In computer, all the programs, documentation, and procedures that perform various tasks in the computer system are known as Computer Software. There are many different kinds of software classified according to the work they perform in the computer system. The two main categories of computer software are System software and application software. These two main groups are further classified into different subcategories.
System software is the low-level software required in the management of computer resources. The software supports the execution of various application programs in the computer system. System software is further divided into Operating System Software, Network Software, Development tools software and Database management Software.
Operating system software handles the interface to all computer peripherals hardware, allocate storage, schedule tasks and provide a default interface when there is no program running. Example of Operating software includes Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. Network Software is software used in monitoring, managing, controlling and providing a link between the operating system and networked applications and storage services. AppleShare is a good example of Network software.
Development tool software is System software that is used in the development, design, and implementation of computer software. Examples of development tool software are A+ and Visual Basics. Database Management software is a program that enables the extraction, modification, and storage of information from a database. Oracle is a good example of Database management software.
Application Software is a division of computer software that makes direct use of the computer to perform a task that the computer user wants to perform. Application software is further divided into various categories that include General business Productivity applications, Home use applications, Cross-industry application software, Market application software, and utility software.
General business productivity applications include software that is used to improve business productivity. This category of software is further divided into Office Suite, Graphic applications, and project management software. Microsoft Word and Microsoft office are good examples of office suite applications and they are mainly used in back-office work. Graphic application software includes software such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel draw. Some of the most notable Project management software is Openproj and Taskjuggler.
Home use applications are software used for entertainment, playing games, and educational purposes. Cross-industry applications are software designed to manage specific business processes, which are not unique to any particular business or industry. This software includes accounting software such as Access accounting and financeToGo. Other software in this category includes customer relationship management software and Geographic information software.
Vertical Market application software refers to application software that performs a wide range of business in a specific business or industry such as retail, manufacturing, healthcare, restaurant, and engineering. A good example of Vertical market software is Point of Sale software. Utility software is usually a small computer program designed to perform specific tasks. Example of Utility software includes Compression programs such as WinZip; Search engines such Google and Dogpile.
Computer software is divided into two main categories, namely System software and application software. System software refers to programs used in the management of computer resources and execution of application software. System software is further divided into the operating system, network software, development tool software, and database software. On the other hand, application software is further divided into General business Productivity applications, Home use applications, Cross-industry application software, Market application software, and utility software.
References
Charles H. Fleer.1990. Computer Software, Columbus, McGraw-Hill Publishers.
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