When creating your digital project, you will be faced with an important dilemma: whether to opt for custom software that you own or pre-made software that you pay a license for. Your decision will have a significant impact on your organization. In this article, we’ll help you demystify bespoke software with a comprehensive review of its main pros and cons in order to make the best decision for your business.
General software is made taking into consideration the overall preferences and requirements of a specific business category or industry. But businesses and corporations need unique solutions in order to solve problems specific to their organization or job. Custom software development involves creating software that will serve as a tailor-made solution to the needs of that organization in an efficient manner.
Custom software is unique by definition; it doesn’t exist anywhere else. It is designed according to the specific requirements of your organization and meets your technical specifications. Such a tailor-made application, whether it be a web, mobile or embedded application, is therefore created according to specific needs that are not easily met by “off the shelf” software on the market. Custom software is designed and developed specifically for you: like a house you have built, you are in complete control from start to finish.
Custom software development is the process of designing, deploying, building and maintaining software for a precise set of functions, users or organizations. Unlike mass-produced software, custom software development aims to meet a tightly defined set of requirements.
Mass-produced systems target a wide range of requirements, allowing them to be packaged, marketed and distributed. Custom software, on the other hand, is designed for a set of specific needs.
Developing custom software is important because it helps meet unique needs at a competitive cost. Custom software tends to be more efficient, as it is uniquely designed to support processes quickly and productively. Another advantage is scalability: custom software can grow as an organization or business grows and changes. Designers and developers can assess future needs at the moment of collecting requirements.
One of the main considerations for commercial software is if it will work with existing applications. In case it won´t, organizations face an additional investment in obtaining commercial software to communicate and operate with their existing infrastructure. Custom software can be built to fit into the environment for which it is intended.
The benefits of being free from a commercial software has advantages and disadvantages at the same time. On the bright side, companies can avoid huge prices for licenses and support, as well as get stuck on packaged software maintenance if the vendor goes out of business or a product is terminated. On the downside, the cost of supporting and maintaining custom software falls on the organization that created or developed it.
Another important benefit of hiring a custom software development company is that when you buy off-the-shelf software, there is no guarantee that it will work for your business. Developing software specifically for your business ensures that the solution will be foolproof.
Profitability is also important. Although developing custom software can sometimes be expensive, it pays off in the long run. Custom software does not require constant change or development in order to meet business requirements. They can be used without having to make any investment for a long time. This is not common among standard software, which are updated more frequently and new licenses are needed.
Security is another big benefit. Hackers are already aware of the vulnerabilities of the most popular software and how to attack them. Custom-developed software is only used by your team and the risk of intrusion is minimized.
Flexibility is another of the main advantages. Custom software can be adapted to changing business needs. An out-of-the-box application cannot be manipulated at will and remains constant in its offerings. It therefore becomes too expensive or inappropriate if you continue to use it.
Compatibility is also important. Organization usually use a lot of software for its operation. Custom software takes these elements into account and develops them to be compatible with other business tools. General software often generates integration problems that do not happen with custom developed software.
