
Software allows you to run your business - whether that's sending an email, issuing an invoice, paying bills, managing payroll or dealing with customer enquiries. These days, you will probably access the software you need online as SAAS (software as a service) or as an app on a mobile device. Online software (aka cloud computing)Â offers significant advantages over traditional software. For one, you can carry out essential work-related tasks from anywhere, provided you have internet access.
As long as you take a little time to evaluate your requirements, you can be sure of selecting the essential software that meets you needs.
Types of essential software
Your essential business software will generally include packages that everyone in your company is likely to need.
In short: your essential software is the stuff you install on everyone's device (be it a laptop, smartphone or tablet) as standard.
Here are the main types of essential software you might need:
Security software
When you buy a new device, security software is the first thing you should install. It blocks viruses, spyware and malware, providing a key line of defence for your business.
There are many security packages available, most of which provide adequate protection.
Make sure your security software is compatible with your other business software. Make sure you keep it up-to-date to protect against evolving risks. And don't attempt to run two packages on the same device - they may interfere with each other.
Operating system software
Your operating system is the first thing that runs when you turn on your device. It's essential because it provides a platform on top of which your other software runs. Nothing else will work without it.
is the most popular business operating system. Because it's used widely, your employees may require little training to get to grips with it.
If you've decided to use Apple Macs in your business then you'll probably use Apple's operating system instead.
An alternative is Google's , which is free and available on a wide range of devices. These are powerful operating systems which have yet to gain a significant foothold in the business market.
Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have operating systems, too. But although some tablet computers do run Windows, mobile devices generally use different operating systems to your desktop and laptop computers, such as iOS and Android.
Office suite software
An office suite is the name for a collection of individual software packages which allow you to work with spreadsheets, documents, presentations and so on.
In this area of essential software, there's an obvious choice: . This popular office suite usually includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook and comes with both offline and online versions.
As for the alternatives, Apple offers Ìý²¹²Ô»åÌý offer a great alternative.
Internet software
Internet-based features are present in most software. But in this context, your internet software allows you to browse the internet and send and receive emails.
Web browsers allow you to view websites and are almost always free. The most common packages are , , and .
In all honesty, there is little to choose between these browsers for general business use. Often, the choice boils down to personal preference or whether the browser will work with other internal company systems.
Other essential software and apps
Depending on your business, you might also add other software packages to your list of essential software. For instance:
- Accounting software to keep track of your business finances.
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software, to track customer communications
- Customer service software
- Project management software, to stay on top of projects running in your company
- so you can pay staff and reimburse any expenses that they incur
- Project management software so you can keep on top of work
It's easy to end up paying for software that gets underused in your business. Consider working with a good local IT supplier to work out what essential software you actually need.
Essential software in the cloud
Traditionally, there was only one way to buy your essential software. You paid a one-off fee (or maybe the software was bundled with your computer), and you owned the right to use that software forever.
These days, it's far more convenient and, in many cases, inexpensive. Most software packages are available online.
With this type of software, you pay a small, ongoing monthly fee instead of a large amount upfront.
Even if you do stick with non-cloud software, you may still find you pay a monthly fee rather than a one-off cost.
There are benefits and drawbacks to this new model, but opting for cloud versions of your essential software can be particularly useful if your employees work remotely or you want to be able to easily increase or decrease the number of users you have or add additional functionality.