COMPUTER SOFTWARE Management Information Systems

SOFTWARE  Software consists of computer programs, which are sequences of instructions for the computer Process of writing, or coding, programs is called programming Individuals who perform this task are called programmers (developers)  Documentation helps the user operate the computer system, and it helps other programmers understand what the program does and how it accomplishes its purpose  Computer is able to do nothing until it is instructed by software Software enables the user to instruct a computer system to perform specific functions that provide business value

TWO TYPES OF SOFTWARE  System Software is a set of instructions that serves primarily as an intermediary between computer hardware and application programs Provides important self-regulatory functions for computer systems, such as loading itself when the computer is turned on Provides commonly used sets of instructions for all applications  Application Software is a set of computer instructions that provide more specific functionality to a user, such as word processing, an organization’s payroll system, or accounting system

SOFTWARE ISSUES  Software defects (bugs)  Software evaluation and selection  Licensing  Open systems – refers to a model of computing products that work together  Open-Source software – is the source code is available at no cost to developers or users