SPIN stands for Software Process Improvement Network, originally a peer-to-peer network for experience exchange among companies and individuals involved in the implementation of the Capability Maturity Model, CMM.

Software Engineering Institute, SEI at Carnegie Mellon University, where the CMM was developed, started the first SPINs after a proven and successful quality improvement network pattern. SEI could not handle the demand for support from CMM implementers when CMM evolved from an assessment model to an improvement roadmap.

The legendary Motorola unit in Bangalore reached CMM level 5 in 1993 as the first non-military/non-space organization in the world. The unit was started from scratch two years earlier in 1991. SPIN-Bangalore was started at the same time. In Sweden the national SPIN-SWEDEN and the regional Southern Swedish SPIN-SYD started in 1996.

Erik visited Motorola in Bangalore, early in year 2000, and established a relationship with SPIN Bangalore.

A recent informal survey showed that many other SPINs are looking into eXtreme Programming as a way to improve processes at the team level.