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Q: I have found a site that offers loads of useful software applications, some are freeware and some are adware applications. What’s the difference?

May 06 2008

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Answered by: Chris Lindsay Ask a question

These two can be easily confused but freeware is software offered free of charge, downloadable off the web at no cost, where as adware is software that is freely available for download, but differs from freeware in that adware is ad-sponsored.

In many cases adware can be a type of internet application that runs while the user is online, providing a live feed of changing advertisements. Adware also works by collecting information about the user to send back to advertisers for purposes of profiling for targeted ad-serving.

Freeware services range from contact and communication platforms to collaboration tools. Many of these have been specifically designed to help small businesses use technology intelligently without splashing out on costly software.

These include collaboration, business management, such as administration, and some that have built on consumer phenomena such as social networking and blogging. BT Tradespace, for example, is free online community that brings small businesses and individual sellers together with potential customers and partners to do business.

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