Software for computers wasn’t always available like many people would assume. The truth is that software didn’t come into existence in 1935. A guy by the name of Alan Turing came up with the idea of software theory in that year. Turing is considered one of the “founding fathers” of the computing and technology field.
Software is needed in order to enjoy the benefits enabled by computing technology. Computer hardware is able to automate processes and save immense time and resources, but this capability can only be realized if the computer is instructed to do so. Software provides instructions for hardware.
The bottom line is that software has only been around for about 85 years. It is less than 100 years old. Think about this, there are millions of people still alive today, who were around when software was first invented. These same individuals were also around when software was slowly implemented into every facet of society.
Today, software is being used for just about everything we do. About 20 years ago (in the year 2000) its use wasn’t as prevalent. Still, software usage was growing by leaps and bounds during that time. In the 1970s and 1980s, everyday life wasn’t tied to software usage like it is today. During the ’90s and early 2000s, this started to change. Throughout the 2010s software use exploded. In today’s world, just about everything we encounter has some type of software in it.
Software is old but it’s not “that old”. Remember, there are quite a few people still alive today who can tell you how different our society was then compared to now. The inclusion of software has changed things dramatically. Now, let’s take a deeper look at why we need software in our lives.
Society Runs on Computers
Computers have taken over our society. This is not a statement from science fiction or some conspiracy theorist’s prediction; it’s a fact. Just about everything that modern people do is somehow connected to a computer. Since computers play an important role in society today, software plays an essential role because of these computers. Remember that all computers need software to operate. If they don’t have them, a person would have to manually input codes to get a device or machine to perform a certain function. That would be counterproductive and very time-consuming.
Software just makes life easier because the end-user can simply click a few buttons or links to get the results they need for their device. They don’t have to sit there and type in strings of code unless they just enjoy doing this type of thing. Software makes all of this possible.
Society needs computers for many different reasons. Common uses for software in everyday life are connected to transportation, school, work, and entertainment. Software is needed for many automated manufacturing processes, retail establishments, within the banking field, and with most people’s jobs. Even your local grocery store cashier uses a computer to ring up your food and to track product inventory.
The Everyday Use of Software
In the previous section, It was mentioned how software is used on a daily basis. Now, we’re going to take a closer look at how it impacts our everyday life. Many modern cars use some type of computerized software to help improve performance and operability. Sensors, engine timing, the electrical system, and other vehicle functions are regulated by programs. Software is needed for advanced safety features and for upgraded entertainment within an automobile.
Computer-based learning and record-keeping is an integrated part of all education fields within the world. When kids go to school, they learn on computers, their records are kept on computers, and parent-teacher communication is performed on computers. Software usage is key to these processes.
Computer use within the workplace cannot be denied. Computers, control everything from how orders are taken and how cashiers collect money for products and services. Inventory is tracked on computers, employee hours and payroll are verified through computer tracking, and many workers at some point use a computer to perform job-related tasks. Again, software is what makes all this possible.
Software is needed for all gaming consoles, PC computers, and mobile devices. These items are commonly used in modern times for entertainment, communication, and recreation. Gaming would be impossible without software, smartphones couldn’t exist with the apps (software) to run them, and trying to communicate online would be futile without software applications.
Software is extremely necessary to the gaming world. Programs are also important for streaming music, watching videos, taking pictures, and surfing the web. These are activities that most people do every day without fail.
The thousands of products that people use in their homes are all manufactured with some type of computer system. Software drives this process. Without computers and software, many product shortages would frequently take place because it would be impossible for manufacturers to keep up with demand.
Retailers also need software to keep up with everything from consumer data protection, employee work-related processes, and product tracking. Without software, they would have to archaic methods for store management and improving profits. Software is needed for many other applications as well.
Think about the health field. Medical professionals can share information across the city, state, nation, and the world through the use of software. Software also makes energy procurement more efficient. We need it for drilling fossil fuels and for operating alternative fuel machines and equipment.
The space field needs software to automatically and remotely operate space vehicles and craft. Even local charitable organizations use computers to track contributions and to figure out what is being donated to their organization. The amount of things that software can do is virtually limitless.
What is the purpose of software?
All software has a purpose in mind. Software allows people to accomplish something when they use it for a reason. It doesn’t matter what that purpose is.
Here is a short list of what software is able to accomplish:
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Software Automates Boring Processes
Software allows people to accomplish menial or tasks and goals. For example, counting inventory by hand can be a daunting and time-consuming project. In the past, this is how things had to be done in business. Today, people simply use their computers and scales to count and weigh products and merchandise.
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Software is Essential for Record Keeping
Software helps industries and institutions to keep financial records without using paper files. This is a huge thing because if computers weren’t used today for record-keeping, life as we know it would slow down tremendously. For example, banks use computerized records about customer accounts. If they didn’t have these records, tellers would have to consistently pull up paper files on people’s money and holdings This was how banking was done in the past.
Today, this could not happen because the financial industry would collapse if it did. Truthfully, many businesses and industries would struggle if they had to go back to paper keeping today. It would be impractical and too time-consuming to store and use people’s money in this way. This is an example of how software helps to make things easier and more efficient.
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Software Saves Time
Software saves time because a person doesn’t have to keep repeating the same steps over and over again. A program can be created to perform a repetitive task, and this will allow a business or individual to focus on something else. Also, software saves people time in terms of function. For example, people can use software for writing letters or producing forms.
