Want your processes to run more cohesively? Discover the importance of software ecosystems

Last month, over social media, we mentioned an article by CNBC, “Here’s why people keep buying Apple products”. The article positions the Apple ecosystem as the main reason consumers purchase Apple products:

People don’t buy iPhones by the tens of millions just because they like the hardware, though that’s a huge part of it, but because they’re tied into an ever-growing, sprawling ecosystem of software and services that allow you to do more with the products if you continue to invest in that ecosystem.

To expand upon this, here is a short summary of the explanations and examples noted in the article…

In 2007, when Apple released the iPhone, the existing iPod and iTunes customers were introduced to a familiar model that was more user-friendly than other devices on the market. Since the release, and over the last 10 years, Apple launched the App Store so purchasers could easily buy apps and games for their devices. Apple continued to build on this concept by changing the way their products interacted. For example, Apple added iMessage and FaceTime to the iPad to allow users to access iPhone conversations on a tablet. Later, phone calls were added to Mac computers, and the list goes on. What can be learnt from this? The more Apple devices and apps in use, the more cohesively they work together.

In the past, according to an article by the Harvard Business Review (HBR), manual, paper-heavy processes, and verbal communication were common. Lately, however, information technology has revolutionized the way businesses work. The HBR also stated that this is a result of how “products have become complex systems that combine hardware, software, data storage, and integrated connectivity. These ‘smart’, ‘connected’ products have created greater opportunities for new functionality, reliability, and higher product usage”.

At Caseware, our products have always been developed as part of their own ecosystem and have allowed accountants to re-think and simplify their processes. Our smart, connected products:

1. Create and capture value by increasing productivity and streamlining workflows,
2. Better manage and utilize large amounts of data,
3. Improve customer relations with transparent communication,
4. Shift the role of the accounting professional from tactical to strategic, and
5. Much more!

To learn about our latest cloud-based solution and how it easily integrates with the technology already at your fingertips, register for our upcoming webinar!