O terceiro refere-se a outra empresa que produz software para o produto de fornecedores original
Por exemplo: quase todos os aplicativos do iPhone são criados por terceiros (não pela própria Apple)
In computer programming, third party software component is a reusable software component developed to be either freely distributed or sold by an entity other than the original vendor of the development platform.
The third party software component market thrives because component oriented development improves the efficiency and quality of developing custom applications.