Off-the-Shelf Software
Nikhilesh Krishnamurthy, Amitabh Saran · Auerbach Publications eBooks · 2007
Software is expensive to build — the fixed costs are very high, and the development takes a lot of time and human resources. There appears to be a software product for every business domain and industry, so heralding the end of the era of bespoke development. However, such off-the-shelf (OTS) packages have not completely overtaken custom in-house development. If a “good” OTS product can be found, there are many advantages to using it over an in-house development. Some are in the business as business partners of the OTS vendors and are likely to favor specific offerings. Successful off-the-shelf product implementations involve, invariably, three parties: vendor, customer and systems integrator. The vendor goes through the product creation and management activities to create a product that has a ready market and can stand competition. The customer, represented through its information technology department, goes through technical evaluations and due diligence activities to pick the “right” product and make correct business decisions.