Section 1 “Application SW: End-User Applications” COMPUTER SOFTWARE Section 1 “Application SW: End-User Applications” Chapter 4 1

What is a Software? It is the general term for many kinds of programs used to operate and manipulate computers and their peripheral devices.

Types of Application & System Software

1- Based on the function performed 2- Based on how developed Application Software 1- Based on the function performed Application Software General Purpose Function-Specific Application Application Software 2- Based on how developed Custom Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Open-Source

Application Software Based on the function performed 1- General Purpose Application programs Programs that perform common information processing jobs for end users , Also called productivity packages Examples: E.g., word processing, spreadsheet Database Management Graphics programs Web browsers, email groupware

Application Software Based on the function performed 2- Function-Specific Application Software Thousands of these packages support specific end-user applications in business and other fields. Examples: Application to automate business processes Web-enabled electronic commerce Accounting ,financial, manufacturing applications Enterprise Resource Planning Data mining , Knowledge management systems

Application Software Based on the way they developed Custom Software applications developed within an organization for use by that organization The organization the writes the program code is also the organization that uses the final software application. Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Many copies sold Minimal changes beyond scheduled upgrades Purchasers have no control over specifications, schedule, or evolution, and no access to source code or internal documentation Product vendor retains the intellectual property rights of the software Open-source Software Developers collaborate on the development of an application using programming standards which allow anyone to contribute to the software As each developer completes a project, the application code becomes available and free to anyone who wants it

Software Suites and Integrated Packages Popular general-purpose application software The most widely used productivity packages are bundled together as software suites, such as Microsoft Office. Advantages 1. Cost less than buying individual packages 2. All have similar GUI 3. Programs designed to work well together Disadvantages 1. Many features not used 2. Takes a lot of disk space (bloatware) 3. Can be very costly

Components of Top Software Suites

Integrated Packages The drawbacks of SW suites are one reason for the use of integrated packages. Integrated packages combine the functions of several programs into one package. E.g., Microsoft Works, AppleWork Advantages 1. Many functions for lower price 2. Uses less disk space 3. Frequently pre-installed on PCs Disadvantages 1. Limited functionality

Web Browsers Software that supports navigation through point-and-click hyper-linked Web resources of the internet, intranet and extranet. Becoming the universal software platform from which end users launch: Information searches E-mail Multimedia file transfer Discussion groups Other Internet-based applications Sometimes called the “universal client”.

Search Engines Browsers are used to gain access to Internet search engines Google, Ask Jeeves, Look Smart, Lycos, Overture, Yahoo! Using search engines to find information has become an indispensable part of Internet, intranet, and extranet applications

E-mail, Instant Messaging, Weblogs Sending and receiving messages and attachments via the Internet, intranet, or extranet. E.g.: Microsoft hotmail, Yahoo, Microsoft Outlook Express. Instant messaging (IM) Receive electronic messages instantly. E.g.: ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger. Weblog or blog It is a Web site of personal or noncommercial origin that uses a dated log format updated daily or frequently with new information about a particular subject or range of subjects.

Word Processing and Desktop Publishing Word processing packages computerized the process of editing, creation, revision, and printing of documents by electronically processing text data. E.g., Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro, OpenOffice Writer. It allows the user to convert documents to HTML format for publication as a web pages. Desktop Publishing (DTP) Produce printed materials that look professionally published. E.g., Adobe InDesign , Microsoft Publisher, QuarkXPress

Electronic Spreadsheets Used by every business for analysis, planning, modeling Ex. Microsoft Excel , Lotus 1-2-3, OpenOffice Calc Worksheet of rows and columns Can be stored on local computers or a network server Developing a spreadsheet requires designing the format and developing the relationships (formulas) Most help you develop charts and graph displays of spreadsheet results Supports what-if questions

Presentation Graphics Presentation Graphics software packages help you: Convert numeric data into graphics such as line chart, bar chart or pie chart. Produce a multimedia presentation of graphics, photos, animation and video clips as well as publishing it to the World Wide Web. Ex. Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus Freelance, OpenOffice Impress.

Personal Information Managers (PIM) Is a SW for end user productivity and collaboration, and a popular application for PDA handheld devices. Stores, organize and retrieve information about customers. Manages schedules, appointments, tasks Most have ability to access the Web and e-mail Some support team collaboration by sharing information with other PIM users (such as contact lists, schedules) e.g., Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook

Groupware Software that helps workgroups collaborate to accomplish group assignments. It support collaboration through e-mail, discussion groups & databases, scheduling, task management, data, audio and videoconferencing etc. E.g., Lotus Notes, , Microsoft Groove , Novell GroupWise. Groupware products rely on the Internet, intranet and extranet to provide the collaboration on a global scale by virtual team located anywhere. Collaborative capabilities are also being add to other SW to give it groupware-like features. Microsoft Word keeps track of who made changes to the document.

Software Alternatives Many businesses are finding alternatives to acquiring, installing and maintaining application SW purchased from SW vendors or developing their own SW in-house with their own SW developer employees. Application Service Providers. Cloud Computing. Software Licensing. Open Source Software.

Application Service Providers (ASP) Application service providers (ASPs) Companies that own, operate, and maintain application software and computer system resources (servers, system software, networks, and IT personnel) required to offer the use of the application software for a fee as a service over the Internet. Advantages of using ASP: The low cost. Shorter time to get Web-based application set up and running. The pay-as-you-go fee structure. Reduce the need for much of the IT infrastructure that usually needed to support application software.

Cloud Computing Is a style of computing in which software and virtualized hardware resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of , expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure. Provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the SW and data are stored on the servers. Ex. Google Apps. Cloud computing help the organization to lower the costs of HW, SW and services by simply paying a provider only for what they use.

SW purchased as COTS or accessed via an ASP must be licensed for use. Software Licensing SW purchased as COTS or accessed via an ASP must be licensed for use. When company buys a software application, they have not purchased rights of ownership. Rather, they purchase a license to use the software under the terms of the software licensing agreement Software usually licensed to protects the rights of the vendor: Intellectual property rights, Copyright and trademark.

Open Source Software Generically, open source refers to a program in which the source code is available to the general public for use and/or modification from its original design free of charge, i.e., open. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the changes within the community. When programmers can read, redistribute, and modify source code, the software evolves. Produces better software than the traditional commercial (closed) model, in which only a very few programmers can see the source. The proprietary approach to software development has hidden costs that often outweigh its benefits.

Open Source Software Open source software is not… Shareware , Public domain software or a Freeware. OSS Is copyrighted & distributed with license terms Sometimes carries a fee for packaging, distribution, or support. Example of an open source software: OpenOffice.org Developed by Sun Microsystems. Can be used for any purpose: personal, commercial, educational.

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