When it comes to building or buying software, the jargon can feel overwhelming. You may have heard someone use words like COTS, MOTS, GOTS, and NOTS around a boardroom, a meeting with IT vendors, or the pages of a government procurement policy. But what do they actually mean — and why should you care?

Think of it like this: software isn’t always starting from scratch. Sometimes it’s purchased off the shelf, sometimes it’s tailored to the customer, sometimes it’s a government issue, and, at other times, well, it’s not available at all, which is where these four acronyms come in. Decision-makers can use them to categorize software options, assess the necessary work, and select the most effective course of action for the business or project.

In this article, we’ll explain what are COTS, MOTS, GOTS, and NOTS are, and,  what each of these terms—Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS), Modified Off-The-Shelf (MOTS), Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS), and Not Off-The-Shelf (NOTS)—means, with some easy-to-understand examples, pros and cons, and where you might use them. By the end, you’ll know not just the difference but also which one of them may best suit your organization’s needs.

What Is COTS?

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software is commercial software that is ready to use or is ready to operate after customization. Compared to Custom Software Development, COTS applications are designed to address more typical business needs and can be deployed in a relatively short time, with minimal configuration and customization.

Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software refers to any pre-made software – such as Microsoft 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce, and QuickBooks – that helps businesses solve significant problems without spending the time and money to develop their own custom software.

Why is COTS Software Important?

COTS software has become crucial to the way we run businesses today because:

• It shortens the time to market with rapid deployment.
• Has much lower upfront costs than custom software.
• Offers stability and reliability through universal use and vendor testing.
• Includes vendor support and training, and product updates.

Many companies opt for off-the-shelf software programs as they are inexpensive, quick to implement, and tech companies make them available through the cloud.

Use Cases of COTS 

Examples of popular COTS software include:

• Microsoft 365 (Office, Teams, Outlook): Popular productivity suite.
• Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro): For creative designing and editing.
• Salesforce: Customer Relationship Management software.
• QuickBooks and Xero: Software that helps manage your books for small businesses.
• SAP and Oracle ERP solutions: Business software for finance, HR, and operations.

These COTS solutions are standard offerings in all sectors and illustrate how off-the-shelf tools can benefit small and large organizations.

Advantages Of COTS

COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) solutions may have drawbacks, but they also have several big advantages that appeal to a lot of businesses. Whether it’s cost, scale, or a little bit of each, these tools give developers the flexibility to preview/audit their content at deployment time.

Here are the advantages of COTS software:

1. Lower Upfront Investment
   The price of entry for custom development is much higher than it would be with buying Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) software. Since those solutions are meant for mass usage, the cost of developing and maintaining them is shared by countless users. This discount in cost, passed onto businesses, which now do not make a big bank withdrawal to find affordable tools! For example, well-known examples of COTS, such as Microsoft Office and Salesforce, illustrate the way in which off-the-shelf platforms can provide value for a third of the price of in-house development.

2. Proven Reliability 
   One of the primary benefits of COTS software is proven reliability. Popular COTS samples, that is, Microsoft Office 365 or Salesforce, or any other SaaS company offering a SaaS App Development Service, are being used by thousands of businesses around. Not only do vendors perform testing to an excessive standard before release, but they also supply regular updates, performance improvements, and security fixes based on user input. This continuous loop ensures the software remains stable, secure, and adapted to changing business requirements. All in all, it is a proven alternative and a less risky option than untested in-house custom builds.

3. Seamless Compatibility and Integration
   One major benefit of COTS software and SaaS offerings is that they integrate relatively easily into existing IT landscapes due to being compatible with industry standards. There are many cases of above COTS cases like CRM tools and ERP systems, which are designed to be manufactured with interoperability, and hence they come with great API’s and plugins, and third-party integrations. This guarantees seamless data movement, simplified processing, and conformance with the law – all without the pain of custom development, helping companies to do more with less.

4. Scalability 
   One of the most significant benefits of Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) Software is its inherent scalability, which makes it a great fit for startups and corporate companies alike. Flexibility in licensing models, whether subscription, perpetual, or pay-as-you-go, means that organizations can scale more quickly or hold off on additional use without a large initial investment. Most COTS systems also offer modular upgrades and add-ons, which means you can gain access to the more advanced functionality as your operations expand. Also, these solutions are designed to work with larger workloads, more data, and more users, so they continue to perform as you grow. This flexibility allows companies to expand without having to switch to an expensive system or disrupt services – all the while being efficient and compliant.

