...difference between a Software application and...

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Answer by Niranjan
Submitted on 10/21/2003
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It is the difference between Target Marketing and Market Targetting - meaning, on specific use, you will embark on developing an application. But at the same time, you might do some market research and find out that some particular applications of software usages that are consistent and repititive (amongst many companies/users) have not been addressed so far is when you might want to cash in on such idea and come up with a product. Application might not have large customization effort as it is specific. But a product will have great many number of features most of which many users might not even use (or Know about) and come with a lot of customization effort. Classic example is Workflow Applications that are custom built and available off the shelf.

Answer by Anshu
Submitted on 11/24/2003
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Application is more specific for a particular business requirement where as product is more generic. In other words, application is used for solving particular problem or specific need, where as product looks at broader sense. Requirement Phase: When you build an application you look at particular user/client and understand their requirements. But for building a product the requirements are gathered not by looking at a single user but one does market survey and come up with most likely features that cross section of users will look at. These requirements are not only functional requirements but also platform/hardware requirements. Typically product offers set of features then it's up to the organizations to use some or all of them. In some cases Product don't have all the required features, in such case it is customized to suite the need, in such case this implementation/customized version of product can be considered as application. Testing: Typically application is supported on single platform, the one that target organization has. For products it's variety of OS, hardware etc, you must have see typically product matrix. Hence it is necessary to test the product on all the combinations. Releases: Though it is not completely true but in most cases, once application is developed there are few enhancements. Also bug fixes are typically completed before User Acceptance testing. Since for product there is not a single customer, there is no UAT as such, once QA certifies product is released to market. Very fact that product is generic and is suppose to work in different scenarios it's very difficult to exhaust all the scenarios during QA testing, and as you know the defects are found in released product. The bug fixes for these are handled by patch releases (Microsoft is very good example for these patch releases, you must have seen SP1, SP2 etc even for OS). This means configuration management is complex for Products. Otherwise rest of the software lifecycle stages like specs, development, impact analysis are identical.

Answer by Kampli
Submitted on 12/20/2005
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The main lineation - Software Product Development is being proactive and Software Application Development is being reactive. In both cases you will be addressing a specific need for sure. For an application there is already a client / need that has been given to you and you react to it - under the constraints and environment that is assigned. For product development you understand that developing such a product will meet a specific need - you typically don't restrict to hardware/software constraints or environment. The need you are addressing with a product predominantly is a latent need and hence is less customized unlike an application where Customization takes the driver's seat.

Answer by shobhaabi
Submitted on 7/3/2006
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APPLICATIONS:-- 1.Clearly scoped & Well defined requirements 2.Know set of Users and business verticals for the system 3.Specific set of Hardware and Software dependencies 4.Less focus on customization and enhancements 5.Less configuration and version management issues 6.Limited compatibility issues PRODUCT:-- 1.Changing requirements which are abstract in nature 2.Wide variety of users and could be business vertical independent (features like feature richness, internationalization, etc) 3.Customization and Extendibility 4.Multiple versions and variants developed and maintained at the same time 5.Stressed importance to genercity and integration interfaces 6.Quality, Reliability, Robustness 7.Platform independence 8.Time to Market Pressure 9.Eye on the Future-Forecasting and roadmap (both for business as well as technology Volatile requirements (both functional and non functional) and market study and forecasts and the availability of budget heavily influences the way a product would be developed Differences like these make product development a completely different ball game Each of these would become major forces that one has to reckon with while developing a product

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Question by Malini
Submitted on 8/25/2003
Related FAQ: comp.software.testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is the difference between a Software application and Software product?

Answer by S. Datta Ramprasad
Submitted on 9/8/2003
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It should be Software Project and Software Product. Software Project is done for a specific clients of your company. For this some of the testing may be done at client's side. For example, Acceptance Testing.. Software Product is not done for a single client and it is released as a product of the company. Any doubts, you are welcome at: sdattaramprasad@yahoo.com

Answer by zjtest2002
Submitted on 12/15/2003
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How to create a software product? Are there any criteria for developing a software product? Can anyone tell me about the difference of software product and software project for detail? Thank you! test1818@163.com

Answer by SATTU
Submitted on 5/12/2005
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Yes what I think it has already clarified by some other guys that Project means works is specific and upto some requirement extent solution but Product is complete quality solution with Univarsal acceptance.

Answer by Sohail Anjum
Submitted on 6/21/2005
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first of all you need to decide what kind of software product you want like a game, a database, an office software,website,and then you will choose how you want the outlook mean front hand and back hand,and how many people will work on that you want sharing or security,and you like to coding or you just want to use tools and get ready software. like if you use C language or java you have to do lot of coding on the other hand in front page or visual basic you do not have to do lot of coding.but before doing everything you must have to learn how to use the tool for that software.

Answer by kunal
Submitted on 7/24/2005
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software is a set of instructions that allow the user 2 plan efficient surveys.

Answer by nirupma pathak
Submitted on 7/10/2006
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project and product is different. because project is applied in large area need more space within minimun cost and time, but product is either large or small.

Answer by Sun
Submitted on 7/10/2006
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S/w products are outcomes of a s/w project. All the outputs that are produced while the activities are being executed are the products(One of which is the final S/W)

Answer by between application and
Submitted on 10/5/2006
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Application The programs that users work with data processing Examples of application spreadsheets, word processors, and database management systems. System software The System software is a program that controls and manage the hardware and/ or other software. Examples Linux, Windows XP.

Answer by Anju Dagar
Submitted on 12/6/2006
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Want to add some more to wht Anshu has written an application defines behavior�it has code associated with it�a product is purely declarative. That is, a product provides properties, such as icons and text, that are used to customize the appearance of a running application. A product is typically 1, but that product may include several applications.

Answer by vinay
Submitted on 3/31/2007
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The main difference is, we can create application in software but not software in application.

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