5 Regional Approaches 5.1 The Capability Maturity Model (SW and Integrated) Tailored in Small Indigenous Software Industries Authors

The Irish Software Industry is undergoing rapid change due to increased competition from low cost global software service providers. Prior to this, Ireland had emerged as one of the leading low cost software exporters in the world. Then came the downturn in the global economy, the burst of the dot com bubble, and an increasing local cost base. Ireland now faces competition in the form of developing third world economies. The Irish software industry will struggle to compete with the vast workforce of cheap but skillful labor that these economies can offer in abundance. Can the Irish software industry compete in this changing environment? Software process improvement is recognized by the Irish government as a key differentiator in this competitive environment for the future. Quality improvement in Ireland had traditionally been the preserve of large software multi-nationals and the manufacturing industry. However, since the continued development of the local Irish software industry, this community is beginning to take software quality seriously. Research into the availability of software process models and best practices and how they can be effectively applied to small software industries in the Irish mid-west region is the main topi