Disadvantages Of COTS

COTS software provides for a faster implementation and low cost of acquisition, but it also has several limitations that should be taken carefully. These limitations may limit the scalability, security, and efficiency of the business, depending on the type of business. Here are some of the main drawbacks. 

1. Lack Of Customisation
   Most COTS are products of mass production; therefore, they tend to come in a one-size-fits-all fashion. Therefore, the features might not map to an organization’s workflows, compliance criteria for specific industries, or customer experience objectives. For a few vendors, customization only goes as far as custom dashboards or third-party integrations; more thorough customization is limited or very costly. These limitations can cause inefficiencies, a lack of flexibility, and software may not fit business operations for those businesses in a specific industry focus or a complex process company.

2. Security Concerns
   COTS software may come with known vulnerabilities that hackers can take advantage of to infiltrate valuable data and assets. Cybersecurity Service is in the hands of the vendor, so companies can only manipulate the update and patch deployment speed as quickly as vulnerabilities are resolved. Furthermore, to make sure the software is compliant with rigorous industry standards or with security measures specific to the enterprise can also be difficult, which can lead to holes appearing in the safety net and, in turn, in the readiness to comply.

3. Unnecessary Features
   Off-the-shelf COTS applications usually ship with a variety of features created to fit the needs of many organizations, but not every tool is in line with each one of them. This often results in a large catalog of unused features, which ultimately isn’t needed and can complicate things and sometimes cost more to maintain and manage things that don’t truly benefit the organization.

4. Routine Functionality
   Packaged solutions cater to preset roles and functions, lessening the flexibility. And because it can’t be tailored to cater to the individual needs of a company, organizations have no choice but to bend to the app’s fixed structure. This inflexibility frequently results in waste and a boring user experience.

COTS vs. Custom Software

When it comes down to the “build vs. buy software” decision, businesses are left choosing between COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf software) vs. Custom/Low-Code Development. There are pros, cons, and use cases for each.

Factor	When to Buy COTS (Off-the-Shelf Software )	When to Build (Custom Software / Low-Code)
Definition	COTS software refers to ready-made applications available in the market. They are pre-packaged, standardized, and designed for general business needs.	Custom or low-code software is developed specifically for your business, either from scratch or using low-code platforms, tailored to meet unique requirements.
Budget Fit	Ideal if you have a limited budget and need a quick solution without investing in heavy development costs.	Suitable if you have flexible investment capacity and want a solution that provides long-term ROI by aligning with specific workflows.
Implementation Speed	Best for organizations that need a ready-to-use system immediately (e.g., payroll, CRM, or HR tools).	Recommended if you can invest time in development and testing, and prefer gradual deployment aligned with business processes.
Customization Needs	Works if you are comfortable using standard features with little or no modifications.	Essential if your business requires custom workflows, integrations, and unique functionalities not available in generic tools.
Scalability	Limited scalability as growth may require upgrades or new purchases of different software tools.	Highly scalable—custom solutions can evolve with your business and adapt to new challenges.
Compliance & Security	Standard compliance provided, but may not cover industry-specific regulations (finance, healthcare, etc.).	Strong fit for industries with complex legal, compliance, or data security requirements.
Long-Term Value	Cost-effective for short-term or general-purpose use, but may create dependency on vendor updates.	Higher upfront cost but ensures long-term flexibility, independence, and strategic advantage.
Maintenance & Support	Vendor handles updates, but you may face limitations in control or additional support charges.	You have complete control over updates, support, and future modifications, ensuring business continuity and autonomy.

What Is MOTS?

MOTS software (Modified Off-the-Shelf) is also software that is ready-made for purchase, but that has been customized to fit the requirements of a particular business or application. Rather than create an entirely new system, companies will adapt and evolve an existing solution.

This modification can involve:

• Adding to or subtracting functionality.\n
• Performance improvements (e.g., using processing speed in real-time actions ).
• Connecting to proprietary tools (like homemade APIs, specialized hardware, or in-house platforms).

In other words, MOTS fills the gap between the cost, availability, and high risk retarding the use of COTS, and the flexibility provided by custom development.

Why is MOTS important? 

Development time is faster than custom software development – Teams do not need to reinvent the wheel; they are able to leverage a stable and functional base.

