Software affects almost every aspect of daily lives. Software is everywhere; ranging from simple Web-sites to complex telemedicine applications. There are two main reasons why an organization depends on software to deliver its services to customers: accuracy and efficiency, or in other words better services to its customers. The government and small and medium scale organizations are not exceptions.

With the increase of the software complexity, the computer based system development tasks such as design, construction, and maintenance have become extremely difficult, which badly affects the delivery of low cost, high-quality software with shorter time-to market. Software quality can be classified into two categories: functionality and emergent properties such as usability, dependability, reliability, safety, security, efficiency, interoperability, maintainability, etc. When the development budget is very low, the development efforts will mainly focus on the functionalities, giving low priority for the quality issues resulting minimal solution for the given application.

Most of the organizations can somehow find a financial source to develop and deliver software. These may be from donors (local or foreign), or it’s own funding. However, once delivered software cannot be used forever without changing. Changes to the existing software are inevitable due to many reasons such as technology advances, political changes, government policy changes, etc.

Software maintenance cost is larger than the development cost. Financially healthy organizations will find the maintenance budget, however non-profit organizations such as government institutes and financially weak organizations will find it very difficult to allocate funds for software maintenance.

The University of Kelaniya has already identified its role in national economic development in computing and technology and started offering computing related services to state sector organizations. Development of Health Information management System (HIMS) for the Ministry of Health the under the MOU signed between the University and the MOH is one of the major development project. Three other state institutions are waiting for our services.