The statistics concerning project success rates show that successful projects are
not the rule. The Standish Group stated that out of the 30,000 Information Technology
projects executed in the United States, nearly 63% run late and 49% cost more than the
expected. The amounts involved in project failure reached roughly US$ 38 billion. On
the other hand, success rates, in terms of schedule and budget, represent only 28% of the
entire number of projects studied (HARTLEY, 2004). Thus, the development and
implementation of successful project management methodologies, risk management
mechanisms in particular, are cornerstones of successful new technology projects.