Software gives the instructions that tell the hardware what to do. There are two basic
categories of software: operating systems and applications. Operating systems
provide access to the computer hardware and make system resources available.
Application software is designed to meet a specific goal. Productivity software is a
subset of application software that provides basic business functionality to a
personal computer: word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. An ERP
system is a software application with a centralized database that is implemented
across the entire organization. Cloud computing is a method of software delivery that
runs on any computer that has a web browser and access to the Internet. Software is
developed through a process called programming, in which a programmer uses a
programming language to put together the logic needed to create the program. While
most software is developed using a closed-source model, the open-source
movement is gaining more support today.