enterprise application -logically centralized large db--entities + attributes -physically centralized/distributed--servers + data  -powerful enterprise-wide querying applications
-is a subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, nonvolatile collection of data in support of management's decision making process. -data grows, doesn't really change -logically centralized large database -powerful enterprise-wide querying applications
programs that perform tasks specifically for the user such as word, excel, powerpoint, and photoshop.