“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 shrink wrapped software
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.
Shrink wrapped software 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.