CMM　and　Software　Life　Cycle　Model　are　both　widely　used　in　the　IT　industry.　Based　on　the　analysis　of　CMM　and　major　software　life　cycle　models,　the　following　points　were　investigated:　(1)　CMM　and　Software　Life　Cycle　Model　are　both　results　of　the　process　of　software　activities　and　they　both　focus　on　the　process　of　software　activities.　To　be　specific,　CMM　is　the　result　of　the　maturity　stage,　and　Software　Life　Cycle　Model　is　the　result　of　the　early　stage.　(2)　Owing　to　different　development　backgrounds　and　different　problems　to　resolve,　Software　Life　Cycle　Model　focuses　on　engineering　activities,　while　CMM　focuses　on　nonengineering　activities.　(3)　Though　the　CMM　authors　had　tried　to　make　CMM　be　independent　of　any　certain　software　life　cycle　model,　the　originating　era　of　CMM　did　leave　CMM　with　the　brand　of　the　waterfall　model.　©　2007　IEEE.