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by admin ,December 7, 2023
When your organization needs an enterprise application solution, you will face the age-old question of whether to “build or buy” the application you need. Every business has unique requirements, so choosing the right application development approach is crucial for your business’s growth.
Thus, it is essential to understand the difference between custom mobile app development and commercial off the shelf application (COTS) and determine which approach best suits your business.
This blog aims to clarify the difference between packaged application and custom application, highlighting the pros and cons of customized application and packaged application respectively.
It will help you determine the most efficient application development approach for your company.
Application that is designed for widespread distribution and requires payment for use is known as commercial application. It is widely available both online and in stores.
Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows and Apple’s OS X, as well as word processing applications like Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro, are examples of commercial applications.
It is an application solution that is specifically designed for your business to enhance productivity and service quality.
It enables businesses to adopt cloud-native application development through the use of service-based architecture, microservices, and containers.
Unlike off the shelf application, custom application development services do not come with any additional features or unnecessary embellishments.
By hiring custom mobile application developers, top management and core teams can focus on performing key business operations, while experts integrate the required features and capabilities as planned.
Here are some of the benefits of custom mobile app development:
Running your business on applications that every other business uses makes establishing an advantage in a competitive environment difficult.
Meanwhile, bespoke applications allow your company to go the additional mile, which frequently makes the difference.
It enables you to improve on existing off-the-shelf solutions to meet the demands of your customers and achieve a competitive advantage in the industry.
As your company expands, so will its application requirements. A unique application development method allows your company to go at its own speed.
When it comes to scaling, you’ll save time and money since you won’t be constrained by application needs. Hence scalability is one of the bespoke app benefits.
Additionally tailored solutions can help avoid any issues with integration as they seamlessly fit into the application environment of any organization.
Investing in custom application can be highly beneficial for your organization in terms of efficiency, productivity, and reliability.
Over time, the profits generated from these benefits will gradually offset the initial costs of development and implementation, making it a worthwhile investment.
Additionally, by opting for custom application, your organization can avoid the burden of punitive license fees and unnecessary paywalls that could hinder your business operations.
This allows you to have access to all the business-critical features you need without any hidden costs.
The increased degree of security is another benefit of using a bespoke application solution. Cybercriminals have never seen your unique program before, and it contains security measures that particularly safeguard your data.
This is important for companies that deal with sensitive information such as credit card payments, protected health information, and customer data.
Custom application can help you maintain your security systems and brand reputation.
You have the advantage of having in-house support for your tailored application, which means that you can support it for as long as you need.
You can prioritize the application and features that are essential to your operation and let others go when it’s convenient for you. Even when you migrate to another version, you can do it on your own terms and within convenient deadlines.
Here are some of the demerits of customized applications:
Huge Initial Investment
Building a bespoke application solution from scratch consists of a higher initial investment. Some perceive the bigger expenditure to be a negative, but keep in mind what a commercial product will ultimately cost.
Time to Market
Time to market is another custom-made application disadvantages. This might not be the best solution for your company. If you want a rapid application solution, keep in mind that bespoke application is not as straightforward as installing a program and reaping immediate benefits.
Even with the top bespoke application development company, identifying your organization’s procedures and requirements takes time.
Maintenance
Just like commercial applications, custom applications require regular maintenance. If you decide to go with customized application, you must be ready to handle its monitoring, updating, and servicing.
Additionally, if you don’t outsource, your technical teams will also be responsible for fixing bugs and writing and refactoring the code of your custom application.
Here are some of the advantages of using commercial application development:
1. Low Initial Investment
Commercial applications are typically licensed rather than sold outright. This means that you can save money on the initial upfront costs that come with custom application development projects.
2. Access to Wider Technical Pool
One of the advantages of commercial applications is that they are widely used and therefore built by vast talent pools.
This opens up more options for hiring the right expertise to complement your technical operations.
3. Variety of Resources
Off-the-shelf program also provides a range of resources, such as manuals, Q&A web pages, tech support, a user base or community, and documentation. These resources can be extremely helpful and save you a lot of time and effort.
4. Easy to Launch
Once you have decided on a commercial application solution, you should not have any trouble deploying the system. These application solutions are typically built with efficient deployment in mind and can be launched or deployed in less time.
Given below are some of the disadvantages of commercial app development:
One-size-fits-all approach
Commercial off-the-shelf management caters to a broad audience, often neglecting the specific nuances of your business.
This can lead to clunky functionalities, wasted resources, and an overall feeling of “making do” instead of thriving.
Limited Customization
Forget bespoke features or integrations that seamlessly gel with your existing ecosystem. Off the shelf applications typically enforce their own structure, forcing you to adapt your workflows instead of the other way around.
