A person or organization that designs and writes software. The term generally refers to designers and programmers in the commercial software field. However, it may also refer to professionals developing internal business applications within an enterprise. The titles "developer," "application developer" and "software developer" are used synonymously.
Software Is All About Developing
The software business is a service industry that involves human thinking almost exclusively. This contrasts with computer hardware or any other industry that makes equipment, whereby manufacturing is a major part of the business.
The only physical manufacturing in software, which applies mostly to larger companies, is the retail package for store shelves. Containing a CD or DVD with limited instructions (the documentation is typically on the disc), such boxed software typically costs the publisher around $2 to make in 2009 U.S. dollars.
Today, software distribution is mostly online for small developers and all mobile developers. Online distribution costs are the same as the normal maintenance fees of a Web site; however, massive downloading adds additional cost, although practically nil compared to packaged discs. Royalties may also be applicable. For example, as of the end of 2010, Apple's App Store and Google's Android Market kept 30% of revenues from smartphone apps sold through their online stores. See software publisher, software engineer, programmer and systems programmer.
|
