WHY SOFTWARE UPDATE??

A software update, also known as a ‘Patch’ or a ‘Service Pack’, is a piece of software released by software vendors, mainly to address security vulnerabilities in their existing products. Software updates occasionally contain bug fixes and product enhancement. These updates are installed over the current installation and do not require uninstallation or re-installation of the software in question. In simple words, when you need to update a program, you don’t need to do anything other than let the updater do its thing.

A software update may contain:

• Security Vulnerability Fixes: More than 90% of software and operating system (OS) updates are to patch security vulnerabilities in programs. A software program with a security hole in it can allow very bad things to happen to the computer. Exploiting security vulnerabilities in programs to deliver malwareis a common method employed by cybercriminals. Back in April this year, we reported how a Trojan called Mal/JavaJar-B exploited a flaw in Java™ and left computers running on Windows®, Mac OS®, and Linux® vulnerable to serious attacks. 
   
• Bug Fixes and Product Enhancements: Though most software updates are developed mainly to address security holes in programs, you may come across software updates with bug fixes and product enhancements to improve program’s performance.

Software Update vs. Software Upgrade

The term ‘software update’ is often confused with the term ‘software upgrade’. Though both the terms sound similar, there is a huge difference. A "software update" updates your existing version of the program to the current version, but does not upgrade it to the next major version. For example, when you install Service Pack 1 on your Windows 7 computer, you are actually updating your Windows 7 computer with Windows 7 Service Pack 1. 

On the other hand, a “software upgrade” allow you to upgrade a program to its next major version. For example, if you are moving from Windows Vista® to Windows 7, you are actually performing a software upgrade. While a software update usually comes free, there’s usually a cost for a software upgrade.

Why Software Updates Exist?

Software updates exist for a very genuine reason. When a software program is developed, the software goes through rigorous tests and quality checks. The final version of the software is released to public only when the software vendor is fully satisfied with the product’s functionality and stability. Unfortunately, when the software is used by users in a real-time environment, they may come across several issues with the program and same gets reported back to the software vendor. To address those issues, software vendors write patches for that particular software and release it as software updates.