Commercial Does Not Mean Untested: GAO’s New COTS Guide Raises the Evidence Bar for Vendors

GAO has issued a new exposure draft establishing best practices for testing and evaluating commercial off-the-shelf systems. The guide is aimed at agencies but expressly can help vendors evaluate products against federal requirements. Commercial contractors should expect stronger emphasis on operational testing, requirement traceability, evidence, integration risk, and documented performance before agencies commit to COTS solutions.