Software bugs are not just annoying or inconvenient. They're expensive.
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the bugs and glitches cost the U.S. economy about $59.5 billion a year.
"The impact of software errors is enormous because virtually every business in the United States now depends on software for the development, production, distribution, and after-sales support of products and services," NIST Director Arden Bement said in a statement on Friday.
Software users contribute about half the problem, while developers and vendors are to blame for the rest, the study said. The study also found that better testing could expose the bugs and remove bugs at the early development stage could reduce about $22.2 billion of the cost.
"Currently, over half of all errors are not found until 'downstream' in the development process or during post-sale software use," the study said.
News source: Reuters - Software Errors Cost Billions