• Less expensive than full custom software – You are not having to build out a full custom experience from scratch, but still getting your unique facts and circumstances covered.
• Vendor support– Because MOTS builds from COTS, organizations are still able to get updates, bug fixes, and security patches from the original vendor.

For businesses exploring when to choose MOTS versus building from scratch, resources like steps of implementation of custom software provide valuable insights into this.

Examples Of MOTS

1. Airbus – Flight Control Systems
   Airbus has taken the use of COTS/RTOS (VxWorks and others) and then modified it for avionics (MOTS). The adaptation ensures that software is compliant with strict aviation safety standards (DO-178C compliance) yet still profits from a stable COTS basis.

2. Banking Sector – SAP & Oracle
   Many Big banks use SAP or Oracle Financial Systems as a COTS base. But then they build MOTS-level customizations for addressing regulatory compliance, fraud detection, and integration with their internal risk management platforms.

Advantages Of MOTS

Organizations can benefit from out-of-the-box solutions and tailor them to their exact requirements. MOTS (Modified Off-the-Shelf) software solution enables this to be a possibility. It falls in between inflexible COTS offerings and expensive all-custom solutions, so it’s a viable choice for many enterprises and government entities.

Here are some of the primary benefits:

1. Customized Functionality
   One of the most beneficial things about the MOTS system software is its ability to fill in the space between commercial off-the-shelf limitations and the customized or unique needs of a company. While Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) software comes with a set of features, MOTS allows you to tweak, add to, or change the functionality according to your company’s business processes, interfaces, or compliance mandates. For instance, a public agency could deploy a COTS project management solution and tailor the reporting modules to comply with stringent auditing demands. That way, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel — you’re adding to something else, and making something that already exists work for you.

2. Faster Than Custom Development
   The speed of delivery is still another benefit. Developing a bespoke solution takes an awful lot of planning, coding, testing, and integration, a challenge that can take many months or years. MOTS reduces much of this groundwork because the COTS product has already taken care of it. Developers can build upon or modify portions of the software without reinventing the wheel. This speeds up deployment and provides flexibility to address special requirements. For example, a logistics company could tailor a COTS inventory management system to work with tracking drone-based deliveries in less time than it would take to develop the whole system from scratch.

3. Cost Effectiveness. 
   Financially, MOTS falls as an affordable solution between purchasing a full off-the-shelf tool and investing in a fully customised system. Despite being typically more expensive than pure COTS (customization and integration), MOTS is orders of magnitude cheaper than developing a complete platform from scratch. Companies save on the upfront costs of development, minimize risk, and still end up with a solution that feels like it was developed specifically for them. For instance, a health provider could adopt a premade COTS electronic health record (EHR) implementation system with MOTS customizations instead of developing a brand-new EHR system from scratch, a practice that would take millions of dollars and years to execute.

Also Read: EHR Implementation Cost Breakdown 2025

Disadvantages Of MOTS

Although MOTS software provides a compromise between low cost and customized, it has some limitations. Organizations contemplating MOTS should take a good, hard look at some of its potential drawbacks, particularly when the issues of long-term stability, vendor support, and hidden costs are taken into account – and there are some limitations that everybody should be aware of:

1. Increased Complexity
   The largest challenge that we face with MOTS is the additional complexity caused by customizations. Although the base software is a COTS product out of the box, as soon as you tailor it, each new upgrade or patch from the vendor can be problematic to integrate. In some cases, development teams will have to merge or reapply their customizations to the newer version—further slowing down the time to updates—and perhaps even introducing new bugs or compatibility issues. This complexity may affect the long-term stability of the software.

2. Vendor Support Risks
   A second disadvantage is that modified versions of the COTS products may not be supported by the vendors. Vendors may decline to supply help, patches, or warranty if the out-of-the-box software is modified. This leaves the organisation to either support the system itself, which means requiring a level of specialist technical support, or to contract third-party maintenance. In either case, dependence on external assessments may be higher, constraint, flexibility, and scalability.

3. Long-term Costs
   While MOTS is less expensive up front than a fully custom solution, it can become costly over time. And every time the COTS underpinning the software is updated by the vendor, the vendor code must be retested, re-integrated, and often rewritten. Not intensively (but repetitively) wasting time and increasing the total cost of ownership over the lifespan. Companies that do not plan for this continuing cost will actually end up finding MOTS to be more expensive than they originally expected.

