Off the Shelf or Custom Software Solutions – Which One Is for Your Business?

Business organizations often look for solutions that can help them to reduce their expenses. And for this, they hire software development companies that offer two types of software that suits their IT requirements. The first one is off the shelf software that is a ready-made application available and can be bought directly and used by the organization. The other one is the application that the software company builds as per the specific needs of the organization. Both the solutions are different in terms of development and manufacturing.

What are customized software solutions?

Now the point is, during the period when business organizations make efforts to gain a firm foothold in the competitive market, any stereotypical product offering same age old functionalities may restrict their growth chances. It is for this reason that hiring a customized software development company is the most excellent choice at the moment. The prime goal of such companies is to create a precise end product that can meet the demands of the customers. Suck bespoke solutions are created only after clear understanding of the preferences and requisites of the client.

Customized packages are usually built by using the most recent technology. The software is developed in steps and any disliking or difficulty of the customer is taken into consideration and is rectified during the formulation of the application and this is the most important advantage of developing such customized applications.

Tailor made products often demand strict inspection and analysis till the final product is developed. Off the shelf products may lower the levels of expenses than the custom software, but the latter is always a better choice as it is beneficial in the long run.

Some major differences between customized software and off the shelf solution:

Cost of the software: The most prominent difference between the two solutions is the price of the application. Off the shelf software is usually cheaper than customized solutions because ready-made software is a mass production and their cost is distributed among several buyers, but custom solutions are developed for specific clients to fulfill their unique needs. So, the entire cost of development has to be borne by the buyer.

Development methodology and usage: Off the shelf solutions are usually made for general purposes and they target one segment of the business, but are unable to fulfill any particular requirements of the organization. The client often needs to hire custom software development company in India to make essential adjustments in the software and to implement it. Since the solution is developed around the exact requirements, it is completely suitable and compatible with the processes of the organization. Employees who have to use this software also get accustomed to the system within few days. This is another reason that attracts organizations to develop customized solutions.

Software updates: One of the major problems with off the shelf software is that it becomes very difficult to update the solution as the technology changes. To make any changes in the software, the organization has to hire a company and pay for the updates. Furthermore, there may not be updates or releases for long periods and this makes the software obsolete and old. Such obsolete software often harms the organization and this in turn affects their business revenues. On the other hand customized solutions can be updated whenever the client wishes to make the changes. It can be decided according to the client’s requirements and also their budget.

Ready-made software have some advantages like quick implementation, tested solutions and even money back offers and guarantees in case the software does not solve the purpose. Some risk is always associated with custom software like unreliable solutions, not thoroughly tested and complexities. But these issues can easily be solved by hiring any reputed software development company offering customized solutions. Choosing the right parent often helps to avoid risky situations.

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