Types of Computer Software
                     Types of Computer Software
Yash Kumar
Writes for search-marketing, which  
provides information on 
Digital marketing in india to improvise 
Digital marketing strategies.
Software consists of set of instructions with which the user interacts 
with the computer. Anything that is related to physical aspects of the 
computer is called hardware, whereas the instructions given to 
computer to execute a certain work is called a software. In a 
computer, software and hardware are both required and each depends 
on the other for certain functionalities.
 
Software tools find numerous applications in industries and business 
organizations, from designing and creating a new system application 
to upgrading or modifying an existing one. Being technology 
agnostic, we are using many software tools for web, mobiles, 
desktop, client/server application, LAN, WAN etc.
 
Basically, computer software is broadly divided into three categories:
 System Software
 Utility Software
 Application Software
System Software
System software consists of programs or applications that are 
designed specifically to control and co-ordinate with the computer 
hardware. It communicates with internal parts of the system and also 
helps to maintain a platform for application programs. It has system 
programs which includes file libraries of device drivers, system 
settings and preferences, configuration files, compilers and 
interpreters, system utilities etc.
System files are mostly background programs through which 
operating system coordinates with different hardware components to 
run the computer smoothly. The system software runs the basic 
functionality of the computer and gets installed along with the 
operating system. To keep the system up-to-date with latest updates, 
the users have to run the programs that are often recommended by the 
OS.
Some basic examples of system software include:
 Operating System
 System servers
 Device drivers
 Compilers and interpreters
 Windows/graphical user interface (GUI) systems
Utility Software
utility software includes programs and applications that help users in 
system maintenance and add functionality for better performance of 
computer. Unlike applications, utilities are small programs that are 
designed to customize & enhance the desktop features or scan and 
monitor the computer for unwanted software and viruses. It helps to 
manage computer resources and aims at optimizing various aspects 
of computer hardware and operating system.
Some examples of Utility software are as follows:
 Disk defragmenters
 System Profilers
 Virus scanners
 Disk cleaners
 Data backup utility
 Network managers
 Encryption utilities
Application Software
It is one of the most popular types and are widely used in B2B and 
B2C applications. Unlike system software which runs in the 
background unnoticed, application software requires user interaction 
to work with the computer. It is necessary to have system software to 
run & implement the programs of application software. 
They are generally end user programs which are being created for 
specific purposes to help individuals with their work related 
activities. Some are generalized applications such as word processors 
& browsers while others are designed for specific needs for a 
particular type of business or organization. Popular examples of 
application software are word processors, spreadsheets, browsers, 
email software etc.
Apart from these common types of software applications, there are 
also many other user written programs tailored for specific systems to 
meet special needs of end user. Application programs can be web 
based which require an online activity or it can be traditional intranet 
which is purely designed for internal organizational needs. Many 
application softwares are being used for different purposes in B2B 
and B2C business segments. 
It includes various types such as product development applications, 
educational software, entertainment software, enterprise software etc. 
Each category consists of numerous applications that are designed for 
particular end user needs. For instance, enterprise applications can be 
of different types such as CRM, automated time and billing systems, 
enterprise resource planning (ERP), email marketing systems, supply 
chain management software etc.
Instead of using traditional on-device software, now-a-days software 
is delivered as a service (SaaS) over the internet. That means any 
software allowing customization which is given as service to the 
users is called SaaS. For instance, the internet services that we 
commonly use everyday such as Google, Twitter, Linkedin, 
Facebook etc are also considered as software as a service 
applications. 
SaaS service allows users to customize applications to fit their 
business processes without much worrying about complex software 
and hardware management. It includes many applications for 
business purpose from accounting, invoicing and tracking sales to 
providing the needs of online business such as website design, 
development and monitoring.
About Search-marketing
Search-marketing.in website is a useful resource which caters to micro 
businesses on developments in digital marketing in India. It provides 
information on digital marketing strategies and helps Indian micro 
businesses to establish strong online presence and to leverage the 
Internet for business performance and growth.
        Thank you for spending your precious time in reading this article!