Use Cases of MOTS

• Healthcare Industry –
  Commercial platform-based (like ERP/EHR) are tailored with compliance modules to achieve compliance with HIPAA.
• Defense & Government –
  MOTS solutions are highly utilized to meet mission-specific needs. Contractors typically couple COTS with layered security and regulatory add-ons.
• Aerospace & Aviation –
  Aircraft OEMs often leverage MOTS by choosing a commercial avionics OS (e.g., VxWorks or Linux variations) and tailoring the OS for their hardware as well as safety-critical requirements.
• Enterprise Software –
  Organisations can customise ERP, CRM, or operating systems, but also integrate industry-specific extensions for enhanced usability and compliance.

What Is GOTS?

GOTS is short for Government Off-The-Shelf software, which is software created by the government or an approved government vendor for government use only. Unlike COTS/MOTS products, GOTS products are not available for sale to the general public. It’s built to serve the special operational, regulatory, and security requirements of government organizations, especially in defense, aerospace, and intelligence. Software of this sort provides the best control, data protection, and compliance, and minimizes risks such as vendor lock-in or exposure to hidden vulnerabilities.

Why Is GOTS Important?

1. Built for Government – Tailored to meet specific operational and compliance needs.
   
2. High Security – Full ownership of source code ensures stronger control over data.
   
3. Cost-Effective – No recurring license fees; reusable across agencies.
   
4. Interoperable – Enables secure collaboration between government bodies.
   

Advantages Of GOTS

1. Maximum Control & Security
   GOTS gives the government the entire software stack, from source code to architecture to infrastructure. That control also enables security to be built to comply with stringent standards such as FedRAMP, IL4/IL5, or DoD cybersecurity requirements. Unlike commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software, which agencies must take on faith from outside vendors, government off-the-shelf software mitigates the vulnerabilities that accompany the potential for hidden backdoors or behavior an agency would not want emanating from a foreign supply chain. For instance, defense contractors can use GOTS tools while performing classified missions without the need to share sensitive data with third-party vendors. This makes GOTS particularly important in national security, defense, and intelligence settings where cyber attacks are pervasive.

2. Mission Alignment
   Unlike developing an existing commercially available tool to work for a government’s use case, GOTS is developed from the ground up to solve an agency’s specific needs. A good case in point is NASA’s Open Mission Control Technologies (OpenMCT), designed specifically for the visualization of spacecraft data and implementation of mission operations. Defense agencies use GOTS when there is no viable COTS alternative and can be found in missile defense systems, on the battlefield command platform, or in intelligence analysis software. This mission-driven approach to tailoring results in less compromise and more efficient operations in missions in which small gaps can lead to large consequences.

3. Shared Maintenance Across Agencies
   There are no per-seat fees or renewal costs, as all GOTS solutions are owned by the government. Instead, updates, bug fixes, and patches can be shared between different departments and agencies. For instance, if the Defense Department pays for a software upgrade, it may be shared with other defense branches at no additional cost. This results in a shared maintenance model in which everyone contributes, and continuity can be guaranteed. And it prevents vendor lock-in, because agencies don’t rely on third-party providers to keep their important systems running.

Disadvantages of GOTS

While GOTS software ensures security and compliance for government agencies, it also comes with trade-offs. From budget concerns to restricted scalability, these drawbacks can create long-term hurdles.

Below are some key disadvantages of GOTS solutions:

1. High Cost
   COTS products spread development costs across thousands of customers, whereas GOTS products are funded entirely by the taxpayer. Every step — design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance is paid for with government money. This, in turn, makes GOTS prohibitively expensive, particularly for projects that require highly specialised engineers and continued cybersecurity compliance. For instance, a GOTS system for intelligence analysis may take hundreds of millions to build, plus continuing annual sums for upgrades and security certifications. Such multi-decade costs must be prepared for, and they can swamp federal and defense budgets.

2. Long Time to Deliver
   GOTS software is famously slow to build because it must undergo a massive amount of R&D, security testing, and values compliance over deployment. Projects, according to Anthology, often require “personnel-intensive development” and years of financial investment. In reality, this translates into, by the time a solution is production-ready, the commercial alternatives could be observing the next iteration. For instance, whereas a GOTS logistics system might be 5+ years in the making, a COTS vendor could have released several new versions during this same time window, rendering the government solution obsolete before it even goes live.

3. Obsolescence Risk
   The GOTS systems work or fail based on continued funding and in-house knowledge. If Congress slashes budgets or key developers leave, such software can become stagnant fast. This is a real risk: many GOTS systems go out of date because agencies can’t afford to update them, becoming susceptible to cyberthreats or unable to work with new infrastructure. Unlike COTS suppliers, who have market forces that motivate them to evolve products, GOTS is solely reliant on government willpower. The result? Agencies can find themselves locked into outdated, insecure, and expensive-to-maintain legacy systems.

Use Cases of GOTS

• U.S. Navy Naval Simulation System (NSS):
  Commercial off-the-shelf system for training and operational simulation applications customized for naval needs.
• DOD’s SIMDIS 3D Visualization Tool:
  Developed in-house to secure the capability of visualizing, analyzing, and interpreting complex defense data.
• OpenMCT:
  A mission-control framework created by NASA engineers for spacecraft data and operations.
• Secure Email & Intelligence Tools:
  A number of government agencies develop GOTS applications for high-security communications and intelligence analysis, which COTS cannot accommodate. 
• COTS/CITR Military Mission Software:
  Some defense applications will create GOTS software from scratch in-house or via cleared contractors for classified roles.

What Is NOTS?

NOTS is software that is designed for niche markets or use cases. Where COTS products are mass-market offerings, NOTS applications address tight needs (e.g., medical record systems for health care, CAD tools for a particular type of engineering, point-of-sale systems for a given retail niche). In fact, one of the popular types of medical software in 2025 falls into this category, as it is created to meet highly specific healthcare requirements rather than serving a broad audience. Related is NATO Off-the-Shelf (NC3A’s vetted tools for alliance use). In practice, we concentrate on “niche” meaning: commercially available, but crafted around a specialized domain.

Why is NOTS Software Important?

1. Wide Availability – Developed by private companies, it’s easily accessible and widely used.
   
2. Lower Upfront Cost – Typically cheaper to acquire than custom government-built solutions.
   
3. Regular Updates – Backed by vendors who provide frequent upgrades and patches.
   
4. Innovation & Features – Leverages the latest technologies and user-driven improvements.
   

Advantages Of NOTS

1. Domain-specific fit
   NOTS is made specifically for businesses in industries with unique requirements, e.g., dental practice software, oilfield management tools, or aviation maintenance systems. Because NOTS already incorporates the industry-specific workflows and terminology, businesses do not spend extra resources customizing a COTS package that was designed for multiple industries.

2. Balance of customization
   COTS frequently requires a sizable number of expensive add-ons, whereas custom-built software takes a long time and requires high expenses. NOTS is balanced between the two. For instance, a boutique hospital can use a niche EHR system that was custom-designed for small health care providers and includes all of the necessary compliance features and patient workflows without having to build from scratch.

Disadvantages of NOTS

While NOTS software is designed to address unique, industry-specific needs, it does not come without challenges. Businesses often face issues related to compatibility, updates, and long-term maintenance. Below are some of the main disadvantages of NOTS solutions:

1. Limited Support/Community
   Because NOTS targets smaller industries, you typically have no giant forums, documentation, or third-party experts to turn to. When a company provides bad support or lets an update pace crawl, businesses can find themselves in a challenging situation when trying to sort things out — not so with COTS, where the wisdom of thousands is published daily in bug-fixes and resources.

2. Integration and Compatibility
   NOTS products are well-suited for their niche but often struggle to integrate seamlessly with enterprise-level systems such as ERP, CRM, or BI solutions. For example, a practice-specific legal case management system may not connect easily with a firm’s finance or HR platform, leading to the need for costly custom connectors.
   To overcome these gaps, many firms choose ERP Development Services to build customized integrations that streamline workflows. Similarly, investing in tailored CRM Development Services can ensure smoother data exchange and client management across platforms.

3. Vendor Lock-in
   With niche solutions comes less choice and a risk of overreliance on one supplier for businesses. If that vendor raises its prices, removes important features, or disappears entirely, migrating to a competing product could be very expensive and disruptive because there might not be a direct replacement.

Use Cases Of NOTS

• Healthcare & Medical Imaging: 
  Hospitals deploy NOTS products, such as advanced imaging or medical software, aimed at a specific department, without having to invest in a custom solution.
• Aviation & Flight Planning:
  Airliners and flight schools rely on apps with specialties such as flight planning or navigation, tailored to certain aircraft or routines.
• Research & Analytics:
  Research labs use specialized analytics platforms or general-purpose simulation software developed for specific experiments or datasets.
• Government & Defense:
  Some organizations or certain applications from the NATO apply NOTS solutions on mission-oriented projects (e.g., secure data analysis or logistics simulation).
• Advanced Manufacturing:
  NOTS machine-vision or robotics control software specific to custom production lines or equipment at plants.
• Public Health & Epidemiology:
  Epidemiological simulators with a specific focus on modeling an outbreak or tracking a disease could be embraced by health departments.

COTS Vs GOTS Vs MOTS Vs NOTS

The table below summarizes key differences across several factors. Cost, flexibility, support, compliance, scalability, and deployment speed vary significantly between models:

Attribute	COTS	MOTS	GOTS	NOTS
Cost (up-front)	Low – mass-market pricing	Moderate – base license plus dev cost	Very High – full development funded by the government	Highly specialized product with a smaller market
Flexibility/Customization	Low – limited custom features	Moderate – can tailor the product via customization	High – fully under agency control; source available	Moderate – tailored to a niche but limited outside domain
Vendor Support	Strong vendor/contractor support	Base vendor plus in-house/contractor support	Government-led support (internal/contractors)	Vendor support from niche supplier (often smaller)
Compliance/Security	Varies (may need extra add-ons)	Adaptable – can implement compliance features	Very High – built to strict regs (e.g., FedRAMP)	Domain-specific compliance is built in, but may still need adjustments
Scalability	High – designed for wide use (often cloud)	Moderate to High – inherits base scalability of COTS	Limited – designed for specific users; may not scale beyond the agency	Low–Moderate – serves a niche size; may not easily expand to general use
Deployment Speed	Fast – ready-to-install and configure	Moderate – faster than custom, but requires integration time	Slow – lengthy development and testing cycles	Moderate – quicker than building new, but still may need setup or minor config

Industry Trends and Developments

Advances in technology are reshaping off-the-shelf software models. Notable current trends include:

• AI/ML in COTS:
  Commercial providers have started integrating AI and analytics into solutions. For instance, numerous commercial but off-the-shelf (COTS) business applications now include artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML)/cognitive functionality for automation and foresight.
  To fully leverage these capabilities, many businesses turn to specialized AI integration services, ensuring seamless adoption and alignment of AI features with their existing systems.
  
• Cloud-Native and Hybrid Deployments:
  Many COTS and MOTS solutions are provided as software-as-a-service (SaaS) or platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings. Cloud-native MOTS are becoming commonplace, TechTarget reports, enabling firms (and agencies) to easily integrate bespoke off-the-shelf apps across on-premises and multi-cloud environments.
  
• Cybersecurity and Compliance Prioritization:
  GOTS and Gov COTS (such as FedRAMP-authorized SaaS). Now, building in security is in the spotlight. GOTS projects that are new frequently begin under prioritization of encryption and standards (GDPR, FedRAMP, IEC, etc.)
  
• Defense and Low-Risk Innovation:
  The aerospace & defense community continues to continue to adopt validated COTS/MOTS options for attractive, time and cost-saving outcomes. Industry analysts foresee continued focus on COTS/MOTS approaches to defense modernization (per the SWaP-C initiative), integrating readily available parts with new concepts.
  
• Specialization in NOTS:
  Niche markets get smarter, not off the shelf. For instance, companies in advanced manufacturing and the biotech field are using customised COTS solutions that arrive supporting regulatory or scientific requirements.

Conclusion

Knowing COTS, MOTS, GOTS, and NOTS can enable enterprises to make well-informed decisions regarding the selection of software applications that meet their requirements in terms of objectives, cost, and activities. COTS is the fastest to implement and least expensive for typical business requirements, while some balance is retained by MOTS in its use of adaptation of already available applications. 

Government and Defense (GOTS) GOTS provides the highest level of control, security, and mission alignment for government and defense applications, but it also comes with a premium cost and longer development time. 

NOTS plugs the market gaps with niche functionality, but lacks in support and scalability. By weighing the tradeoffs in cost, flexibility, compliance, and long-term maintenance, companies and agencies alike can use the style of software best suited to drive performance, mitigate risk, and earn the technology they need to realize present and future goals.