Compuware is shipping Version 5.0 of its Compuware Application Reliability Solution (CARS) package for software quality management, featuring integration with the Changepoint portfolio management product.

Providing quality assurance, CARS is intended to help customers understand whether an application meets the needs of a business. Integration with Changepoint via a snap-in module provides a software quality index to boost tracking of a project's health and risk. Administrative burdens are reduced since users do not have to enter data into multiple systems for reporting.

"Changepoint provides a really strong solution to manage IT like a business," said Jery Plourde, CARS director at Compuware.

"Once you link to the quality aspect of a project through CARS up into Changepoint, now you're able to do true quality governance," Plourde said.

Users must purchase Changepoint and CARS as separate products. Compuware acquired Changepoint in 2004.

Other new features in Version 5.0 include:

-- Enterprise-wide quality management for development and quality assurance teams from multiple geographic locations.

-- Testing trends reports to enable decision-making support at different organizational levels. Software quality processes are assessed over a period of time .

-- A cost of quality executive report to provide insight into phases of an application development lifecycle .

-- Customized reporting through a User Defined Export component.

CARS pricing ranges from approximately US$3,000 per user to several hundred thousands of dollars for a large installation.

Also, Compuware this week announced a partnership with application management provider Cast, through which Compuware will integrate and resell the Cast Quality Assessment Suite as a complement to CARS.