Capterra Glossary
In a software context, emulation is the process of using a computer device or application to mimic the behavior of another device or program. Typically, emulation involves running different operating systems in a singular virtual environment. Emulation can be used to run an operating system on a computer device that it was not originally designed for, or to run legacy applications on modern devices.
Small and midsize businesses often use emulation to run computer programs that weren't initially designed to run on their current operating system. For example, if an organization that only uses iOS devices needs to run a Windows application they would need to use a software emulation service.