InstallShield 2012, released by Flexera software on Tuesday, adds collaboration for software developers and installation developers, as well as support for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for tagging software (ISO 19770-2) and support for suite installation.
“Almost every independent software vendor uses InstallShield for their ‘next, next, next’ installation module, and it is incorporated within the Microsoft’s Visual Studio IDE,” said Maureen Polte, senior director of product management at Flexera software.
She added that the new features in the 2012 edition allow developers to own their individual portion of the software package forever, and they allow it to be updated so that every time a deployment is ready, the installation package is ready to go as well.
Agile teams, Polte said, can use InstallShield to package their software for deployment to customers at the end of every iteration, and the collaboration tools incorporated with the software allow for a discussion and estimation of when the product can be delivered.
“We are trying to give flexibility to an installer manager and developer, and the ability to work in an agile manner and be better able to predict how long a project will take,” she said, adding that the program can be run on desktops as a standalone program or within the Microsoft’s Visual Studio IDE.
The InstallShield software can be used on programs installed via DVDs and CDs, as well as programs downloaded from an app store or via the Web. Polte said InstallShield 2012 allows for instantaneous, iPad-like installations of applications, which allow the end user to feel that they’ve downloaded an application, or a desktop program, with one click.
“App-store-savvy users want this [one-click download ability] from more traditional applications,” Polte said.
Suite packaging, another added feature, is something that she believes will help companies that have merged or companies with multiple software offerings.
The InstallShield Suite tool offers a way for developers to package multiple programs under one installation, with one progress bar, as Polte explained.
The ISO standard also helps large organizations tag individual pieces of software and helps IT departments keep track of where software is installed.
