Software development is the process of creating, designing, deploying, and supporting software.
The software itself being set of instructions or programs that tell a computer what to do. It is independent of hardware and makes computers programmable.
It is primarily conducted by programmers, software engineers and software developers. These roles interact and overlap, and the dynamics between them vary greatly across development departments and communities.
Types of software development
There are three basic types of software development, system utility and application:
System software
This provides the core functions of software development, such as operating systems, disk management, utilities, hardware management and other operational necessities.
Operating systems like Windows, macOS, Android and iOS are examples of system software. These operating systems are loaded into RAM when the device starts up and have access to the hard drive.
Utility software
This part of the system software and performs specific tasks to keep the computer running. Utility software is always running in the background, such as security and optimisation programs.
Utility software gives programmers tools such as text editors, compilers, linkers, debuggers and other tools to create code.
Application software
Basically, everything else! Anything that is not an operating system, or a utility is an application or app.
Application software is there to help users perform tasks. This would include, office productivity suites, data management software, media players and security programs are examples.
Application software like a word processor regularly directs the operating system to load and save files from and to the hard drive. When you are working on a file, it is saved temporarily in the RAM. It is only when you choose to save it that it is written to the hard drive.
This is why, if the computer crashes while you’re working on a file, you may lose any changes you didn’t save. Data stored in the RAM is volatile. The data is lost when the RAM loses power.
Why is software development important?
More companies are becoming reliant on digital technology to operate smoothly, making software development valuable to many industries.
Software development is also very important for businesses as it helps them distinguish from competitors and allows them to become more competitive. It can also help to improve the client’s experiences, bring more feature-rich and innovative products to market, and make setups more safe, productive, and efficient.
The software development cycle
The software development life cycle usually revolves around 5 main stages. It is the process of planning, creating, testing and deploying information systems across hardware and software.
- Research & planning
- Design
- Testing & development
- Implementation & deployment
- Audit & maintenance
Knowing what needs to be done in the software development life cycle process can help product managers guide the entire team to completion. It also helps you understand the milestones and communicate progress to stakeholders.
The future of software development
The future of software engineering looks very bright, keeping in mind the increasing technological demands of the world. It seems that every sector and industry today are on the lookout for software solutions that can help streamline their work and make it more effective and accurate.
According to Statista, revenue in the software market is projected to reach £24.71bn in 2023 with an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2027) of 4.72%, resulting in a market volume of £29.72bn by 2027.
How can we help?
At Cyber, we specialise in creating software that is specially designed to meet your business’ needs. High-quality, custom-built software is the key to helping your business grow rapidly without system problems. To learn more about our bespoke services, visit our dedicated software development page, or contact our team directly to discuss your next software development project