| Enterprise Software is software that solves | | | | organization. It can also be any software |
| an enterprise problem (rather than a | | | | application hosted on a server which |
| departmental problem) and usually enterprise | | | | simultaneously provides services to a large |
| software is written using Enterprise Software | | | | number of users, typically over a computer |
| Architecture. Due to the cost of building | | | | network. This definition contrasts the more |
| what is often proprietary software only large | | | | common single-user software applications |
| organizations attempt to build software that | | | | which run on the user's own local computer, |
| models the entire business enterprise and is | | | | and serve only one user at a time. |
| the core system of governing the enterprise | | | | |
| and the core of business communications | | | | Enterprise software developers |
| within the enterprise. | | | | |
| | | | Major players in the field include SAP, |
| As many business enterprises have similar | | | | Microsoft, Altair Engineering and Oracle |
| departments and systems, enterprise software | | | | Corporation but there are thousands of |
| is often available as a suite of programs | | | | competing vendors. |
| that have attached development tools to | | | | |
| modify the common programs for the specific | | | | While not a single company, the open source |
| enterprise. Mostly these development tools | | | | movement is now seriously moving into the |
| are complex programming tools that require | | | | enterprise software market, particularly |
| specialist capabilities. Thus, one often sees | | | | within the operating system and database |
| in job advertisements that a programmer is | | | | sectors. While most open source software is |
| required to have specific knowledge of a | | | | available freely for use and development, |
| particular set of tools, such as ". . . must | | | | some companies have been built to provide |
| be an SAP developer" etc. | | | | enterprise with open source software free of |
| | | | charge but provide a maintenance service, to |
| Types of enterprise software | | | | add to the software, modify it for the |
| | | | enterprise and to ensure that the software |
| Until recently all enterprise software was | | | | continues to be updated should bugs and other |
| implemented by a solutioning company within | | | | fixes be required. |
| the customer's business offices, or within a | | | | |
| data center specifically built for that | | | | Enterprise-level application |
| enterprise. However, recently a new model of | | | | |
| distribution of enterprise software has begun | | | | Enterprise level software is software which |
| competing with in-house software. This new | | | | provides business logic support functionality |
| model is based on a concept named as | | | | for an organization, typically in commercial |
| on-demand software, or Software as a Service. | | | | organizations, which aims to improve the |
| Essentially the on-demand model is made | | | | organization's productivity and efficiency. |
| possible through the widespread distribution | | | | |
| of broadband access to the Internet; Software | | | | Services provided by enterprise software are |
| as a Service providers install a series of | | | | typically business-oriented tools such as |
| servers of their own and give a customer | | | | online shopping and online payment |
| company access to the software via the | | | | processing, interactive product catalogue, |
| Internet. | | | | automated billing systems, etc. |
| | | | |
| Enterprise software is often categorized by | | | | Criticisms |
| the business function that it automates - | | | | |
| such as accounting software or sales force | | | | The word enterprise can have various |
| automation software. It also varies by | | | | connotations. Sometimes the term is used |
| industry verticals due to common business | | | | merely as a synonym for organization, whether |
| processes within a specific industry. There | | | | it be very large (e.g., a corporation with |
| are enterprise systems devised for health | | | | thousands of employees), very small (a sole |
| care, for example, or for manufacturing | | | | proprietorship), or an intermediate size. |
| enterprises. | | | | Often the term is used only to refer to very |
| | | | large organizations. |
| Application software | | | | |
| | | | Some enterprise software vendors using the |
| Enterprise application software is | | | | latter definition develop highly complex |
| application software that performs business | | | | products that are often overkill for smaller |
| functions such as accounting, production | | | | organizations, and the application of these |
| scheduling, customer information tracking, | | | | can be a very frustrating task. Thus, |
| bank account maintenance, and the like. It is | | | | sometimes "enterprise" might be used |
| almost always hosted on servers, and is used | | | | sarcastically to mean overly complex |
| by multiple employees of the same | | | | software. |