From Products to Services: The Software Industry in the Internet Era

Posted: 13 Mar 2008 Last revised: 9 Jun 2014

See all articles by Martin Campbell-Kelly

Martin Campbell-Kelly

University of Warwick - Department of Computer Science

Daniel D. Garcia-Swartz

Charles River Associates - Chicago Office

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: Winter 2007

Abstract

The computer-services and software industry used to be conveniently divided into three main sectors: mass-market software vendors, enterprise software vendors, and computer services. The three sectors were distinct, because personal computers, corporate mainframes, and online computer networks operated in relative isolation. The arrival of the Internet effectively connected everything, facilitating the entry of mass-market vendors into enterprise software and of both mass-market and enterprise software vendors into computer services. As the turbulence of the first decade of the Internet era subsides, a gradual transition from traditional software products to "Web services" is taking place.

Keywords: computer services, software, computers, Internet

JEL Classification: L63, L86, L96

Suggested Citation

Campbell-Kelly, Martin and Garcia-Swartz, Daniel D., From Products to Services: The Software Industry in the Internet Era (Winter 2007). Business History Review, Vol. 81, No. 4, pp. 735-764, Winter 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1105415

Martin Campbell-Kelly (Contact Author)

University of Warwick - Department of Computer Science ( email )

Dept of Computer Science
Coventry CV4 7AL, CV4 7AL
United Kingdom

Daniel D. Garcia-Swartz

Charles River Associates - Chicago Office ( email )

1 S.Wacker Drive # 3400
Chicago, IL 60606
United States

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