This International Standard establishes a common framework for software life cycle processes, with welldefined terminology, that can be referenced by the software industry. It contains processes, activities, and tasks that are to be applied during the acquisition of a software product or service and during the supply, development, operation, maintenance and disposal of software products. Software includes the software portion of firmware.

This International Standard applies to the acquisition of systems and software products and services, to the supply, development, operation, maintenance, and disposal of software products and the software portion of a system, whether performed internally or externally to an organization. Those aspects of system definition needed to provide the context for software products and services are included.

This International Standard also provides a process that can be employed for defining, controlling, and improving software life cycle processes.

The processes, activities and tasks of this International Standard—either alone or in conjunction with ISO/IEC 15288—may also be applied during the acquisition of a system that contains software.