Once a letter is written it can easily be sent to the receiver through email or some other form of online communication service. A business can use an office program to quickly make a form, save it to their computer, and print it out for future use.
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Software Helps the Legal Field Tremendously
Imagine living in a world where technology couldn’t be used to track criminals or to solve a crime? Most police work is performed on computers. Most police forces are able to apprehend criminals through the use of computers. If a robber steals a credit card and uses it 100 miles away, the police will eventually find out about it.
While the law enforcement industry is not perfect it is still efficient enough to be functional. However, the lack of computers (and the software that runs them) would seriously hinder police work today. This is also true for civil cases as well.
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Software Allows Society to Function According to Modern Standards
We could function in society without software. However, life as we know it would immediately revert back to how things were 50 years ago. During the 1970s there were computerized software systems in place. However, software wasn’t impacting society like it does today.
Public camera systems, digital satellite systems, GPS technology, smart roads, the Internet of Things (IoT) connecting devices through the internet, and public utility companies distributing resources to local residents, are all possible with the help of software. Software-controlled computer systems regulate climates, help with building projects, and make driving with traffic lights practical things to do within our society.
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Problem Solving
Problem-solving is one of the biggest and most important reasons why computers were created today. Being able to solve problems is one of the primary functions of computer technology. Computers are designed to resolve a variety of problems and software makes this possible. The key is to create multiple types of software to resolve multiple issues.
Software Brings Computing Systems to Life
Here is something else that you should understand. Computers need software to function. Some computer machines can function without software. Analog (also called mechanical) computers can operate without software. Analog computers utilize physical functions such as hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical to operate the machine. Software is not needed.
Mechanical computers don’t need digital parts to function. However, they are extremely slow, time-consuming, and geared toward doing one task. Also, they operate very slowly, use a lot of energy, and are now very reliable. Still, they are useful for some modern-day applications such as training pilots or teaching people how to use control systems.
Many modern analog computers are integrated with digital computing machines. These hybrid systems help to make mechanical machines more efficient and effective.
Still, nearly all computers in use today are digital. Since they are, they need software to make them a practical machine to use. Think about this. If a person’s laptop or smartphone didn’t have software, they would be useless devices. Without software, people would be hard-pressed to use the machines.
People who are able to write code wouldn’t mind operating the machine. However, most people just wouldn’t do this. Software makes using smartphone devices possible.
Software gives “life” to a machine. Once it’s installed a person will be able to do a variety of different things. In today’s world, most people use their laptops for communication, gaming, work, education, and entertainment activities. Software development and use in those areas are very important for the whole field of software usage. Ultimately, a computer without software would be useless for most people and the device would immediately go out of favor with the public.
Advanced Software Applications
Some of the most advanced software creation on the planet is done for the government, industries, and the military. These three areas are extremely important to the field of software development. When advanced software is created for these sectors of society, it normally flows down to the business and consumer level.
A perfect example of this is GPS technology. GPS was created for military and space-based applications. Today, it is now used by a regular person driving down the street trying to find a business. While the average person won’t have a need for an advanced software system that launches missiles at targets, there are other general uses for various software applications being utilized by the military today. When applications have been updated and improved, many of the older versions will trickle down to the public as new forms of software technology.
Software Development and Engineering: Taking Programs to the Next Level
Software programming is constantly improving. The cloud computing aspect of software development is on the rise. Software programming is moving toward cloud integration because of its importance within the field of software technology. Containerization is another emerging trend within the field of software development. It’s complex but it will help the field to expand in different directions.
Another future development of software has to do with the Python programming language. This language will emerge as a popular software creation language because it is extremely useful for data science creation, machine learning, data processing, and data analytics. Low-Code, No-Code (LCNC) will also be an integral part of software creation. This is a drag-and-drop approach to creating programs.
It doesn’t require coders/developers to have a lot of experience. This language will be useful because there are not a lot of qualified developers available to perform the job within the field. There are many other trends, but these will be among the most widely used within the field.
Blockchain Technology and Software Development
Blockchain technology is behind the latest bitcoin trend. However, blockchain technology is not just limited to bitcoin. It is used for different applications as well. The bottom line is that blockchain software coding is something that is going to become popular. Coders should learn how to write code got this type of software application.
Some Final Things that you Should know about Software
Software is increasingly becoming more integrated into our lives. This is because computer technology is now a standard part of how we function. This isn’t going to change. Software usage is slowly growing and it will also spread across the globe at accelerated places. Think about 3rd world countries and other disadvantaged regions of the Earth.
Nearly half the world’s population doesn’t have internet access. During the quarantine and shutdown periods within the U.S., millions of Americans did not have access to the internet. As a result, millions of students were not able to access their education online. The digital divide is real and it’s something that many “connected” people take for granted.
The software will play a critical role in the implementation of internet technology and basic computing systems within emerging societies. Think about this, at least 5 billion people around the world don’t have a bank account.
Again, this is something that many people take for granted. However, nearly 2/3’s of the world’s population does not have simple savings or checking account. For this to be possible, software integration for computer technology must be performed.
Software integration makes life easier for everyone but so many people miss out. Computer technology just isn’t available for all people. Software will continue to gain popularity as it increases in use around the globe. New emerging markets for computers and technology will require software.
Coders, developers, engineers, and other members of software field have a bright but very busy future ahead of them. Workers in this field will have a wide variety of opportunities to practice their craft. The world is going to need more software developers now and for many years to come.