application suite

An application suite is a set of programs designed to be used together and marketed as a single package. For example, a typical office suite might include word processing, spreadsheet, database, personal information manager, and e-mail programs

   While an operating system such as microsoft Windows provides basic capabilities to move text and graphics from one application to another (such as by cutting and pasting), an application suite such as microsoft Office makes it easier to, for example, launch a Web browser from a link within a word processing document or embed a spreadsheet in the document. In addition to this “interoperability,” an application suite generally offers a consistent set of commands and features across the different applications, speeding up the learning process. The use of the applications in one package from one vendor simplifies technical support and upgrading. (The development of comparable applications suites for Linux is likely to increase that operating system’s acceptance on the desktop.)

   Applications suites have some potential disadvantages as compared to buying a separate program for each application. The user is not necessarily getting the best program in each application area, and he or she is also forced to pay for functionality that may not be needed or desired. Due to their size and complexity, software suites may not run well on older computers. Despite these problems, software suites sell very well and are ubiquitous in today’s office.

   (For a growing challenge to the traditional standalone 

software suite, see application seRvice pRovideR.)