Vertical market software is specialized for specific audiences and industries, with unique features and compatibility requirements. It is contrasted by horizontal market software, which is made for general users. Virtual machine software can be used to run vertical software on different operating systems.
Vertical market software is a type of program created to cater to a specific audience rather than the common consumer. Each program is highly specialized for a given market, so the software must meet the user’s needs. Vertical market software must also include user-friendly features and be available for the user’s operating system (OS). Vertical market software is contrasted by horizontal market software, which is made for a variety of users. Creating vertical software is considered risky, because only small amounts are likely to be purchased, so the company that produces the software may not recoup the costs.
Each type of vertical market software is different and targeted for a specific type of user or business. For example, a word processing program is not vertical software, but a screenwriting program is aimed at a vertical market, because only specific users will purchase this software. This means that vertical software must be built specifically for the industry or user needs. Each program is highly specialized for specific purposes, so the user probably won’t want vertical software meant for another industry or even for another aspect of his particular industry.
While vertical market software includes features that are only meant for a specific market, each type of vertical software will offer slightly different functionality. For banking software, some programs may lean towards loans, while others will focus more on other aspects of banking. Most industry-based software is a vertical market, but there are different aspects in every industry that need to be addressed. Choosing a vertical software that includes specialized features for the specific market and user needs is an integral part of choosing the best software.
Vertical market software is made in limited quantities, because it caters to specialized needs rather than general needs, so getting vertical software for a specific operating system could be difficult. If the software is not designed for the computer’s operating system, the user can work around this by purchasing or downloading the virtual machine software. These programs emulate different operating system platforms, allowing the user to install and use vertical software. Virtual machine software is relatively inexpensive and free to download, so it won’t add much to the overall cost of vertical software.
The contrast to vertical market software is horizontal market software. While a vertical market is only intended for specific aspects of the industry or specialized users, horizontal market software is made for everyone. Horizontal markets tend to include more overall functionality, and more companies produce software for horizontal markets. The features are made for everyone, however, so users with specific needs might find only some of the features useful.
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