4.5. Mobile Software

Just as with the personal computer, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets also have operating systems and application software. These mobile devices are in many ways just smaller versions of personal computers. A mobile app is a software application designed to run specifically on a mobile device.

As discussed in chapter 3 smartphones are becoming the dominant form of computing, with more smartphones being sold than personal computers.  Businesses have adjusted to this trend by increasing their investment in the development of apps for mobile devices. The number of mobile apps in the Apple App Store has increased from zero in 2008 to over 2 million in 2017 (Statista, 2018).

Cloud Computing

Historically, an individual copy of the software had to be installed on the computer to use it. The concept of cloud computing changed this, as applications, services, and data storage are made accessible through the internet.  Cloud service providers rely on giant server farms and massive storage devices that are connected via a network.

You probably already use cloud computing in some form. For example, if you access your email on your web browser, or use Google Drive’s applications you are using a form of cloud computing. While these are free versions of cloud computing, there is big business in providing applications and data storage over the web. Software as a service (SaaS) is software that is rented rather than purchased. It is subscription based. Software as a service gives companies access to a large assortment of software packages without having to invest in hardware or install and maintain software on its own computers. The available software, which includes e-mail and collaboration systems and customer relationship management programs, can be customized and used by an individual client or shared among several clients.

The benefit is that all of the software requirements are outsourced to a company with expertise. However, the concern is that this can leave a company vulnerable.  If a traditional software company goes out of business, in most cases its customers can still go on using its products. But if your SaaS vendor goes under, they have all the data, and even if firms could get their data out, most organizations don’t have the hardware, software, staff, or expertise to quickly absorb an abandoned function. Firms that buy and install packaged software usually have the option of sticking with the old stuff as long as it works, but organizations adopting SaaS may find they are forced into adopting new versions. Keep in mind that SaaS systems are also reliant on a network connection. If a firm’s link to the Internet goes down, the link to its SaaS vendor is also severed. Relying on an Internet connection also means that data is transferred to and from a SaaS firm at Internet speeds, rather the potentially higher speeds of a firm’s internal network.

Using a Private Cloud

Many organizations are understandably nervous about giving up control of their data and some of their applications by using cloud computing. But they also see the value in reducing the need for installing software and adding disk storage to local computers. A solution to this problem lies in the concept of a private cloud. While there are various models of a private cloud, the basic idea is for the cloud service provider to section off web server space for a specific organization. The organization has full control over that server space while still gaining some of the benefits of cloud computing.

Virtualization

Virtualization is the process of using software to simulate a computer or some other device. For example, using virtualization a single physical computer can perform the functions of several virtual computers, usually referred to as Virtual Machines (VMs). Organizations implement virtual machines in an effort to reduce the number of physical servers needed to provide the necessary services to users. This reduction in the number of physical servers also reduces the demand for electricity to run and cool the physical servers. For more detail on how virtualization works, see this informational page from VMWare.

“10.7 The Software Cloud” from Information Systems Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

“Chapter 3: Software” from Information Systems for Business and Beyond (2019) by David Bourgeois is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted