Originally by Michael Brinkhues:
+ How big IS the market for the ship software
What becomes more important is the level of IP protection, and the sales models that are used.
On the other hand what is the competitive advantage of working software. That comes down to the quality change between the cost of downtime, vs the cost of the software. For major systems on a ship the cost of downtime can be infinite. For less important systems it may mean delays at the next port, unintended damage (and risk) to the vessel and other things that cost extensively.
Or in other words, if it saves half a MCr a year in time, difficulties and repairs then paying multiple MCr for the software makes sense. Paying less only makes sense if the software is as good, and when you start talking lives (either as lives, or more likely as legal costs of killing people) even a tiny change in reliability quickly becomes excessively expensive.
Cost of downtime:
Resulting in complete loss of vessel
- Sensor control and analysis (failing to spot uncharted orbital debris)
- Power systems (failure during Jump)
- Jump Drive systems (failure during Jump)
Resulting in significant potential loss
- Weapon systems (Unable to defend against piracy)
- M Drive systems (Crashlanding, becalmed in space)
- Communications (Misidentification as hostile)
The problem with IP protection becomes a simple one. If IP is aggressively protected then general purpose software running on general purpose machines is possible to do. Otherwise each group of software people get to sell each copy of their software once to a single customer. To get around this in the real world there are several techniques that are used. Close ties to hardware is a common one, using proprietary hard to replicate hardware. Another is the endless upgrade/patch/service model *cough SAP* which relies on constantly changing configuration so that a close relationship with the parent company is required for the software to work for any length of time.
There is a forth model, that of Open Source, which uses the odd concept that people like working and don't need to be forced to do so.
So the military work in house. Imperial Navy code does not leave Naval ships, and is just as likely (or more likely) to have IP protections in place. Lots of hardware based software, and extremely customised for the vessels that they are on.
Large mercantile concerns will have contracts out to other large companies for regular maintenance and upgrading of their ships software. This might be paired with dockside maintenance contracts. This includes less critical software.
Small mercantile concerns will buy off the shelf where possible, where not possible they have to accept the options available.
The occasional belter community will have a suite of OS type programs that are constantly tinkered with. Mostly effective, but require a significant ability to fix it "in flight". This software may increase certain types of insurance.
