Integrated Software Ecosystems made in Cluj-Napoca are valid examples of how our team has matured in the global software development environment. Along with the latest technology developments, our large company customers and global software providers have transitioned to the software ecosystem approach. In time, SOFTECH team from Cluj-Napoca has grown expertise not only in building but also in integrating software ecosystems. Made in Cluj-Napoca already stands for quality, efficiency and good business value. The challenge is to build the proper business model supported by different software ecosystems.
The practice of software engineering in the context of software ecosystems is becoming more dynamic and complex. In a simplified explanation, software ecosystems include the software solutions used by the actors (individuals and organizations) in a socio-economic environment where services and good trade or exchange takes place.
Integrated Software Ecosystems made in Cluj-Napoca span from professional streaming systems to IoT systems. Due to the global booming of application development, of platform-based services and apps and to the physical infrastructure growth, in our opinion it is more effective to start with clarifying the software ecosystem architecture and interactions than with a specific software application requirement. For the economic actors, the software ecosystem approach makes sense from multiple point of view:
- Building a new user base with magnetic effect towards new users
- Adding value to the existing users
- Sharing resources with the ecosystem partners
- Speeding up innovation processes through open innovation and partner collaboration
- Reuse and scale functionalities developed in the ecosystem.
- Reducing maintenance costs
As described by Jan Bosch from Chalmers University of Technology there are three types of software ecosystems:
- Operating System-centric Software Ecosystems (such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS X) which are more successful when developers can effectively build applications on top of it, when commoditizing functionalities may be early incorporated and when the number of users increases so that monetization is possible for developers.
- Application-centric Software Ecosystems that are a home run when they have a large set of customers, when third party contribution is easy to deploy and integrate in the platform, when seamless integration from a customer’s perspective is achieved and when it provides a viable sales channel where third party contributions are exposed to customers.
- End-User Programming Software Ecosystems, probably the most sought-after type, evaluated as most successful when an end user generates a high benefit unique solution but it is also true that a small number of users will be able to create applications.
Over our 20 years of software ecosystem creation and integration, we have consistently worked on application-centric software ecosystems and their integration in various industries. Today, with the Big Data Analytics and Machine Learning technologies software ecosystems morph into newer and more versatile structures. More on the evolution of integrated software ecosystems made in Cluj-Napoca to follow soon.
