Shrink wrapped software
"Shrink Wrapped Software" is a term often used to describe
software that is sold as a commodity. While a great deal of
software is bespoke and only intended to be used by a limited
audience, shrink wrapped software often has a broader appeal to a
wider user base, be it industry specific, a niche market, or for
general usage. In recent years, the shift has been towards
electronic delivery of such software as it allows immediate
purchase and greater control over licensing and registration along
with reduced packaging and distribution costs.
Examples include new paradigms on established ideas like
eNoteFile, packaged line-of-business software for niche markets
where existing packages fall short, or porting of existing
applications to new platforms like the Apple iPhone or Microsoft
Windows Mobile devices.
How Kiandra delivers
If you have an idea for an application that will fill a gap in
the market, change the way we use computers or be the next 'killer
app' for an emerging platform Kiandra can help. We can develop the
software, run it through focus groups to gain and respond to
feedback, cater to traditional and electronic distribution methods
and provide ongoing support for your customers.
In our experience it's important to recognise that there are
several key differences between custom software development and
shrink wrapped applications.
With custom software development you are normally programming
against a specific environment. This might be a web application to
be run on a single web server, or an office accounting package to
be run by 10 users in an enterprise, all of whom have exactly the
same configured PC as provisioned by their IT department. With
shrink wrapped software the hardware and operating system you will
be deploying on can vary significantly, so your software must be
tested to run on every configuration to ensure maximum
compatibility. At Kiandra we have a large library of pre built
virtual machines that we regularly use to test builds, deployment
packages and UI consistencies across a variety of operating systems
and hardware.
A general rule of thumb when budgeting development of shrink
wrapped software is that for every dollar you spend on development,
you need a dollar for marketing and a dollar for support. The
support dollars ensure that once you've got a new customer, you
keep them by ensuring their experience is trouble free and that any
issues they do have are dealt with in a timely and professional
manner. At Kiandra we take three steps towards providing support.
Firstly we build in detailed error reporting and logging into all
of our applications. If a problem occurs, we want to know how, why
and when so we can takes steps to replicate the issue, then fix it
and release an update. Secondly, we encourage the implementation of
support systems that help your users help themselves in the form of
online knowledge bases, user forums and community based web sites.
This is a low cost way to resolve the majority of issues. Our final
line of support is a direct line to our help desk and support staff
which can be arranged for your customer base, if required.
Experience and certifications
Kiandra has been awarded the Microsoft
Worldwide Partner of the Year 2009 for our software
and web development skill, design and quality. Kiandra's team has
extensive experience with .NET and packaged software delivery. All
have had satisfactory state and federal police checks - National
Names Check and/or Police and Fingerprint Search (Australian).Our
team collectively holds tertiary certificates, diplomas, degrees
and masters degrees, and Microsoft MCP, MCAD, MSQL, MCSD and MCPD
certifications. We can rapidly build your sofwtare and customise it
to suit effectively any requirement.