Influencing factors in outsourced software maintenance

Software lifecycle management is a complex phenomenon with each stage posing its unique technical and other challenges. Maintenance and enhancement of software brings in its own share of complexities to this phase. While uncertainties associated with software baseline in themselves pose a huge challenge in planning and estimation of maintenance activities, there are several other factors that contribute to overall success of software maintenance project especially in an outsourcing scenario. This paper brings out the results of an analysis of some such factors, their interrelationship and influence on software maintenance activities and effort.