Definition: Upgrade Rights

The right to receive one or more specific upgrades/enhancements that are to be sold separately. The upgrade right may be evidenced by a specific agreement, commitment, or the vendor's established practice.

Definition: Source Code

Code written by a programmer in a formal programming language and readable by people but not computers. Source code must be converted to object code or machine langugae (e.g., by a compiler or an assembler) before a computer can read or execute the program.

Definition: Platform-Transfer Right

A right granted by a vendor to transfer software from one hardware platform or operating system to one or more other hardware platform or operating systems.

Definition: Object Code

The machine code generated by a source code language processor such as an assembler or a compiler. A file of object code may be immediately executable or it may require linking with other object code files.

Definition: Milestone

A task associated with long-term contracts that, when completed, provides management with a reliable indicator of progress-to-completion on those contracts.

Definition: Firmware

Software stored in read-only memory (ROM) or programmable ROM (PROM). Firmware is responsible for the behavior of a machine when it is first switched on. An example would be a monitor program in a microcomputer that loads the full operating system from a disk or from a network and then passes on control to it.

Definition: Core Software

An inventory of software that vendors use in creating other software. Core software is not delivered as is because customers cannot use it unless it is customized to meet system objectives or customer specifications.