Requirement documents for Naval Platform Management Systems (PMS) regularly now call for the use of COTS equipment. At the same time no clear definition of what is meant by COTS has yet to be arrived at. Additionally, the functional requirements of PMS are many and varied. Coupled with these two issues is the continuing need for equipment to operate in the Naval environment and to provide ship lifetime (>25 year) support. These latter two issues are not generally available with COTS products and therefore a COTS approach puts a number of new pressures on the system supplier. If hardware product A goes obsolete is there a form, fit and functional replacement available? And what of COTS software systems-what long-term availability do these offer? This paper explores these issues and identifies how the Open System Standards now being introduced may offer a solution to these problems.
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