In order to distinguish between vertical and horizontal market software, it is essential to commence by establishing what a vertical and horizontal market entails. A horizontal market comprises one that meets a certain need for myriad industries while a vertical market is one that targeted to meet needs of a particular industry. Several differences abound between vertical and horizontal market software and they include factors such as the market that they are intended for, means of identification, and the purpose that the software serve.
This essay explicates the difference between horizontal and vertical market software. According to O'Connor (2004), vertical maket software is intended for addressing the needs of any venture restricted within a discernable vertical market. This is the opposite of horizontal market software, which can serve various industries. Examples of horizontal market software include Word Processors and Spreadsheet programs.Parsons & Oja (2011) affirm that vertical market software is distinguished by the application specific graphical userinterface.
An example of vertical market software is the point-of-sale software. On the other hand, Shore & Warden (2007) are of the opinion that horizontal market software also known as “productivity software” lacks any market-specific customizations, which is a feature of vertical market software. In conclusion, this essay commenced with the difference existing between vertical market and horizontal market. This facilitated the understanding of the difference between a vertical market software and horizontal market software. The main difference is the fact that vertical market software is designed for use or for solving the needs of a particular industry while horizontal market software serves the needs of myriad industries (Shore & Warden, 2007).
The application specific graphical userinterface is used in distinguishing vertical market software, which is the opposite of what distinguishes horizontal market software. Examples of both vertical and horizontal market software are point-of-sale and word processors respectively.