Vendor Lock-In
Be prepared for recurring license fees, limited control over updates, and potential compatibility issues as you grow. Switching to a different solution can be a costly and time-consuming ordeal.
Security Issues
Shared code across multiple users makes COTS application a prime target for hackers. While vendors might offer patches, you’re at their mercy for timely updates and proactive threat mitigation.
Data Privacy Concerns
Commercial off the shelf solutions often store your data on their servers, raising concerns about ownership, access, and potential breaches. You might have limited control over who can access your sensitive information.
To determine the type of application that best suits your business, you should start by identifying your expectations from the application. Are you looking for a temporary solution, or do you have a long-term plan? If you need a quick solution, you can opt for commercial application without hesitation.
However, if your goal is long-term benefits, you should devote the necessary time and resources to develop fully functional and adaptable custom applications for your business.
Why Select Custom Application Development Over Commercial Off-The-Shelf Application?
Given below are the major reasons why you should choose custom application development over commercial application development:
When it comes to implementing application solutions, businesses are often faced with the choice of either using a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solution or custom application.
While off-the-shelf solutions may seem like a faster option, they often require businesses to make changes to their administration methods in order to accommodate the features of the application.
In contrast, custom application is designed to work with the existing structure and administration of the business. Although custom application may require some initial deployment delays, it is more beneficial in the long run.
Custom application advantages provide businesses with flexibility and scalability, allowing them to easily integrate new applications, features, or functionalities as they grow and advance.
Off the shelf application, on the other hand, may require significant customization to accommodate changes, as it is built for the mass market. Custom application is adaptable and sustainable to the evolving needs of a business.
When it comes to maintaining or modifying packaged applications, businesses are at the mercy of the commercials application provider. This leaves organizations in a vulnerable position and can lead to frustration for employees and dissatisfaction for customers.
In contrast, a custom mobile application development company is responsible for supporting and maintaining the application they create, ensuring that it undergoes quick upgrades and remains ready to accommodate changes as they arise.
Bespoke solutions developed from scratch are highly resistant to cyber infiltrations. During each stage of development, your solution will be tested thoroughly and built to comply with your enterprise’s ecosystem.
Unlike pre-packaged commercial application sellers, bespoke application development takes into account the compliance requirements that are specific to your business or industry.
By creating applications that adhere to legal, governmental, geographical, and regulatory requirements, you can ensure that your systems comply with your organization’s standards.
Personalization also allows you to incorporate multiple features in one package, reducing complexity and eliminating the need to adjust your systems to a commercial application’s complex workflows.
Developing applications from scratch provides a faster way to resolve and refine the majority of issues encountered with pre-built solutions.
Additionally, if you require a specific feature that is not available in any pre-packaged solution, it is easy to add it to your custom application package.
It is advisable to hire an android/iOS application development expert who can help you include any desired features in your application solution.
If you’re looking for expert help with your application needs, consider connecting with MAADI. Our experienced team of professionals has the right tools and skills to help you get the job done.
By hiring dedicated mobile app developers who are open to adopting new and innovative approaches, your business can stay ahead of the competition.
Don’t settle for off-the-shelf applications that may not meet your unique needs. Partner with our technology experts who can help you succeed by creating tailored solutions that are right for your business.
FAQs on Commercial VS Custom Application Development Services
Here are some of the differences between generic and custom application
Custom application development is tailored to the needs of the business, rather than the other way around, as is the case with commercial application. As a result, with bespoke development, the target audience and unique business objectives take center stage.
Commercial off the shelf application, on the other hand, is a widely available application on the market that has not been modified. Hiring specialized application developers and building applications for an organization’s users constitute custom application development.
It is designed to satisfy the demands of the user and is more effective than a commercial application.
The cost of developing custom application depends on various factors such as the level of complexity, number of systems that need to be integrated, the capacity of users it can handle, and maintenance cost, among others.
It is important to analyze the commercial application advantages and disadvantages. If you need a quick solution or require application for generic tasks like automating processes or sending emails, then commercial application is the way to go. This application is readily available with basic features, so you don’t have to wait for them.
However, it’s always recommended to find an application that works best for your organization. This is where offshore application development comes into play, as it can provide a cost-effective solution.
Therefore, it is viable to go for a customized solution when you have to choose between package application and custom application.
If you are looking to create a highly customized application, the amount of time required would depend on the complexity of the task and specific requirements, as well as associated costs.
The team of customized mobile app developers at MAADI can work with you to understand your requirements and provide an accurate timeline for the project.
Feel free to consult with us for more information.
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