Here's a proposed set of "metrics" to be used by IKS industrial and community partners to validate IKS software components.

To be discussed at the October 2010 assembly in Istanbul.

This could currently be applied to validate the FISE, KRES and INTERPRET components. I use "foo" as a generic component name below.

Basic requirements:

Can I sell IKS components to my customers?

Can they use them effectively?

Will they still be able to use them in ten years?

Validation metrics (VM):

VM1 Do I understand what IKS foo is?

VM2 Does IKS foo add value to my product?

VM3 Is that added value demonstrable/sellable to my customers?

VM4 Can I run IKS foo alongside with or inside my product?

VM5 Is the impact of IKS foo on runtime infrastructure requirements acceptable?

VM6 How good is the IKS foo API when it comes to integrating with my product?

VM7 Is IKS foo robust and functional enough to be used in production at the enterprise level?

VM8 Is the IKS foo test suite good enough as a functionality and non-regression "quality gate"?

VM9 Is the IKS foo licence (both copyright and patents) acceptable to me?

VM10 Can I participate in IKS foo's development and influence it in a fair and balanced way?

VM11 Do I know who I should talk to for support and future development of IKS foo?

VM12 Am I confident that IKS foo still going to be available and maintained once the IKS funding period is over?