Software bugs are not just annoying or inconvenient. They're expensive.
According to a study by the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the bugs and glitches cost the US economy about $59.5 billion a year.
"The impact of software errors is enormous because virtually every business in the United States now depends on software for the development, production, distribution, and after-sales support of products and services," NIST Director Arden Bement said in a statement.
Software users contribute about half the problem, while developers and vendors are to blame for the rest, the study said. The study also found that better testing could expose the bugs and remove bugs at the early development stage could reduce about $22.2 billion of the cost.
"Currently, over half of all errors are not found until 'downstream' in the development process or during post-sale software use," the study said.
The study, conducted by the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina and the software industry was conducted to identify and assess technical needs to improve software-testing capabilities.