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Chapter 4
Information Systems Software
CHAPTER OUTLINE
• Soware Concepts
• System Soware
• Application Soware
• Soware Licensing
• Embedded Soware
WHY THIS CHAPTER MATTERS
Without soware—instructions that tell hardware what it should do—a computer is an
expensive paperweight. You know this, of course.
Most of the information systems−related decisions you’ll face as a manager will involve
soware. ey may be entirely about soware: should we get package A or package B?
Should we hire programmers to write a program that will be exactly what we need, or
accept the limitations of a commercial package that will cost a lot less and is available ...