Application management involves the management of software applications throughout the development lifecycle; first by identifying specific software requirements, and then using those requirements to assist through software design and deployment. A lifecycle is generally defined by six phases—requirement gathering; designing; building, integrating and testing; implementation and deployment; operation and optimization.
During the requirements phase, functionality is determined and business process requirements for a new application are identified and defined. The application team then translates these requirements into an application design before any application coding and testing is done. It is followed by an operation phase which addresses any uncovered application flaws, regulatory requirement changes, missed service levels and performance measurement, before final application function and performance optimization.
Application management can be executed internally or externally by either individuals or teams with expertise in software development. Organizations often look to application management services or companies with the expertise needed to design, host and run their applications. Looking to managed services provides companies with tactics, technologies and protocols to realize gains in business and technology and improve brand awareness.