A software system is a system of intercommunicating components based on software forming part of a computer system a combination of hardware and software. It consists of a number of separate programs, configuration files, which are used to set up these programs, system documentation, which describes the structure of the system, and user documentation, which explains how to use the system. The term software system should be distinguished from the terms computer program and software. The term computer program generally refers to a set of instructions source, or object code that performs a specific task. However, a software system generally refers to a more encompassing concept with many more components such as specification, test results, end-user documentation, and maintenance records. The use of the term software system is at times related to the application of systems theory approaches in the context of software engineering. A software system consists of several separate computer programs and associated configuration files, documentation, etc., that operate together. The concept is used in the study of large and complex software, because it focuses on the major components of software and their interactions. It is also related to the field of software architecture. Software systems are an active area of research for groups interested in software engineering in particular and systems engineering in general. Academic journals like the Journal of Systems and Software published by Elsevier are dedicated to the subject. The ACM Software System Award is an annual award that honors people or an organization "for developing a system that has had a lasting influence, reflected in contributions to concepts, in commercial acceptance, or both. It has been awarded by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) since 1983, with a cash prize sponsored by IBM. The two types of are system software and application software Experimental software engineering involves running experiments on the processes and procedures involved in the creation of software systems, citation needed with the intent that the data be used as the basis of theories about the processes involved in software engineering (theory backed by data is a fundamental tenet of the scientific method). A number of research groups primarily use empirical and experimental techniques. The term empirical software engineering emphasizes the use of empirical studies of all kinds to accumulate knowledge. Methods used include experiments, case studies, surveys, and using whatever data is available. In a keynote at the International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement Prof. Wohlin recommended ten commitments that the research community should follow to increase the relevance and impact of empirical software engineering research. However, at the same conference Dr Ali effectively argued that solely following these will not be enough and we need to do more than just show the evidence substantiating the claimed benefits of our interventions but instead what is required for practical relevance and potential impact is the evidence for cost-effectiveness. The International Software Engineering Research Network (ISERN) is a global community of research groups who are active in experimental software engineering.

Its purpose is to advance the practice of and foster university and industry collaborations within experimental software engineering. ISERN holds annual meetings in conjunction with the International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement (ESEM). Beginning in the 1960s, software engineering was seen as its own type of engineering. Additionally, the development of software engineering was seen as a struggle. It was difficult to keep up with the hardware which caused many problems for software engineers. Problems included software that was over budget, exceeded deadlines, and required extensive de-bugging and maintenance, and unsuccessfully met the needs of consumers or was never even completed.

John Gresham  
journal coordinator
international journal of innovative research in computer and communication engineering