A discussion of special characteristics for software package development life cycle models

Software package development (SPD) is playing an increasingly important role in the software market. Traditionally, most software has been developed for custom purposes which differs somewhat from SPD in some Life Cycle Model (LCM) characteristics. Five special characteristics for SPD are discussed: accommodating the unknown user, formalizing customer requirements, supporting multiple platforms and versions, facilitating speed of development and reacting to market pressures, and incorporating risk minimization.