Boeing Software Development Team Joins Computing Elite As Defense & Space Group Team Earns Top SEI Rating

SEATTLE, Aug. 6, 1996 -- A Boeing Defense & Space Group software development team has been informed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) that it has become only the fourth business unit in the world to earn the coveted SEI Level 5 maturity rating.

The Space Transportation Systems (STS) software team -- part of the Missiles & Space Division of Boeing Defense & Space Group -- now joins an elite group, including Motorola of India and a Space Shuttle support team, to earn recognition as the best software development units in the world.

"The SEI standards are the benchmark for software development excellence," said Jerry King, president of Boeing Defense & Space Group. "At Boeing we take these standards very seriously, and I have challenged all software development teams in the Defense & Space Group to strive for Level 3 by year's end.

"A Level 5 rating is a world-beater," said King. "We are all proud of this team, and its achievements.

"This is a huge accomplishment," said James P. Noblitt, vice president and general manager of Missiles & Space Division. "Our customers are beginning to factor SEI ratings into their evaluations, and the Boeing space transportation team has earned a significant competitive advantage."

Department of Defense officials have been urging industry to conform to SEI standards and seek its assessments and ratings. By virtue of the accomplishments of this team, Boeing now becomes the only Department of Defense contractor to hold the Level 5 rating.

Reaching Level 5 in the SEI's five-step software development Capability Maturity Model is like earning an Olympic Gold Medal in software development. Of the more than 450 organizations that have been assessed according to SEI criteria, fewer than 1 percent have achieved Level 5. Space Transportation Systems is responsible for Boeing efforts in a field that encompasses government launch systems, upper-stage booster rockets and future launch systems. The STS software team plays a crucial role in these high-tech, high-frontier programs.

Significantly, the team supports the Boeing Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, where Boeing is nearing the completion of a first-phase contract. The company is competing aggressively to become the main launch vehicle provider for the U.S. Air Force for at least the next decade -- a program that could be worth more than $10 billion to Boeing.

"This clearly sets Boeing apart from the rest of the field," said EELV program manager Tim White. "It provides an objective assessment for the Air Force that says we are the EELV competitor with the greatest maturity and lowest level of risk in the key area of software development."