IdeaWazaWiki - User contributions [en]

Software industry

2009-05-26T11:40:46Z

195.16.40.143:

{{globalize}}

The '''software industry''' includes businesses involved in the [[software development|development]], [[software maintenance|maintenance]] and [[software publisher|publication]] of [[computer software]] using any business model. The industry also includes software [[Service (economics)|service]]s, such as [[training]], [[software documentation|documentation]], and [[consultancy|consulting]].

The largest and most profitable of software companies are located in the [[United States]]{{Fact|date=May 2009}}. As of 2008, the client software industry is dominated by [[Microsoft]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. [[Software Magazine]]'s 500 list in 2005 shows the total amount of revenue brought in by software companies per locale, with the highest being [[California]] due to [[Silicon Valley]] and the number of [[Fortune 500]] software companies residing in that area. <ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/SW500/index.cfm?StartRow=1&RowsPer=50&BusCat_Search=&PrimBus_Search=&PrimBusCat_Search=&RankSort=ASC&CompSort=&trk=n&id=5 Software Magazine 500] (2005)</ref>

== Overview ==
There are several types of businesses in the software industry. The largest and most profitable publish horizontal [[proprietary software]] such as [[Microsoft]], [[SAP AG]], [[Oracle Corporation]], and [[Adobe Systems]]. Others develop vertical-market software intended for a particular sector or niche in the economy such as finance, health care, insurance, retail, automotive manufacturing, and so on. A great deal of specialized software is produced for various niches. Other companies do contract programming to develop unique software for one particular client company, or focus on configuring and customizing suites from large vendors such as SAP or Oracle.

== History ==
The software industry started in the early 1960s when universities and businesses first began to use computers and to seek out programs to do certain computing tasks. Many of these programs were written in-house by full-time staff programmers. Some were distributed freely between users of a particular machine for no charge. But others were done on a commercial basis, and the very first standalone software firms started in the United States in 1959-1960.

The industry expanded greatly with the rise of the personal computer in the mid-1970s, which created a growing market for games, applications, and utilities. And gradually the concept that software should be bought and paid for took hold. One of the earliest proponents of this view was [[Bill Gates]], founder of [[Microsoft]].

In the early years of the 21st century, another successful business model has arisen for hosted software, called software as a service, or [[SaaS]]; this was at least the third time this model had been attempted. SaaS reduces the concerns about software piracy, since it can only be accessed through the Web, and by definition no client software is loaded onto the end user's PC.

== Size of the industry ==
[[Software Magazine]]s' ''Software 500 survey'' can be used to gauge the value of the commercial software industry. The ''Software 500 survey'' consists of data from the largest 500 public and private software companies, as ranked by [[Software Magazine]]. Total worldwide revenues in 2007 for companies in the ''Software 500'' list were $451.8 billion, up 14.7% from 2006, when total Software 500 revenue was $394 billion.<ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/L.cfm?Doc=1175-10/2008 Software Magazine - 2008 Software 500: Innovation Alive and Well]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Computer software]]
* [[Software development]]
* [[Software publisher]]
* [[Software engineering]]
* [[World's largest software companies]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
* [http://www.siia.net/ Software and Information Industry Association website]
* [http://www.softwareceo.com/ SoftwareCEO] the largest online community of software executives in the world
* [http://www.softwaremag.com/ Software Magazine website]
* [http://www.siprofessionals.org/ Software Industry Professionals website]
* [http://www.sao.org/ Software Association of Oregon website]
* [http://software.computerdictionaries.org/ Software Terms] A collection of software dictionaries

[[Category:Software industry|*]]

[[ar:صناعة البرمجيات]]
[[es:Industria del software]]
[[pt:Indústria de software]]
[[ru:Индустрия программного обеспечения]]
[[simple:Software company]]
[[sv:Programvaruföretag]]
[[th:ซอฟต์แวร์เชิงพาณิชย์]]

Software industry

2009-05-26T11:40:28Z

195.16.40.143:

{{globalize}}

The '''software industry''' includes businesses involved in the [[software development|development]], [[software maintenance|maintenance]] and [[software publisher|publication]] of [[computer software]] using any business model. The industry also includes software [[Service (economics)|service]]s, such as [[training]], [[software documentation|documentation]], and [[consultancy|consulting]].

The largest and most profitable of software companies are located in the [[United States]]{{Fact|date=May 2009}}. As of 2008, the client software industry is dominated by [[Microsoft]]{{Fact|date=March 2008}}. [[Software Magazine]]'s 500 list in 2005 shows the total amount of revenue brought in by software companies per locale, with the highest being [[California]] due to [[Silicon Valley]] and the number of [[Fortune 500]] software companies residing in that area. <ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/SW500/index.cfm?StartRow=1&RowsPer=50&BusCat_Search=&PrimBus_Search=&PrimBusCat_Search=&RankSort=ASC&CompSort=&trk=n&id=5 Software Magazine 500] (2005)</ref>

== Overview ==
There are several types of businesses in the software industry. The largest and most profitable publish horizontal [[proprietary software]] such as [[Microsoft]], [[SAP AG]], [[Oracle Corporation]], and [[Adobe Systems]]. Others develop vertical-market software intended for a particular sector or niche in the economy such as finance, health care, insurance, retail, automotive manufacturing, and so on. A great deal of specialized software is produced for various niches. Other companies do contract programming to develop unique software for one particular client company, or focus on configuring and customizing suites from large vendors such as SAP or Oracle.

