Systems and methods for software support

A computer-based system for providing updated versions of previously-released software programs comprising:

• at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions;
• and
• at least one processing unit for executing the instructions stored in the memory, wherein execution of the instructions results in one or more applications together comprising:
• a communications server module for receiving, from one or more end-users of a software program previously released into a production environment of an external entity, an indication of a fault in the software program, the indication comprising a description of the fault;
• a verification module for facilitating confirmation, by a facilitator, that the faulty previously-received software program exhibits the described fault;
• a development posting module for:
• distributing the faulty previously-released software program and the description of the fault to members of a distributed community of programmers for resolution of the described fault,
• specifying a reward for resolving the described fault, and
• receiving a plurality of updated versions of the faulty previously-released software program from a subset of the members of the distributed community of programmers, each updated version intended to resolve the described fault;
• a review subsystem module for:
• receiving one or more test cases that cause the software program to fail from each programmer submitting an updated version of the previously-released software program, the one or more test cases having been developed by the respective programmer;
• aggregating the received test cases into a test case pool;
• applying a subset of the test case pool against one or more of the received updated versions such that test cases developed by different submitting programmers are used to test each of the one or more received updated versions, the different submitting programmers including the programmer that submitted the updated version under test;
• and
• testing at least one of the received updated versions to ensure that the described fault is resolved by the at least one received updated version and selecting a preferred updated version from the received updated versions of the faulty previously-released software program;
• a reward module for providing the reward to the programmer that submitted the preferred updated version;
• and
• a distribution module for distributing the preferred updated version to the external entity.