[mmcdermott]

> Professional Engineer licensure to be able to actually charge for software (this carves out exception for FOSS and freeware) could raise the costs enough to make this kind of software engineering viable.

You would almost certainly see an increase of in-house software developers and consultants where the code is never charged for, but is developed as it always has been. A few big companies like Microsoft and IBM would get certified and smaller software companies would be driven out of existence entirely.

There would definitely not be a golden age of rigorous software.