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Introduction
Any company or individual goes in for software development and implementation in order to achieve a desired target or goal. This could be to make life easier, to implement more automation, to enable and enhance connectivity between a customer and the company and so much more. However, with time, every software needs maintenance. This may be required to make upgrades to the software, make it more efficient, increase compatibility with newer hardware, and more. Software maintenance is also required to ensure that the software is bug free and meets all the latest security standards. Most custom software development companies like gate6 ensure that they provide an annual maintenance and support plan for their software, throughout the entire software lifecycle that begins and blueprinting and ideology and ends at retirement. Amongst others, software maintenance is of four main types:
Adaptive - Software maintenance done by a software development company to ensure that the software meets the latest hardware, software and security standards.
Perfective - Software maintenance done to enhance the software's existing features or to add new features
Corrective - Software maintenance done to fix bugs and errors
Preventive - Software maintenance done by a custom software development company to ensure that the software does not develop problems in the future.
Benefits of Software Maintenance
The benefits of having an experienced and expert team from gate6 performing regular maintenance on your software cannot be underestimated. With almost daily changes in hardwares and security standards around the world and ever increasing consumer requirements, software’s need to be enhanced, improved and maintained on a regular basis. This regular maintenance provides benefits that include but are not limited to:
Increased and improved performance
More features
Better reliability and quality
Improved user satisfaction
Compatibility with latest hardware and software
Compatibility with latest security standards
Enhanced software lifespan
Easier adoption and more usage
Lower software maintenance costs
Future proofing and more…
Common Issues Requiring Software Maintenance
As is already addressed above, the need for regular maintenance by an excellent software development company is critical. Some of the best softwares in the world have taken a beating because of lack of maintenance. However some of the most important issues that make it hugely important for your software to have regular maintenance are stated below:
Errors and Bugs : Regular maintenance helps resolve errors and bugs in the software. After all, software's are basically front end portions of a lot of code and for these front end customer facing portions to work with perfection the code needs to be error free.
Performance: Software’s do slow down with age and usage and they do develop compatibility issues with the latest hardware. Regular software maintenance keeps them working at their best capabilities.
Compatibility: Regular maintenance helps the software be compatible with the latest hardwares and security standards as well. This also helps increase the overall implementation, adoption and usage of the software.
Feedback: Every software, without fail, needs regular maintenance by its software development company, based on the user feedback it receives. As is well known, a custom software development company who does not listen to user feedback has already signed its death certificate.
Relevance: Relevance is the act of making software’s up-to date and ensuring that they not only meet but exceed the need of the time.
Overall, software maintenance is essential for addressing these issues and ensuring that software remains effective and relevant over time. By identifying and addressing issues as they arise, software maintenance can help to extend the life of software, improve its performance, and increase user satisfaction.
Choosing the right Software Maintenance provider:
In most situations, a custom software development company that makes software, also provides an annual maintenance and support package as well. Thus, when you are looking for a software development company for your custom software project, it is imperative that you select the best and the most experienced team right at the start. Trust us, we at gate6 have seen companies that promise the world and deliver zilch. Your software is the face of your company to its customers and clients and you do not want to tarnish that. When selecting a software development company ensure that you select the best and the most experienced. You also want one that can provide years of ongoing support and maintenance along with some creative and out of the world ideas.
To add to that, you also want the software development firm you choose to have clear and consistent communication and a 24 x 7 availability for support issues if any. You would also want to ensure that the SLA’s of the firm are in tune with your requirements and expectations.
Additionally, Gate6 also recommends that when you are looking at such a project, the costs associated and references from parts projects done are of importance too.
Conclusion
Gate6 realizes the importance of ongoing software maintenance and strongly recommends the same in order to ensure usability, safety, security, reliability and usability of the software being developed. By identifying and addressing issues like bugs, errors, performance issues, security vulnerabilities and more, software maintenance can improve the functionality and user experience of the software. Additionally regular software maintenance and support can help make the software future proof, lead to increased adoption and would also help an organization avoid on-spot rectification costs and / or the costs of replacing the entire software all together.