The capability of the software product to enable specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, productivity, safety and satisfaction in specified contexts of use. [ ISO/IEC 9126-1, ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765, ISO/IEC 25000 ]
- Quality in use is the user's view of the quality of an environment containing software, and is measured from the results of using the software in the environment, rather than properties of the software itself. [ ISO/IEC 9126-1 ]
- This definition of quality in use is similar to the definition of usability in ISO 9241-11. In ISO/IEC 14598 the term usability is used to refer to the software quality characteristic described in ISO/IEC 9126-1. [ ISO/IEC 9126-1 ]
- The definition of quality in use in ISO/IEC 14598-1 does not currently include the new characteristic of safety. [ ISO/IEC 9126-1 ]
- Usability is defined in ISO 9241-11 in a similar way to the definition of quality in use in this part of ISO/IEC 9126. Quality in use may be influenced by any of the quality characteristics, and is thus broader than usability, which is defined in this part of ISO/IEC 9126 in terms of understandability, learnability, operability, attractiveness and compliance. [ ISO/IEC 9126-1 ]
- Before the product is released, quality in use can be specified and measured in a test environment for the intended users, goals and contexts of use. Once in use, it can be measured for actual users, goals and contexts of use. The actual needs of users may not be the same as those anticipated in requirements, so actual quality in use may be different from quality in use measured earlier in a test environment. [ ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765 ]
