Software configuration management is not defined by version control alone. There are many CM solutions available today that do little more than provide version control, but are promoted as complete CM solutions. These limited use systems are generally built on top of existing platform dependent file versioning solutions and make use of a series of loosely connected management features.

In contrast, complete CM solutions are generally built from the ground up with highly integrated management, labeling and versioning features integrated together. These systems utilize high performance versioning solutions and industrial strength database engines to guarantee the integrity of file versions and meta data. True CM systems are not only easy for developers to use, but also provide managers and configuration specialists (build engineers) with the tools they need to successfully build projects and manage the development team.