Software & IT, in plain English
Clear definitions of the terms that come up when you're buying software, automation, or IT.
Custom Software
Custom software is an application built specifically for one organization’s needs and workflows, rather than a generic off-the-shelf product many companies share. It fits your exact process, and you own the source code.
Read definitionWorkflow Automation
Workflow automation uses software to run multi-step business processes automatically — moving data between systems and triggering actions — so repetitive manual work happens without a person doing each step.
Read definitionBusiness Process Automation (BPA)
Business process automation (BPA) is the use of technology to automate entire business processes end to end — not just single tasks — to cut manual effort, reduce errors, and let teams scale output without adding headcount.
Read definitionManaged IT Services
Managed IT services are ongoing, outsourced technology operations — help desk, monitoring, security, backups, and cloud administration — delivered by a provider for a predictable monthly fee instead of paying per incident.
Read definitionAI Agent
An AI agent is software that uses a large language model to understand natural language, make decisions, and take actions across channels — answering questions, qualifying leads, or completing multi-step tasks — rather than just following a fixed script.
Read definitionSaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS (software as a service) is software delivered over the internet on a subscription, hosted and maintained by the vendor. You access it through a browser and pay a recurring fee instead of buying or building it.
Read definitionMVP (Minimum Viable Product)
An MVP (minimum viable product) is the smallest version of a product that delivers real value and can be launched to early users — built to validate the core idea quickly and cheaply before investing in more features.
Read definitionAPI Integration
An API integration connects two software systems through their application programming interfaces so they can share data and trigger actions automatically — for example, syncing your website’s leads straight into your CRM.
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