application suite

application suite

A group of programs that are sold as a package to solve common problems. Although there are suites for graphics, mathematics and other applications, the most popular are "office suites." Also known as "productivity suites," they are a set of basic business programs designed with a uniform user interface and common functions such as spell checking. The primary programs are word processing, spreadsheet, presentation graphics, database and e-mail, although each suite has its own mix, and a variety of other programs and utilities may also be included. Some of the programs may be for sale as individual products. See Microsoft Office, WordPerfect Office, Lotus SmartSuite, StarOffice, OpenOffice.org, Google Apps, Zoho and graphics suite.

A Single Package
While no single application suite has the best program in each category, they have become very popular because trial versions are often pre-installed on new computers. In addition, a package of applications is appealing to many users. Microsoft Office is the most widely used office suite and represents a large portion of the company's revenue. See application stack.