details of the software applications

1. APPLICATION SOFTWARE
• Performs information processing tasks for
end users.
• It includes a variety of programs that can
be subdivided into
– General purpose application programs
– Application-specific programs

2. APPLICATION SOFTWARE
• General purpose
application programs
– Software suites
– Web browsers
– Electronic mail
– Word processing
– Spreadsheets
– Presentation graphics
– Personal information
managers
– Groupware
• Application-specific
programs
– Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
– E-commerce etc.,

3. General purpose application
programs
• Programs that perform common information
processing jobs.
• Examples are
– Word processing programs
– Spreadsheet programs
– Database management programs
– Graphics programs
• For home , education ,business and many other
purposes.
• Sometimes called as Productivity packages.
• Other examples are Web browsers ,e-mail and
groupware.

4. Classification of Software
• Based on how the software is developed
– Custom software
– COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) Software
• Custom software
– developed within an organization for use by that
organization.
– Specifications, functionality and ownership of the final
product are controlled and retained by the developing
organization.
• COTS Software
– developed with the intention of selling it in multiple copies.
– Purchasers generally have no control over the specification,
schedule or access to either the source code or internal
documentation.
– It is sold to the general public but the vendor retains the
intellectual property rights of the software.

5. Software suites and Integrated
Packages
• Most widely used software packages are bundled
together as software suites.
• Examples are Microsoft office, Lotus SmartSuite,
Corel WordPerfect, and Sun’s StarOffice.
Programs Microsoft office Lotus Smart
Suite
Corel
WordPerfect
Office
Sun StarOffice
Word Processor Word WordPro WordPerfect StarWriter
Spreadsheet Excel 1-2-3 Quattro Pro StarCalc
Presentation
graphics
PowerPoint Freelance Presentations StarImpress
Database Managers Access Approach Paradox StarBase
Personal
Information
Manager
Outlook Organizer Corel central StarSchedule

6. Cont’d
• Microsoft, Lotus, Corel, and Sun bundle several other
programs in each suite, depends on the version you
select.
• Example includes programs for internet access, e-mail,
web publishing, Desktop Publishing etc.,
• Advantages
(+) Cost is less .
(+) Similar GUI (Graphical User Interface) is used
(+) share common tools such as spell checkers and help wizard.
(+) designed to work together and import each other’s files easily,
no matter which program you are using.
• This makes more efficient and easier to use than using a
variety of individual packages.

7. Cont’d
• Disadvantages
(-) Industry critics most features are not used by end users.
(-) takes lot of disk space (100 MB to 150 MB)
(-) Cost varies from as low as $100 to $700 for upgraded version
• These drawbacks leads to continued use of Integrated Packages
like Microsoft Works, Lotus eSuite WorkPlace, AppleWorks, etc.,
• Integrated Packages combine some of the several programs into
one software package.
• But these leave out many features and functions in individual
packages and software suites.
• However these use very less disk space (10 MB), cost less than
$100 and frequently pre-installed on many low-end micro-
computers.

8. Web Browsers
• Most important software component for many computer
users
• Key software interface to access through the hyperlinked
resources of www as well as corporate intranets and
extranets.
• Browsers are becoming the universal software platform on
which end users launch into information searches, e-mail,
multimedia file transfer, discussion groups, and many other
internet applications.
• Industry experts predict that web browsers will be the
model for how most people will use networked computers
in future.

9. Web Browsers (Cont’d)
• Web browsers will be used to
To watch a video,
Make a phone call,
Download some software,
Hold a videoconference,
Check your e-mail
Work on a spreadsheet of your team’s business plan
• Sometimes called universal client

10. Electronic Mail and Instant
Messaging
• First thing many people do at work all over the world is
check their e-mail.
• Millions of end users now depend on e-mail software to
communicate with each other.
• E-mail is stored in network servers.
• Whenever you want to, you can read by displaying it on
your workstations.
• So, with only few minutes of efforts, a message to one or
many individuals can be composed, sent and received.
• Now a component of top software suites.
• Free e-mail packages are available.

