Software developers need to constantly nurture their product to enhance its functionality, keep it updated to cope with changing technologies and business environments, satisfy users’ needs, and ensure their product’s success. This makes software maintenance as equally important as software development itself, which spans years, which is why it is crucial to get it set up correctly.
Software maintenance is a critical part of the software development lifecycle. The major purpose of software maintenance is to resolve faults and improve system performance by modifying and updating software applications after deployment. It reduces errors, eliminates useless development, and applies advanced development to optimize the solution performance.
Generally, software development outsourcing companies advise their customers to use software maintenance services for improved and consistent system performance. That’s because many of the software enhancements happen during this phase and why a successful development partnership can’t end with the product’s release.
In fact, according to the author of “Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering,” maintenance typically uses an average of 60% of overall software costs, and “it’s probably the most important life cycle phase of software”.
Software maintenance tasks can be categorized into 4 according to different causes and objectives.
Adaptive: Being up to date with the dynamic business and technology environment is important for any product’s success. Adaptive software maintenance takes care of modifications in the application to maintain compatibility and up to date with changing business and technical environments.
Corrective: This is the practice of keeping an application up and operating. Corrective software maintenance recognizes and corrects errors in the existing solution to make it works more efficiently.
Perfective: This is usually an evolutionary response. As end users become more familiar with a software program, they make wish lists for new features. Perfective software maintenance includes enhancement of all elements, functionalities, and also deleting or redundant functionalities.
Preventive: Preventive software maintenance ensures to prevent of the system from any upcoming vulnerabilities. This entails making minor, incremental adjustments to software applications so that they can work for longer periods of time.
Now having an understanding of each type of software maintenance, It is clear that all types of software maintenance are critical.
Here are the top reasons why you shouldn’t avoid software maintenance
Bug Fixing: Bug fixing is the topmost priority in maintenance management for your application to run seamlessly. This process involves searching for errors in code and correcting them. The error can occur in hardware, operating systems, or any part of the software.
Removal of outdated functions: having redundant and unfavorable functionalities will definitely hurt the efficiency of the software application. With the help of software maintenance, such elements of UI and coding are eliminated and replaced with new development using the latest tools and technologies.
Performance improvement: as the name suggests, software maintenance improves the performance of a system through Data and coding restrictions as well as reengineering. This prevents the software application from vulnerabilities and prevents activities like hacking.
Capability enhancement: To avoid being obsolete and be relevant in varying market conditions, continuous improvements in features and functions are a must. Software maintenance improves software platforms, hardware upgrades, work patterns, compilers, and all other aspects that affect system workflow.
Conclusion
Software maintenance is a must, not an option. You might think about your car, for instance. If you don’t maintain your car, it could have numerous issues frequently. Additionally, the bill for neglected car maintenance will be more expensive than the cost of routine inspection and maintenance. Similar to this, there will be less opportunity for optimal business growth if software maintenance is not taken carefully in your business plan.
If you want to ensure the maintenance of your software will meet the needs of your users and business as much as possible, consider the support of a leading software development company. Aiken Labs can become your great partner in software maintenance and support throughout the SDLC. Share your requirements and get a free consultation. Put your software in competent hands!
