Vertical market software is aimed at addressing the needs of any given business within a discernible vertical market

Vertical market

A vertical market is a group of similar businesses and customers that engage in trade based on specific and specialized needs. Often, participants in a vertical market are very limited to a subset of a larger industry...

 (specific industry or market). While horizontal market software

Horizontal Market Software

In computer software, horizontal market software is application software that is useful in a wide range of industries. This is the opposite of vertical market software, which has a scope of usefulness limited to few industries...

 can be useful to a wide array of industries (such as word processors or spreadsheet programs), vertical market software is developed for and customized to a specific industry's needs.

Vertical market software is readily identifiable by the application specific graphical user interface

Graphical user interface

In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...

 which defines it. One example of vertical market software is point-of-sale software.

See also

• Horizontal market software
  Horizontal Market Software
  In computer software, horizontal market software is application software that is useful in a wide range of industries. This is the opposite of vertical market software, which has a scope of usefulness limited to few industries...
  
  
• Horizontal market
  Horizontal market
  A horizontal market is a market which meets a given need of a wide variety of industries, rather than a specific one.-Examples:In technology, horizontal markets consist of customers that share a common need that exists in many or all industries...
  
  
• Product software implementation method
  Product software implementation method
  A product software implementation method is a systematically structured approach to effectively integrate a software based service or component into the workflow of an organizational structure or an individual end-user....
  
  
• Enterprise resource planning
  Enterprise resource planning
  Enterprise resource planning systems integrate internal and external management information across an entire organization, embracing finance/accounting, manufacturing, sales and service, customer relationship management, etc. ERP systems automate this activity with an integrated software application...
  
  
• Customer relationship management
  Customer relationship management
  Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...
  
  
• Content management system
  Content management system
  A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
  
  
• Supply chain management
  Supply chain management
  Supply chain management is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers...
  
  

Resources

• Microsoft ships first Windows OS for vertical market from InfoWorld
  InfoWorld
  InfoWorld is an information technology online media and events business operating under the umbrella of InfoWorld Media Group, a division of IDG...
  
  
• The Limits of Open Source - Vertical Markets Present Special Obstacles