Does software error/defect identification matter in the italian industry?

The authors present the results of a descriptive survey to ascertain the relevance and the typology of the software error/ defect identification methods/approaches used in the industrial practice. This study involved industries/organisations that develop and sell software as a main part of their business or develop software as an integral part of their products or services. The results indicated that software error/defect identification is very relevant and regard almost the totality of the interviewed companies. The most widely used and popular practice is testing. An increasing interest has been also manifested in distributed inspection methods.