Application Write For Us

An application, also called an application program or software, is a computer software package that performs a specific function directly for an end user or, in some cases, for another application. An application can be self-contained or a group of programs. The program is a set of operations that runs the application for the user.

Applications vs. System Software

Unlike application software, system software programs operate in the background and do not directly interface with the computer user. System software manages the operation of a computer or instance and typically includes the OS, hypervisor, and drivers. These are generally low-level or basic programs as compared to end-user-facing applications.

Applications use system software to access basic hardware resources like memory, storage, and other utilities. For example, an application relies on system software to access the file system to manage and store files.

Types of Applications

Applications can vary in many ways, including how they’re built, what platform they run on, whether they are open source or proprietary, or for which market they are used.

For example, a mobile application developer writes their code as a native, web, or hybrid application — and these terms can also describe desktop applications. The developer codes a native application to run on specific hardware, such as a camera or GPS, in the same programming language as the underlying OS. For example, the Photos application on Mac OS X is written in Objective-C, the same language Mac OS X uses.

An end user typically accesses a web application via a web browser like Google Chrome. A developer can write web applications in several languages, including JavaScript, CSS, and HTML, but they cannot access the hardware on which the application is installed.

Hybrid applications have APIs that can access device resources, similar to a native application, but are typically written in languages such as HTML and CSS. Additionally, developers often code mobile applications to work on a specific device platform.

Application licensing

Applications can also be grouped into categories by licensing style. Proprietary software programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, are applications that are owned under copyright. End users can buy or license proprietary applications through the software vendor. They cannot modify these applications; they can only add functionality via third-party add-ons.

Open-source applications, such as WordPress, provide the source code for end users and developers to use and modify. Software companies and individual developers typically make open-source applications freely available under a generic or public license, such as GNU.

A developer or team of developers can create an application for a specific vertical market. A vertical application, such as a medical billing system, typically serves a specific industry or departmental need. By contrast, a horizontal application, such as a word processor or web browser, applies to various industries.

Why are Applications Important?

Apps are the foundation of the mobile economy. Since the arrival of the iPhone in 2007 and the App Store in 2008, apps have become the principal way users have tapped into the smartphone revolution.

Applications have helped create some multi-billion dollar industries. For example, mobile games generate over $30bn in revenue per year, while apps from social media companies such as Facebook massively contribute to their multi-billion dollar revenues each quarter.

This massive rise in popularity has had a knock-on effect on advertisers. Their widespread use has made it increasingly important for companies to use mobile as a key advertising channel. Whether companies are generating business through apps or advertising on mobile devices, applications have made mobile advertising a valuable industry on a global scale.