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Enterprise Software is software that solves an enterprise problem (rather than a departmental problem) and usually enterprise software is written using Enterprise Software Architecture. Due to the cost of building what is often proprietary software only large organizations attempt to build software that models the entire business enterprise and is the core system of governing the enterprise and the core of business communications within the enterprise.
As many business enterprises have similar departments and systems, enterprise software is often available as a suite of programs that have attached development tools to modify the common programs for the specific enterprise. Mostly these development tools are complex programming tools that require specialist capabilities. Thus, one often sees in job advertisements that a programmer is required to have specific knowledge of a particular set of tools, such as ". . . must be an SAP developer" etc.
Types of Enterprise Software
Until recently all enterprise software was implemented by a solutioning company within the customer's business offices, or within a data center specifically built for that enterprise. However, recently a new model of distribution of enterprise software has begun competing with in-house software. This new model is based on a concept named as On-demand software, or Software as a Service. Essentially the on-demand model is made possible through the widespread distribution of broadband access to the Internet; Software as a Service providers install a series of servers of their own and give a customer company access to the software via the Internet.
Enterprise software is often categorized by the business function that it automates - such as accounting software or sales force automation software. It also varies by industry verticals due to common business processes within a specific industry. There are enterprise systems devised for health care, for example, or for manufacturing enterprises.
Enterprise Software Developers
Major players in the field include SAP, Microsoft and Oracle Corporation but there are thousands of competing vendors.
While not a single company, the open source movement is now seriously moving into the enterprise software market, particularly within the operating system and database sectors. While most open source software is available freely for use and development, some companies have been built to provide enterprise with open source software free of charge but provide a maintenance service, to add to the software, modify it for the enterprise and to ensure that the software continues to be updated should bugs and other fixes be required.
Enterprise-level application
Enterprise level software is software which provides business logic support functionality for an organization, typically in commercial organizations, which aims to improve the organization's productivity and efficiency.
Services provided by enterprise software are typically business-oriented tools such as online shopping and online payment processing, interactive product catalouge, automated billing systems, etc.
Criticisms
The word enterprise can have various connotations. Sometimes the term is used merely as a synonym for organization, whether it be very large (e.g., a corporation with thousands of employees), very small (a sole proprietorship), or an intermediate size. Often the term is used only to refer to very large organizations.
Some enterprise software vendors using the latter definition develop highly complex products that are often overkill for smaller organizations, and the application of these can be a very frustrating task. Thus, sometimes "enterprise" might be used sarcastically to mean overly complex software.
See also
- Business
- Organization
- Operational risk management
- Management information system
- Strategic information system
- Information technology management
- Enterprise resource planning
- Enterprise content management
- Software engineering
External links
- Discussion on Google Answers General Outline of Enterprise Software
- Enterprise Software Falls Short
- Enterprise Software Upgrades: Less Pain, More Gain
"Enterprise software"