More than 80 companies have already signed the first ever BASDA Code of Practice for application software vendors.

Introduced, for its Members, by BASDA (the Business Application Software Developers Association), the new Code of Practice is designed to set quality standards for best practice in the development and supply of business applications.

BASDA members who subscribe to the BASDA Code of Practice agree to abide by the terms of the code which covers Product Development; Testing / Quality Assurance; Documentation and Software Support. To qualify to display the special BASDA Code of Practice logo, the Code must be signed, as an undertaking, by the Company's Chief Executive.

A list of BASDA Members who have already signed will be announced at Softworld In Finance and Accounting and Softworld in Human Resource and Payroll at NEC Birmingham 20th-21st October and the list of Companies will be kept up to date on the BASDA website.

Issues such as development planning, upgrade paths, minimum notice for product withdrawal as well as testing, provision of information, problem reporting processes and charging issues are all covered in the Code of Practice. It also includes a promise that, in the event that a user has a dispute with the software house that might be service or product related, then the software house will provide the user with a clearly defined escalation process for resolution.

"During the past eleven years BASDA has established standards for applications to handle eCommerce, IFRS, VAT and the Euro. BASDA believes that we should now establish a general standard for managing the development and the supply of application software. This will help customers to identify those companies who are offering a quality assured product and a high level of service to their users," said Dennis Keeling, Chief Executive of BASDA. "The plan has been welcomed enthusiastically by our Members who were keen to establish a quality standard for suppliers to which they can all adhere.

"The BASDA Code of Practice is a much needed standard," said David Turner, group marketing manager of CODA and founder of the BASDA Marketing Group. "The financial software industry is fast-maturing and yet, in the past, users have suffered from inconsistent software quality and support standards from different suppliers. The Code of Practice clearly defines what is acceptable, which is a positive step for the industry. It means customers can have faith that the software they are buying meets very carefully defined quality criteria. The Code also defines the way users should be treated and supported by their supplier, which is the first time a best practice like this has been outlined. CODA will continue to support BASDA's standards and will ensure that it goes on producing rigorously tested software and a range of support services for its customers."

Copies of the Code of Practice can be found on the BASDA website at www.basda.org/VD04/default.asp?PSID=63&LLID=53