 Custom software,
is a type of software that is developed either for a specific
organization, or a specific function which differ from other already
available software (also called off-the-shelf software), and is generally
not targeted towards the mass-market.
Custom software has many advantages,
the most important one of course being the fact that the software may be
developed for a highly specific purpose, which makes it highly efficient,
although at a high cost. Another big advantage when compared to
off-the-shelf software is the difference in the relationship between the
developer and the customer.
During the development, the developer
can interact more easily with the future users, and it is easier to
incorporate additional functionality as most of the users (if not all)
often require the same functionality. Another factor of great importance
is that the development phase itself doesn't necessarily need to have a
strict deadline, compared with mass-market software, where major
applications often are plagued with serious bugs as a result of a short
span between deadline and first-sale. Custom software developers on the
other hand, can create a version that only contains the system core, and
perhaps a few essential system modules. That way, any bugs found in the
software is easier to fix, and the developers have a foundation to add
more functionality to later in the process.
The biggest issue with custom software
is without doubt the cost, and the time involved developing the software.
If you buy a off-the-shelf product from Microsoft or other software
producers, the application is ready to install at once, and to a fairly
low price, and often with good options when it comes to training or
support (although at an added cost). The problem with such software is
that for organizations with a highly specialized requirement, the
functionality required isn't necessarily available, or it might be
implemented in a way that adds to the users' workload. Custom software on
the other hand, is costly, as it is created from scratch, in addition to a
smaller user base and hence, the licensing cost is higher for each user
compared to off-the-shelf software.
Other problems that may occur when
using custom software, is exporting data to other systems as this is a
feature that has be built inside the system. If the custom software
utilizes a proprietary file format, this may become difficult, as opposed
to generic software which often come with functions that enables the user
to convert a document to other formats by a single 'click'. This can also
become an enormous problem when the user wants to upgrade/change to a
different system, as the data storage formats may not be compatible.
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