Software manufacturing is often compared to car building, and there are plenty of such analogies available, ranging from jokes to serious analysis.
A less considered match is the manufacturing of military weapons in contrast to sport weapons.
The history of the US Army contest that led Beretta to a winning over the German-Swiss Sig Sauer, thus securing the Italian company a rich supply contract of the “92” (renamed “M9” in the US Army naming system) is revealing.
The M9 was “the” most reliable gun in the market, being able to fire thousands of bullets without malfunctions, though enough to stand against the harshest environmental conditions and easy to both operate and maintains. Soldiers could rely upon this weapon to have the job done and not being let alone in critical moments.
How many software (from firmware, to operating systems, to platforms) are built like a Beretta M9?