When K’ang-tzu sent him some medicine he prostrated himself and accepted it; but said, As I am not acquainted with its properties, I cannot venture to taste it.
—The Analects of Confucius,Translated and annotated by Arthur Waley
Chapter 9
Off-the-Shelf Software
A business is successful to the extent that it provides a product or service that contributes to happiness in all of its forms.
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,Noted researcher on creativity
There appears to be a software product for every business domain and industry, so heralding the end of the era of bespoke development. However, such off-the-shelf (OTS) packages have not completely overtaken custom in-house development. The economics are in favor of the OTS product. Software is expensive ...
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