Overview of software maintenance activities

Software maintenance is a widely accepted part of the Software Development Life Cycle. It refers to the modifications and updates done after the delivery of a software product. There are number of reasons, why modifications are required, some of which are listed below:

• New user Requirements - Over the time, user may ask for new features or functions in the software based on evolving needs in an organisation.
  
• Change to the Hosting Environment - If any of the hardware and/or platform (such as operating system) of the target host changes, software changes may be needed to keep adaptability.
  
• Updates, patches and upgrades – For externally sourced systems, the software vendor may make improvements from time to time to keep pace with technology trends or to enhance security or performance of the system.
  
• Legal and regulatory changes – Changes to laws and regulations may require changes to software.