The software business and its profitability in today's marketplace

Software development is a multi-billion dollar industry that many visionaries have been able to exploit all too well. One need only listen to the extraordinary stories of Microsoft, Macromedia, Linux and hundreds of other great developers to understand this truth.

The potential niches for creative developers who dream of getting rich still exist even though today venture capitalists, who would give any amount of money for a company offering great programming ideas, have diminished.

And the fact is that the software business is very profitable, which basically consists of manufacturing a program to solve a specific need that works well and selling the licenses (copies of it) to as many consumers as possible, thus obtaining a return on the hours of investment in programming.

Successful strategies are visualied from the search and design of alternatives that are more viable both in terms of promotion and price. That is why the success of the software business is based on the versatility of the product that allows offering computer programs for the solution of an infinite number of needs.

Marketing strategies used in today's market require the development of a tailor-made program for a particular niche. For developers, this is usually a more viable option because it allows them to compete in better conditions since their solutions are much more focused.

The real return on profits is concentrated in the sale of as many software licenses as possible, and the Internet is an extraordinary ally for this purpose. These arguments are legitimised by the fact that today there are programs for productivity, engineering, entertainment and even sophisticated scientific applications. 

In areas related to accounting, software such as Wave, Bind, Nubox, ZipBooks, CloudBooks, among others, allow you to integrate tools to empty transaction data, payments and create financial reports. Some even offer versions for mobile devices, so you can always enter new data.

While other business software, such as Enterpise Resource Planning or Customer Relationship Management, bring together purchasing, sales, human resources, production and inventory planning and management. They also facilitate the loyalty of both current and potential customers and thus help the customer-company relationship to grow.

Online casinos are another of those whose success is based on the software they use. Experts in the field point out that in this area it is all about the game, the graphics, the user interface and the very important real money winnings.

And that the best software is the one that guarantees that there are no delays, malware, viruses or bugs. In addition, players want a casino site to offer you something easy to work with on your laptop or device.

There are about four main software brands that have the largest presence in this industry. These are: Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt and Aristocrats.

There are many other software providers that are starting to make a name for themselves, but these four brands are present in New Zealand casinos, as well as in several in the United States, Japan, France and the United Kingdom.

In any of these cases the key to the business has been to look for alternatives, one of which is to offer a preliminary (limited) version of the software that the prospective buyer can use for 30 days and if it meets their requirements then they can purchase the full version.

This marketing strategy, called Shareware, is joined by others such as the sale of copies of the software in other languages and license packages with discounts according to the number of units purchased.

Undoubtedly, the usefulness of software in the various sectors helps to reduce costs, increase productivity, systematise processes and ensure a more efficient flow of information.

In addition, thanks to software we can perform tasks that decades ago would have taken years of work, and this has undoubtedly led to a worldwide revolution in modern society.