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Many people wonder what is application software. It is designed to help computer users to do certain tasks. It is sometimes referred to as an app. Some of its examples include programs made for accounting, graphics, office suites and media players. Many of these programs are concerned with documents. They are sometimes bundled with a computer or they are made separately.

In recent years apps have also been developed for mobile phones. Application software is different from middle-ware and system software which are used to integrate and manage the capabilities of the computer. They do not help in the performance of processes that benefit the user directly. Instead they serve the applications which then serve the computer user.

To understand this concept well we can use an example of a shopping mall. It does not provide the merchandise that customers need. Instead it provides space for retailers who then serve clients. Apps use the power of the platform that they are run on. Some are capable of running on different platforms. There are different categories of applications. They can be divided into two, vertical and horizontal applications. Horizontal ones are very popular with companies or departments while vertical applications are made for specific businesses or divisions in a firm. There are several different types of applications.

One is a suite which is made up of several applications bundled together. Usually such programs serve functions that are related and they share similar interfaces and features. They are also able to interact. A good example is Microsoft office which consists of a spreadsheet, a word processor and a database program among others.

Another type is enterprise programs. This is made to meet specific needs in an organization. Good examples include customer relationship management, financial systems as well as programs designed for managing supply chains. Applications for enterprise infrastructure are another type that provides the capabilities necessary to support enterprise systems. Email servers, databases and network management systems are good examples of this.

Information worker applications are used by users to create and manage information for projects in a department. Good examples are documentation tools, analytical, resource management and time management. Content access applications are designed to help in accessing content without having to edit it. They are used to meet needs of people who want to consume digital published content and entertainment. Examples are web browsers and media players.

Educational applications are adapted for use by educators and students. They are used to give evaluations and track progress though collaborative and material capabilities. Another type of app is simulation software which is used to simulate abstract or physical systems for training, entertainment or research purposes. Media development applications are designed to generate electronic and print media in an educational setting or for commercial purposes. Digital animation and HTML editors are good examples of this. Applications for product engineering are made to develop software as well as hardware components. They include computer aided design and computer aided engineering among others.

In case you are not sure what is application software it can also be classified according to the platforms it runs on. These include particular operating systems such as Windows and Linux. It can also be categorized according to delivery networks. Examples are Web 2.0 applications and cloud computing.