At Antares, we know software. We use our decades of experience and software development expertise to help our clients achieve their business goals and solve their most perplexing technology challenges.
But we also know that software can be confusing for people who aren’t regularly engaged in development. One of our functions is helping clients become more tech-savvy, and sometimes that means clarifying fundamental concepts to make conversations more meaningful.
Today, we’re clearing up confusion surrounding the two categories of software that your computer uses to help you conduct business: system software and application software.
From the moment you turn on your computer, its system software is running. It’s the program that comes installed on your computer when you purchase it. You probably know the more common system software packages by their particular names: Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
Each of these rely on low-level assembly language to operate the computer’s hardware, and they’re all built to be used by the computer, not the user. If you’ve got a robust operating system, you never have to think about it at all. Nevertheless, it’s always running in the background. It doesn’t stop until you turn your computer off.
System software is general purpose, providing a necessary platform for application software to operate. Unlike system software, application software is designed to fulfill a specific function or set of functions. Your favorite computer games, those informative spreadsheets emailed to you prior to meetings, internet browsers, and databases are all examples of application software.
Application software is written in a high-level programming language. It can’t run independently of system software and must be installed separately, according to individual users’ requirements. Once installed, applications don’t start running until the user issues a command.
Application software is designed with user-experience in mind. Often, several applications are packaged together as application suites, making interaction among the tools easier. By bundling Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Microsoft streamlines operations for users in their Microsoft Office suite of products. For example, spreadsheets created in Excel can be more readily dropped into a PowerPoint presentation or Word document. MS Office also relies on a common user interface among applications, which shortens a user’s learning curve.
You’re busy building your business empire, and it may be that learning the ins and outs of software suites is not on your agenda this week. Custom software, however, can create new opportunities for your company’s growth and management. Fortunately, you don’t have to know all of the aspects of software applications to capitalize on them.
By partnering with Antares, you can gain the advantages of tailored software applications without becoming an expert on the topic. We’ll recommend and develop the right technology that fits your business best. Call us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our software experts.