== History ==
The software industry started in the early 1960s when universities and businesses first began to use computers and to seek out programs to do certain computing tasks. Many of these programs were written in-house by full-time staff programmers. Some were distributed freely between users of a particular machine for no charge. But others were done on a commercial basis, and the very first standalone software firms started in the United States in 1959-1960.

The industry expanded greatly with the rise of the personal computer in the mid-1970s, which created a growing market for games, applications, and utilities. And gradually the concept that software should be bought and paid for took hold. One of the earliest proponents of this view was [[Bill Gates]], founder of [[Microsoft]].

In the early years of the 21st century, another successful business model has arisen for hosted software, called software as a service, or [[SaaS]]; this was at least the third time this model had been attempted. SaaS reduces the concerns about software piracy, since it can only be accessed through the Web, and by definition no client software is loaded onto the end user's PC.

== Size of the industry ==
[[Software Magazine]]s' ''Software 500 survey'' can be used to gauge the value of the commercial software industry. The ''Software 500 survey'' consists of data from the largest 500 public and private software companies, as ranked by [[Software Magazine]]. Total worldwide revenues in 2007 for companies in the ''Software 500'' list were $451.8 billion, up 14.7% from 2006, when total Software 500 revenue was $394 billion.<ref>[http://www.softwaremag.com/L.cfm?Doc=1175-10/2008 Software Magazine - 2008 Software 500: Innovation Alive and Well]</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Computer software]]
* [[Software development]]
* [[Software publisher]]
* [[Software engineering]]
* [[World's largest software companies]]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wiktionary}}
* [http://www.siia.net/ Software and Information Industry Association website]
* [http://www.softwareceo.com/ SoftwareCEO] the largest online community of software executives in the world
* [http://www.softwaremag.com/ Software Magazine website]
* [http://www.siprofessionals.org/ Software Industry Professionals website]
* [http://www.sao.org/ Software Association of Oregon website]
* [http://software.computerdictionaries.org/ Software Terms] A collection of software dictionaries

[[Category:Software industry|*]]

[[ar:صناعة البرمجيات]]
[[es:Industria del software]]
[[pt:Indústria de software]]
[[ru:Индустрия программного обеспечения]]
[[simple:Software company]]
[[sv:Programvaruföretag]]
[[th:ซอฟต์แวร์เชิงพาณิชย์]]

Sisu

2007-03-26T16:44:34Z

195.16.202.19:

{{Otheruses}}
{{wiktionary}}

'''Sisu''' is a [[Finnish language|Finnish]] term that could be roughly translated into [[English language|English]] as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts", and indeed, the word derives from ''sisus'', which means something inner or interior. However, sisu has a long-term element in it; it is not momentary courage, but the ability to sustain the same. To [[anthropology|anthropologists]], it is an appropriate invention for a cold northern land, dotted by thousands of lakes, and long under threat of being overwhelmed, militarily, linguistically and otherwise, by more powerful neighbours. Similar concepts exist among other cold-weather peoples, such as the [[Inuit]] and [[Chukchi people|Chukchi]].

Due to its cultural significance, ''Sisu'' is a common element of [[brand name]]s in [[Finland]]. For example, there are [[Sisu Auto|Sisu brand cars]] (and [[Sisu XA-180|armored vehicles]]), a brand of strong-tasting candy manufactured by [http://www.leaf.fi Leaf], and an anti-Swedish language, anti-immigration nationalist organisation [http://www.suomensisu.org Suomen Sisu]. Mount Sisu is the name of a mountain discovered by mountain climber [[Veikka Gustafsson]] in the Antarctic.

The term is commonly used in everyday speech to describe stoic toughness. It is widely understood in the [[Upper Peninsula of Michigan|Upper Peninsula]] of [[Michigan]], which is home to a large concentration of Finnish-Americans. For instance: ''Even after cutting his hand open and getting 12 stitches, he didn't shed a tear. Wow! He's got sisu!'' This has extended to include a popular bumper sticker saying simply "Sisu". By analogy, the term has picked up new meanings. Depending on context, "sisu" can refer to spunk, attitude, self-confidence, and so on. However, sisu is not [[bravery]], nor strength, and needs to be distinguished from [[courage]], especially when talking about the military. In contrast, sisu is an ability to finish the task and get things done, as defined by [[Roman Schatz]] in his book ''From Finland with Love'' (2005) and decisiveness. Usually sisu means will and decisiveness to get the things done against impossible odds, or to succeed when given the [[chinaman's chance]].

Sisu can be either good or bad, but the usual meaning is good. Bad sisu (Finnish ''paha sisu'') means malice combined with ruthlessness and implacability: it means relentless strive for mischief, persecution and vengeance (compare [[chutzpah]]). It is in a sense the mirror image of good sisu. Finnish expression ''pahansisuinen'' implies "audacious", "implacable", "full of affrontery", "malevolent" etc with aggressive overtones. The verb ''sisuuntua'' refers to getting angry, but with an element of determination and even being unforgiving. The idiom ''meni sisu kaulaan'' ("the sisu went to the throat [or neck]") returns to the original meaning, "innards"; "get a lump in one's throat", as in become too intimidated to act.

==External link==
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/22/AR2006032201943.html Washington Post: The Finnish Line], about Finnish fortitude and resilience

[[Category:Finnish culture]]
[[Category:Upper Peninsula of Michigan]]

[[da:Sisu]]
[[de:Sisu]]
[[fr:Sisu]]
[[ru:Сису]]
[[fi:Sisu]]
[[sv:Sisu]]