- Horizontal Integration and
- Vertical Integration
HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION
Describes the combination of application packages such as word processor, data manager, spreadseet and graphic pakcages into one pakcage that can share data. The ability to combine and pass data between application packages makes integrated software very useful.
VERTICAL INTEGRATION
Refers to the enhancement of a single package. For example adding a spelling programme dictionary or thesaurus to a word processor would be considered vertical integration.
BUSINESS SOFTWARE
A second major application software vategory, business software, helps organizations efficiently accomplish routine tasks. Often, buiness software is divided into two categories, horizontal market softwae and vertical market software. Horizontal market software refers to generic software packages that can be used by many different kinds of businesses. Accounting and payroll applications are good examples of horizontal market software. Every business needs to maintain a set of books to track income and expenses. Accounting software is designed to computerized the book keeping tasks typically required in most businesses. Almost every business has employees and needs to maintain payroll records. Payroll software keeps track of employee hours and produces the reports required by the government for income tax reporting.
ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE
Entertainment software is designed to entertain you. With entertainment software, you can play cards, fly a simulated jet, play 18 holes of golf, solve a Sherlock Holmes mystery, battle monsters, or explore nre worlds.
EDUCATION AND REFERENCE SOFTWARE
Education and reference software is designed to help you learn more about a particular tpoic. One type of education software called CAI (computer aided instruction), or tutorial software, can help you learn how to do things, for example, how to type, how to fix your car, how to use your word processor, how to speak French, or how to prepare for the GMAT exam. Educational simulations let you work with a computerized model of something in the real world, manipulate it, and see what happens. For example, some College and Universities use computerized simulations in introductory chemistry classes and students can experiment with chemical reactions without using real, and sometimes dangerous, mixtures. Reference software, such as electronic encyclopedias, can also help you lool up facts an any topic.
