English Language & Usage Asked by Miika L. on January 19, 2021
I am having a bit of trouble coming up with an appropriate term for software that is locally installed, and fully owned by the buyer. This would be the opposite of the term “software as a service”, which usually refers to a software service that is rented and most often installed outside the organisation (e.g. Cloud software). Would you have any suggestions?
“Local installation” is what comes to mind first, but it doesn’t quite fit the bill here since it doesn’t indicate the ownership explicitly.
That would be software as a product. Here is the explanation:
The traditional model of software distribution, in which software is purchased for and installed on personal computers, is sometimes referred to as software as a product.
Correct answer by Noah on January 19, 2021
I believe the term for this is shrink-wrap software; this is certainly what it was called a few years ago when you actually got a box with a manual and disks to install your new toys. I use the term occasionally still.
Answered by Brian Hooper on January 19, 2021
It depends on what you mean by "fully owned by the buyer."
Software consists of at least two things
media
code
The media used to distribute software (excluding online downloadable installation techniques) are physical objects and can be owned and transferred just like any other physical things. These phyisical things an also be rented or restricted in their ownership, just like other physical things.
The code contained on the media (or distributed online or by loaned media) is not physical, but can be owned, transferred, rented or restricted in these transactions. Code is also covered by copyright or similar laws (depending on country), and there are additional rights and restrictions attached to it. These include
right to copy or prevent copying
right to distribute or prevent distributiing
right to modify or prevent modification
To answer your question it depends on what you mean when you say that the buyer owns the software. In almost all cases, buyers own the media of delivery. But ownership of the code varies greatly. Some of the common flavors are:
There are numerous variations on these themes.
SUPPLEMENT: To indicate that the licensed versions of these arrangements (2. through 4.) are unlimited in time (not a service-for-a-period), the term fully-paid or fully-paid-up is often added to the term license or software.
Answered by bib on January 19, 2021
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