IBM provides lives web tutorials for those who want to learn more about Telelogic software and how it works to manage software lifecycles.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  You can often find training through a software lifecycle management company, but many third-party distributors and software consultants also offer training on a variety of lifecycle management software programs.

Are you thinking about using application lifecycle management software in your business? If not, you should consider it, especially if you run a software development company. Application lifecycle management consists of the following stages: identifying, designing, developing, testing, deploying, and managing software.

Each phase of lifecycle software management consists of more detailed sub-components. For example, during the designing phase, it’s not uncommon for business analysts to work closely with both business and developers to hash out requirements. Software product lifecycle management strives to increase productivity by capturing excellent requirements, reducing time on software development, and getting the product in the marketplace as soon as possible. The three areas to consider when looking at a software lifecycle manager application are the following:

1. Capture your business requirements using a software lifecycle manager application.

2. Track your projects with the lifecycle software management.

3. Use software lifecycle management solutions to manage your project’s releases.

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Use a software lifecycle manager application to capture your business requirements

Capturing clear and concise business requirements is essential to IT lifecycle management software. Requirements consist of information, including technical and design specifications; business objectives; and customers' needs. Poor requirements are one of the main reasons why software projects fail. Using a software life cycle management application will help you make your projects successful.

I recommend: Telelogic AB provides software lifecycle management solutions that will help your software development go much smoother. An IBM company, Telelogic AB makes a suite of products, designed to help you produce quick, but excellent requirements. Rally Software Development helps you to prioritize your requirements. This is especially valuable for enterprise projects because your team can manage backlogs, track dependencies, and schedule requirements.

Manage your projects with business software lifecycle management

Project management is a very critical component to software lifecycle management (SLM). Project management ensures that projects are being completed on time and within budget. You'll need a software lifecycle management (SLM) application that keeps track of information, including the project's phases, costs associated with tasks and resources, milestones, and other data. A good software product lifecycle management tool will ensure you achieve these results.

I recommend: Borland makes a lifecycle software management application that enables you to analyze and manage the costs and risks associated with your projects. You can manage your team members, making sure you have the right talents to perform certain tasks. Aldon makes software product lifecycle management applications that aim to improve business planning and reduce risks.

Track your project's releases with software product life cycle management

Tracking your project's releases is important in lifecycle software management. You need to know which software version you're developing. You also need to know what version the users are using. Keeping track of releases helps you to manage software functions that need to be developed.

I recommend: Look at Hewlett Packard’s Release Control software. You can track significant factors such as deployment time, post implementation, future analysis, and more. MKS Integrity gives you robust and scalable staging and deployment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Register your product with the software lifecycle manager application manufacturer. This is a simple step, but it means the company can provide you with useful tips to make better use of your product.

Software Lifecycle Management (SLM) applications provide an organized way to create, test and release a software title. SLM applications can perform a variety of functions, including scheduling of each stage of production and organizing information that shows all of the possible risks in releasing the software. A standard SLM application will also see a software title through the initial release and subsequent releases for updates and additions to the original program.

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Software development

The main purpose of SLM applications is to monitor software development. SLM software ensures that creation, promotion and release happen within a specified amount of time and with all the proper components to meet regulatory compliance.

I recommend: IBM offers requirements and requirement solutions for software development.

Deployment time

Deployment is the process in which the software moves from the development stage to the release stage. Once a program is ready for deployment, it is inspected again to see if it meets all requirements, then released.

I recommend: MKS offers information on getting the most from software deployment time-and-release management for a variety of titles.

Post implementation, performance audit

A post implementation review (also know as a performance audit) takes place once the software has been released. This review can be completed by the company that released the software, or it can be completed by a third-party auditing service.

I recommend: Macadamian provides an overview of the post implementation review process for software titles.

Future analysis

Many SLM applications provide information for software developers to determine what may happen to the software in the future. Future analysis takes place during the testing and analysis phase of SLM.

I recommend: Borland Software provides information on SLM solutions in testing and analysis for considering possible outcomes for the software title.

Auditability, traceability

Auditability refers to how transparent the auditing process is during the development and release of software products. Similarly, traceability is the ability to trace a specific element in the software throughout the development and implementation processes.

I recommend: CM Crossroads offers detailed information on the concepts of traceability and auditability in the SLM process.

Multi-platform, cross-platform

Multi-platform software is software that can be used on a variety of operating systems. These systems include Windows, Mac, Unix, Linux and other smaller operating systems.

I recommend: Many SLM application solutions, such as the ones from Enterprise Desktop Alliance, offer cross platform options to make software available to a wider audience.