Software Assets can be grouped into four different categories:
Commercial software is software
that has been bought "off-the shelf" without any modification
to its source code. Examples of commercial software include: QuickBooks
Pro, Microsoft Word, and Lotus 1-2-3.
Customized software is commercial
software with modified source code. Often organizations decide to modify
a piece of commercial software to better meet their needs.
The term "legacy
software"
describes aging software assets that continue to be used because
the cost of replacing or redesigning them is significantly higher than
the cost of maintaining them.
Homemade, or "homebrew"
software is software made by an
in-house or noncommercial software developer. Homemade software is often
synonymous with the terms "freeware," and "shareware,"
although it should not be limited to these two terms.