Extending the ISO/IEC 9126-1 quality model with non-technical factors for COTS components selection

The selection of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) components is currently a central activity in the development of information systems. Criteria for selecting COTS components include both technical and non-technical issues. Whilst many catalogues of technical quality factors exist, it is not the case for non-technical ones. In this paper, we propose an extension of the ISO/IEC 9126-1 catalogue with non-technical factors. The extension is designed to be integrated smoothly in the departing catalogue, therefore we keep the hierarchy-oriented structure and we distinguish the three abstraction levels of the ISO/IEC standard. We provide some evidence of the adequacy of the catalogue by reporting on its use in some recent COTS selection experiences carried out in the context of the ETAPATELECOM company (Ecuador).