Software development vs. software delivery

In the world of software, the creation of websites and new applications is complex and dominates the world market. All companies, in different industries, are looking to position themselves either with a website where they can offer and sell their products or position themselves on social networks.

There are several terms and processes that must be mastered to achieve this goal, including having a great software development team and having fast and optimal software delivery. Let's talk a little about these two and what each one means.

What is software development?

Basically, software development is the creation of a website, application or similar to fulfill a purpose and meet a user need. At IBM they define it as follows: “Software development refers to a set of computing activities dedicated to the process of creating, designing, implementing and supporting software. The software itself is the set of instructions or programs that tell a computer what to do. It is hardware independent and makes computers programmable.”

According to the technological giant, pioneers in software development, it is divided into three main categories:

• System software: Software that focuses on core functions such as operating systems, disk management, utilities, hardware management, and other operational-level needs.
• Programming Software: Focuses on giving developers tools like text editors, compilers, linkers, debuggers, and all the tools they need to write code.
• Application software: to help users perform tasks. Office productivity suites, data management software, media players, and security programs are examples.

What does software delivery refer to?

When the project is ready, it must be delivered to the client for a first test and subsequent approval. This precise process is known as software delivery, one of the most important in the overall creation of an application or website.

“Software delivery is the entire process of bringing a software product to customers, from conceptualization, through development, to purchase and installation of the product license. In most cases, the term refers to the beginning of the process, that is, to the series of steps that the different teams of the company follow to prepare the software for its implementation in the client. In some cases, the term refers to how the customer accesses the product. explained on the Thales portal.

What are the differences between software development and software delivery

The definitions of both terms already make their main difference clear: software development refers to the process in which a developer is creating the website or application, writing the necessary code, designing the interface and user experience when accessing the product or service.

Software delivery occurs at the time that this website or application is delivered to the client, for their approval or their suggestions about what they want to change or modify. This means that the development process may not stop once the software delivery phase is reached.

In Nested, Sam Davies, expert developer, makes an analogy of the difference between both terms. He comments “Software development might be the only industry I know of where 'done' often doesn't mean 'done'. We are all guilty of doing this at one time or another, myself included. Nor are we to blame for it. We're not lying about the software being made, we just have a different perspective on it. There is a gap between how developers like to romanticize their work and what work is really like. It is the difference between software development and software delivery.”

As can be seen, there is no major difference between one and the other, beyond belonging to the same process of creating a website or an application, everything depends on the client's demands and when the product is finally complete.

At Rootstack, we work with experienced software developers who can meet deadlines for a website or app, keeping our customers happy. Contact us and start a brilliant path in the world of technology.

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