What does software scalability refer to?

Software scalability refers to the capacity of a system to handle a growing amount of work or its potential to accommodate growth without compromising performance. This means that as user demand increases—whether through more transactions, additional users, or the need for additional features—the software can adapt seamlessly.

This adaptability can occur both by increasing the resources available (such as adding more servers to distribute the load) and optimizing existing processes to ensure performance remains stable. In essence, a scalable system can grow with the organization and its needs, ensuring that performance and service quality are maintained even during peak usage times or as new functionalities are introduced.

The other choices reflect different aspects of software and design but do not pertain to the concept of scalability. Decreasing functionality doesn't relate to adaptability; development processes and user interface design, while crucial to software’s effectiveness and user experience, do not address how well the software can adjust to changing demands.