Applicability of metrology to information technology

In 1959 the Director of the National Bureau of Standards declared "The emer gence of science and technology as the paramount concern of the Nation in t he 20(th) century...demanded the highest order of measurement competence, i n order to provide the standards and measurement techniques on which mainte nance of scientific progress depended." Since 1959, information technology has emerged as having a global impact on all facets of industry. However, t he "standards and measurement techniques" needed to maintain the scientific progress of information technology into the next century may not be in pla ce. This paper discusses the current state of software metrics.