11. Electronic Mail and Instant
Messaging
• E-mail software like Microsoft outlook express or Netscape
messenger can route messages to multiple users.
• Provides password security, automatic message forwarding,
and remote user access.
• Also allow you to store messages in folders, add documents
and web file attachments to e-mail messages.
• Allows to edit and send graphics and multimedia files as well
as text
• Automatically filters and sort incoming messages and send to
appropriate mail boxes and folders.
• Instant messaging (IM) is an e-mail or computer conferencing
hybrid technology.
• Grown as standard method of electronic messaging.
• IM software can be downloaded (yahoo messenger, MSN
messenger) .

12. Word Processing
• This software has transformed the process of writing.
• It computerize the creation, editing, revision, and printing of
documents (letters, memos, reports) by electronically processing
your text data ( words, phrases, sentence, paragraph) .
• Top packages like Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro, Corel
WordPerfect provides attractive printed documents with desktop
publishing capabilities.
• It also convert all documents to HTML format for publication as web
pages on corporate intranets, WWW .
• Provides spell check and thesaurus feature.
• Allows to use top packages to design and create web pages.

13. Desktop Publishing (DTP)
• End users and organization can use DTP software to
produce their own printed materials that look
professionally published.
• They can design and print their own newsletters,
brochures, manuals with several styles, graphics,
photos, and colors on each page.
• Example Adobe PageMaker , QuarkXPress
• Optical scanners is used to input text and graphics from
printed materials.

14. Electronic Spreadsheets
• Electronic Spreadsheets packages like Microsoft Excel,
Lotus 1-2-3 are used for business analysis, planning and
modeling.
• It is a worksheet of rows and columns, which can be
stored on PC, converted to HTML format and stored as
web page on the www.
• Developing a spreadsheet involves designing its format
and developing the relationship.
• In response to your input, computer performs necessary
calculations and displays the result in your workstation or
website.
• Result can also be displayed graphically.

15. Presentation Graphics
• This packages help you convert numeric data into
graphics display such as line charts, bar graphs, pie
charts and many other types of graphics.
• Most of top packages help to prepare multimedia
presentations of graphics, photos, animation and video
clips including publishing on the web.
• Presentation graphics is much more effective than
tabular presentation of numeric data for reporting and
communicating in advertising media, management
reports or other business presentations.

16. Personal Information Managers
• PIM is a popular application for personal digital assistant (PDA)
hand-held devices.
• PIMs such as Microsoft Outlook help to store, organize and retrieve
information about customers, clients and prospects or schedule and
manage appointments, meetings and tasks.
• Information can be retrieved in variety of forms like
– An electronic calendar
– List of appointments, meetings or other things to do
– timetable for a project
– Display of key facts or financial data about clients, customers etc.,
• Most PIMs now include the ability to access the web and provide
e-mail capability.

17. Groupware
• It is a collaboration software that helps workgroups and teams work
together to accomplish group assignments.
• It combines a variety of software features and functions to facilitate
collaboration.
• Groupware products rely on the internet and corporate intranets to
make collaboration possible by virtual teams located anywhere in
the world.
• Two recent additions to the collaborative software marketplace are
Microsoft Windows SharePoint and IBM’s WebSphere.
• Both products allow teams to quickly create sophisticated Websites
for information sharing and document collaboration.
• Used as a platform for creating efficient web-based business
portals.
• Can integrate a wide variety of individual applications to increase
productivity of individuals and teams.

18. Application-specific programs
• Thousands of application-specific software packages are
available to support specific application of users in
business and other fields.
• Examples are
– CRM
– E-commerce etc.,

19. Customer Relationship
Management (CRM)
• Managing the full range of the customer relationship involves two related
objectives:
– To provide the organization and all of its customer-facing employees with a
single, complete view of every customer across all channels,
– To provide the customer with a single, complete view of the company and its
extended channels.
• Benefits
– CRM allows a business to identify and target their best customers, those
who are more profitable to business,
– It makes real-time customization and personalization of products and
services based on customer needs, wants, buying habits and life styles.
– Keeps track of when a customer contacts the company
– Enable a company to provide consistent customer experience and superior
service.
• Disadvantages
– These benefits are not guaranteed and instead ,have proven elusive at many
companies.

20. E-Commerce
• E-commerce is changing the shape of
competition, the speed of action, and the
streamlining of interactions, products and
payments from customers to companies and
from companies to suppliers.
• It is more than buying and selling online.
• It is developing, marketing, selling, delivering,
servicing and paying for products and services.
• Categories of e-commerce
– Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce
– Business-to-Business (B2B) e-commerce
– Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) e-commerce