Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)

In the evolution of the software industry, people are looking for ways to create software systems without writing any code. Reusing the existing code is one of the strategies to reduce the complexity. In future, there may be many more COTS products available for all the business needs. Currently the COTS products are available for the areas such as payment processing, payroll processing, account management, tax calculations, employee management, education platforms, knowledge management, travel management, and employee performance management. Companies do not create systems for doing these business functions. They just utilize the appropriate COTS products.

Companies purchase COTS products for conducting certain business processes that are common in the industry. Companies select the COTS product that fits their business needs; however, they may not always find a COTS product that fits in the exact business process. Sometimes, the business adopts the general...