Industrial Software Product Development: Lessons from Operating Systems
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Industrial Software Product-ization: Lessons Learned from Operating Systems
Product development is not just a strategic choice for businesses, but also a direct response to the fragmented industry landscape and the vast technical span within industrial software. As the bridge connecting hardware and application software, the product-ization of operating systems holds significant implications for user experience and market promotion. This article will delve into the necessity, implementation strategies, and specific execution tactics of product-izing industrial foundation software, aiming to provide valuable insights for software developers and enterprise decision-makers.
Why Product-ize?
Driven by industry trends, industrial software exhibits characteristics such as diverse sub-industries and wide technical scope. Due to process variations across industries, specialized "custom" software emerges to cater to specific needs. The complexity of industrial scenarios is also closely linked to the multitude of equipment types.
Different enterprises choose various solutions for their industrial software needs: self-development, secondary development, or purchasing pre-built options. This diversity generates a wide array of software requirements. As the crucial link between hardware and applications, operating systems necessitate product-ization for continuous promotion across industrial landscapes.
Product-ization Strategies:
Operating systems inherently rely on both hardware and application software. Initially, they are tailored to specific industry scenarios, forming corresponding solutions. However, as the number of industries grows, common requirements emerge, leading to a technical architecture level product classification. This allows for a two-pronged approach: Industry Solutions and Core Products.
Adopting this strategy offers several benefits:
- Unified Product Comparison: Allows for comparison of products within specific industries or across products based on their applicable industries.
- Strategic Planning: Establishes a clear relationship between products and industries, facilitating product roadmap development, market promotion strategies, and logical connections during strategic planning.
- Business Model Alignment: Industry-driven product-ization focuses on market expansion and brand building, while product-driven models favor established products with mature markets.
Implementation Steps:
- Ecosystem Development:
Beyond functionality and performance, the most critical aspect of operating systems is their ecosystem capabilities. Much of an operating system company's early development efforts are dedicated to this. A robust ecosystem demonstrates: * Industry Coverage: Ability to quickly form solutions for diverse scenarios. * Architectural Strength: Modular product design that enhances integration efficiency.
Strategies include:
* **External Partnerships:** Collaboration with companies in the industry supply chain or through research projects.
* **Internal Integration:** Seamless compatibility with internal company products to offer comprehensive solutions.
* **Open-Source Contributions:** Leveraging open-source platforms attracts talented contributors, improving product completeness.
- Industry Standard Development:
The abundance of industrial sub-sectors necessitates standardization within each field. Defining industry standards:
* **Product Standardization:** Ensures conformity and simplifies integration across projects.
* **Security Enhancement:** Promotes robust security measures tailored to specific industry needs.
Standards focus on the unique characteristics of each industry, providing a framework for product development and ensuring comprehensive coverage.
Conclusion:
Industrial software product-ization offers valuable lessons, particularly from operating systems. By adopting these strategies and insights, we can develop more reliable, efficient, and secure software products across various domains: enterprise applications, embedded systems, mobile applications, and beyond.
The experiences shared here provide a roadmap for successful product development in the ever-evolving world of industrial software.