This chapter provides an overview of the Capability Maturity Model for Software (CMM VI.1). CMM Vl.l describes the software engineering and management prac- tices that characterize organizations as their processes for developing and maintain- ing software mature. This chapter stresses the need for a process maturity framework to prioritize improvement actions; describes the five maturity levels, key process ar- eas, and their common features; and discusses future directions for the CMM.