Software Product-based Company

A Software Product-based Company is a product-based company that develops and distributes software-based products.

• Context:
  • It can typically employ Software Product Engineers, Software Designers, Software Developers, and Software Quality Assurance Specialists.
  • It can typically create Software Product through software development lifecycle, agile development methodology, and continuous integration process.
  • It can typically deliver Software Solution through digital distribution channel, software licensing model, and installation package.
  • It can typically maintain Software Product Quality through automated testing framework, bug tracking system, and quality assurance protocol.
  • It can typically protect Software Intellectual Property through patent filing, copyright registration, and licensing agreement.
  • ...
  • It can often be a Industry-Specific Software Company, such as a Healthcare Software Company or Finance Software Company.
  • It can often implement Software Monetization Strategy through subscription model, freemium approach, or perpetual licensing.
  • It can often establish Software Product Ecosystem through developer community, partner network, and integration marketplace.
  • It can often facilitate Customer Success Process through user onboarding, technical support service, and product training.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Consumer Software Company to being an Enterprise Software Company, depending on its target market focus.
  • It can range from being a Startup Software Company to being a Mature Software Company, depending on its business development stage.
  • It can range from being a Single-Product Software Company to being a Multi-Product Software Portfolio Company, depending on its product diversification strategy.
  • ...
  • It can have Software Product-based Company Financial Measures, such as Software Company CapEx, Customer Acquisition Cost, Annual Recurring Revenue, and Customer Lifetime Value.
  • It can integrate with Technology Partner Ecosystem for complementary solution offering.
  • It can connect to Cloud Infrastructure Provider for software deployment option.
  • It can support Software Consulting Service for implementation assistance.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Start-up Software Company:
    • OpenAI, 2020, for OpenAI, Inc..
    • Microsoft 1977, for Microsoft, Inc..
    • Salesforce, 2009, for Salesforce, Inc..
    • Adobe, 1982, for Adobe, Inc..
    • Zoom, 2011, for Zoom Video Communications, Inc..
    • Slack, 2013, for Slack Technologies, Inc..
    • ...
  • Mature Software Company:
    • Microsoft, 2027, Microsoft, 2017, Microsoft, 2007, and Microsoft 1997, for Microsoft, Inc..
    • Salesforce, 2019, for Salesforce, Inc..
    • Adobe, 2022, Adobe, 2012, Adobe, 2002 for Adobe, Inc..
    • Oracle, 2020, for Oracle Corporation.
    • SAP, 2023, for SAP SE.
    • IBM Software Group, 2021, for IBM Corporation.
    • ...
  • Domain-Specific Software Company:
    • Healthcare Software Company, such as: Epic Systems Corporation and Cerner Corporation.
    • Finance Software Company, such as: Intuit, Inc. and FIS Global.
    • Educational Software Company, such as: Blackboard Inc. and Instructure, Inc. (Canvas).
    • Manufacturing Software Company, such as: Autodesk, Inc. and Dassault Systemes.
    • Legal Software Company, such as: Clio (Themis Solutions Inc.) and Relativity (kCura Corporation).
    • Ecommerce Software Company, such as: Shopify Inc. and Magento (Adobe Inc.).
    • Cybersecurity Software Company, such as: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. and Palo Alto Networks, Inc..
    • Marketing Software Company, such as: HubSpot, Inc. and Marketo (Adobe Inc.).
  • Software Product Delivery Models, such as:
    • On-Premises Software Company, such as: SAP SE (Core ERP) and Oracle Corporation (Database).
    • Cloud-based Software Company, such as: Salesforce, Inc. and Workday, Inc..
    • Mobile Software Company, such as: Uber Technologies, Inc. and Duolingo, Inc..
    • Hybrid Software Company, such as: Microsoft, Inc. (Office Suite) and Adobe, Inc. (Creative Cloud).
  • Software Revenue Model Implementation:
    • Subscription Software Company, such as: Netflix, Inc. and Spotify Technology S.A..
    • Perpetual License Software Company, such as: Autodesk, Inc. (Legacy) and Microsoft, Inc. (Windows OS).
    • Freemium Software Company, such as: Dropbox, Inc. and Slack Technologies, Inc..
    • Open Source Software Company, such as: Red Hat, Inc. and MongoDB, Inc..
  • Content Management Company, such as: Box, Inc..
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • a Computing Hardware Company, which focuses on physical device manufacturing rather than software product development.
  • an Infrastructure as a Service Company, which provides computing resource rather than software application.
  • a Software Consulting Company, which offers implementation service without proprietary software product.
  • a System Integration Company, which delivers multi-vendor solution implementation without original software creation.
• See: For-Profit Company, Software Package, Consulting Company, Services Company, Software Provider Company, Technology Product Company.

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References

2011

• (Andreessen, 2011) ⇒ Marc Andreessen. (2011). "Why Software Is Eating The World." Wall Street Journal, August 2011.
  • QUOTE: We believe that many of the prominent new Internet companies are building real, high-growth, high-margin, highly defensible businesses. ...

    ... My own theory is that we are in the middle of a dramatic and broad technological and economic shift in which software companies are poised to take over large swathes of the economy. ...

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