A Profile of the Software Industry

Software plays a critical role in today’s global information
economy. It runs the computers, networks, and devices
that enable countless products and services. Software
varies in size from vast enterprise and communications
systems like the enormous enterprise resource planning
system from SAP to the tiny app Angry Birds.
This book offers a profile of the software industry and the
companies in the industry. It describes the primary products
and services produced; reviews its history; explains
how the industry is structured; discusses its economics and
competitive environment; and examines important trends
and issues including globalization, workforce,
regulation, and the emergence of new software business
models.
Software runs the computers and networks that support
the flow of information in the global economy, and this
book provides a real look at the intricacies of this industry.