Custom Software vs Off-the-shelf Products
Price: One of the biggest differences is the price. An off-the-shelf product is usually reasonably priced whereas a customized product can be relatively expensive to build. The logic is quite simple - the cost of development of the off-the-shelf product is distributed over a number of buyers and thus the pricing is spread over the number of licenses that will be sold. The customized software product on the other hand is made just for one buyer and thus the entire cost of development has to be borne by one customer. One might think that if the option of an off-the-shelf software product is available, why would one go for a customized development?
Generic build: The answer to the above question is again quite simple. An off-the-shelf product is made for a wide range of audience. Thus the development team has to provide a set design as well as a pre-defined framework. Since the product is ready to use, it may not cater to the exact requirement of all organizations. Usually there are some adjustments that an existing organization will need to make in order to implement an off-the-shelf product. This disadvantage is the biggest advantage in the case of customized software. Customized software picks up current processes and builds an electronic framework to automate them. There is no requirement to change any processes and people can usually get used to the software within a few days. Customized software provides flexibility as well for the organization to tinker around with the software and fine tune it for better performance.
Updates: Off-the-shelf products have off-the-shelf updates. Each time there is a revision in software purchased off-the-shelf, you will need to shell out an update fee. On the other hand, some off-the-shelf products may not have any updates for a long time, thus making you use obsolete software which might have negative repercussions on your business. Updates in customized software are done based on the requirements and budget of the company.
However, off-the-shelf software purchasing decisions are not always a matter of cost and flexibility. There are many benefits which accrue when using an off-the-shelf product as well. Firstly it allows you to get automated in a jiffy. The product has been suitably tested before being sold and you are saved a lot of pain and hassle which you might have with customized software. Many off-the-shelf products offer a money back guarantee if the software does not serve your purpose. This makes the investment in the software safe. The same cannot be said for all customized software!
The choice of using either type of software is up to you. However, consideration of the above points will help you in making an educated decision and also ensure that your organization gets the most benefit at the best price.
Related Tags: software outsourcing, custom software development, outsourcing software, custom software programming
Rod Morris is the founder of Business Mobile - http://www.businessmobile.com - a leading business travel and technology website.
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Improper Way Of Marketing Reflects Poorly On A Company.
New business, product or service everything requires visibility, awareness in order to come into the - Replacing Paper Prints With Online Versions
Nowadays saving out on resources and being additionally informative are both aspects that are in. In - Stop Smoking Effectively
If I told you of a way that you could stop smoking harmful tobacco would you believe it? Most people - What Is Runtime Error 182? And How To Fix It
Are you finding an effective way to fix runtime error 182? Do you think fixing runtime error 182 is - Do You Know How To Fix Runtime Error 87 In Minutes?
Are you finding an effective way to fix runtime error 87? Do you think fixing runtime error 87 is to - Knowledge About Avi, Avi Player, Avi Converter On Mac
Knowledge about AVI, AVI player, AVI Converter on MacWhat is an AVI?AVI, an acronym for Audio Video - Buy Your Highly Successful Email Survey Software Today
Email Survey Software- Boost Your Business and Increase ProfitsAn email survey software could be one - Xrm - The Anything Relationship Management Solution
I recently attended the Microsoft Dynamics West Region FY11 Sales Planning Retreat. This year's meet - What Are The Benefits Of Working With Electronic Medical Records
Recording medical information is a vital part of health care services. These records are necessary f - Basic Factor To Make Website Business Oriented
Internet is home for millions of websites. The online business is becoming more and more competitive
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Parental Control Software
Parental control software is software that can help parents protect their children when they are onl - Digital Asset Management Software
Managing and organizing your organization's documents is a critical component to your business's suc - AdobeRGB vs. sRGB
Understanding color spaces I'll try to explain it very simplified, but understandable for everyone - Confessions of a Prankster
I wanted to get a jump on April Fool's Day, partially because of the long, cold winter blues, and pa - Malicious Thoughts About The Spyware Ills Of My PC
Who would think I was capable of such revengeful thoughts about the parties responsible for inflicti - Recover File and Recover Deleted File Tools
Data recovery software is a very effective way of retrieving data from a worn or damaged hard disk d - Life without Windows
Ubuntu, a user-friendly version of Linux, has been running so nicely on my home PC that I decided to - What Benefit Does an Online Software Download Site Offer You?
Are you having a problem that where you find a good softeware when you consider to have a try or wan - Maintaining A Website
There was an era when people were talking about how to create a website using html coding or some ea - Benefits Of Proper Time Tracking
Have you ever written down time when you have started and finished your work? Maybe you have had mul