Abstract: System and computer program product for estimating the cost of an ESD for software and subsequent updates for the software. Various cost factors can be considered such as one or more of the following. First program instructions determine a cost of the ESD associated with packaging together components of the software. Second program instructions receive a selection from an operator whether to push or pull the subsequent updates to a customer, and determine a cost for distributing the subsequent updates based on the selection. Third program instructions estimate a cost of the ESD associated with a type of program used by the customer to create images of the software. Fourth program instructions estimate a cost of the subsequent updates associated with distributing the updates to a remote distribution site, and then distributing the updates from the remote distribution site to the customer based on a type of customer tool used to download the updates from the remote distribution site.