The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) was founded in April 1987 to improve and promote the use of try-before-you-buy software. It was later renamed the Association of Software Professionals, and it became the leading trade association for independent software suppliers and developers.
Although the ASP has ceased its operation now, it made significant contributions to the software industry during its time. One of its most important creations was the Portable Application Description (PAD) format, which enables software developers to submit product descriptions and specifications to internet sources uniformly.
Over 40,000 software publishers and 1,000+ PAD-supported software catalogue websites used the PAD file specification, making it a popular approach. With the PAD system, websites could access updated data from a single file kept on the programme developer’s website, making the process much simpler and efficient.
The ASP was a tremendous resource for computer software developers and writers. Its members collaborated to grow their businesses and make high-quality software accessible to users at competitive prices.
FAQ
What is the ASP?
The Association of Shareware Professionals, later known as the Association of Software Professionals, was a trade association for independent software suppliers and developers founded in 1987.
What is the Portable Application Description (PAD) format?
The PAD format is a specification created by the ASP to enable software developers to uniformly submit product descriptions and specifications to internet sources.
Why was the PAD system a popular approach?
The PAD system gained popularity because websites could access updated data from a single file kept on the programme developer’s website, making the process much simpler and efficient.
Despite the ASP’s discontinuation, its contributions to the software industry continue to benefit software developers, publishers, and users worldwide.
