Business software is computer programs designed to assist with the management and performance of a business and increase productivity and accuracy. They can be used for a variety of tasks, such as customer relationship management, project management sales force automation and financial accounting. There are many kinds of software for business that are tailored to the specific requirements of the industry.

For example, a business which sells online products can benefit from powerful features such as customer relationship management software, which enables greater transparency and a greater level of webpage trust with customers. This software can provide valuable insight into the performance of a company including how well its marketing works or how effective its site is at converting customers.

The use of business software is widespread and has been a major element in the growth of companies across the globe. Business application software was originally created for white-collar workers using massive mainframe computers in order to automatize tasks such as bank cheque processing and manufacturing accounting. Later word processors, such as Word Perfect and Microsoft Word saw the demise of the IBM typewriter and mathematical spreadsheet programs like Lotus 1-2-3 and Excel became extremely popular among corporate users.

Certain business software is interactive. This means that users can alter data and receive results immediately. Other software for business operates in batch mode, which means it is able to be programmed to run on a scheduled basis and produce reports without the involvement of the user. A team is assigned to fix the problem when a business software error occurs, so that users can get back to work. This is known as business application support.