Uhh... What does ISV stand for?

Okay this is the 2nd-stupidest question ever, but what the heck does 'ISV' stand for anyway? I know what they are, but I've never seen the acronym explained. Thanks

name withheld out of embarrasment
Friday, June 25, 2004

I maybe wrong but Idependent Software Vendor.

Coward I am!
Friday, June 25, 2004

Eric Sink has devoted one link to explaining what an ISV is, in one of his early articles.

Here, http://software.ericsink.com/Small_ISV_Defined.html

Sathyaish Chakravarthy
Friday, June 25, 2004

ISV = Microsoft's word for "Any Software Company Which Is Not Microsoft."

Joel Spolsky
Fog Creek Software
Friday, June 25, 2004

RFLMAO!

Sathyaish Chakravarthy
Friday, June 25, 2004

He's true. As Eric stated in his articles, this is the term coined by Microsoft and is used for any software company that is not Microsoft. :)

Green Pajamas
Friday, June 25, 2004

I thought it was a response along the lines of this http://software.ericsink.com/20040621.html

Sathyaish Chakravarthy
Friday, June 25, 2004

Does anyone know what the word "independent" imply?

Independent from whom? Most likely Microsoft? And indepent for how long, until they become depended?

Whoever at the marketing department of Microsoft came up with this term is a brilliant person.  What other catch phrase can differentiate your product from the sea of available alternatives.

IMO software developer who doesn't work for MS and labels himself as ISV, is doing himself a great disservice at least in the eays of major corporations who are evaluating software solutions for some need. For example: will Ford or GM go with software from MS or just an ISV?

Poof
Friday, June 25, 2004

http://www.acronymfinder.com/af-query.asp?String=exact&Acronym=isv&Find=Find

X
Friday, June 25, 2004

If Microsoft isn't independent, what is it?

And aside from Microsoft, are there any software vendors that are *not* independent? What would they be called? Dependent (on what)? Enslaved?

I think the term might predate Microsoft though, it seems like an IBM invention.

Tom H
Friday, June 25, 2004

Joel, you're sounding bitter.  :P  Not that I blame you, of course.

Norrick
Friday, June 25, 2004

"If Microsoft isn't independent, what is it? "

The thing to be independent from.

Sort of like continent vs. island. :)

sgf
Friday, June 25, 2004

I think the term originated to differentiate between software companies who didn't do their own hardware and those who did.  IIRC, Microsoft was the first ISV, at least for microcomputers.

ISV?
Friday, June 25, 2004

Nah, Microsoft has never been an ISV, Joel's right it's Microsoft's positioning of everyone else.

Simon Lucy
Saturday, June 26, 2004

I was under the impression that an ISV is an individual or partnership, as opposed to a company, producing software for sale.

.
Saturday, June 26, 2004

Joel is right on the money.

Mitch & Murray (from Downtown)
Saturday, June 26, 2004

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