Can a Linux Vendor be ISO 9001 Certified?

sgml4kids asks: "Could a company that ships a Linux distribution achieve any of the ISO quality certifications? Since RedHat can't control how the bulk of its main product is built, could it pass one of these quality audits? Is there any way of using these industry standard quality standards for Linux development?" Interesting questions, and ones that may become important further on down the road. Any info?

Comments

Yes.

[ben_]

ISO9001 is all about how well you follow quality procedures; it has zero, zip, nada & nothing to do with "quality" in the sense of "fitness for purpose" or "value to some person" (any Pirsig fans out there?).

So, if RH or VA or whoever want to write some procedures for how they do whatever they do, and then follow them, they can get certified as sticking to those procedures. There's at least one case of a software company sticking "ISO9001 Certified" on their boxes though all they had done was document and follow the procedures for packaging!

I speak as one who has been ISO9001 audited at least twice, and that for procedures that covered software development.