I think a big part of this is that business requirements for software tend to change pretty quickly; where the requirements for physical things don't. A desk f

I think a big part of this is that business requirements for software tend to change pretty quickly; where the requirements for physical things don't. A desk from 1900 almost exactly fits the requirements for a desk in 2013 (other than what's in style, and the 'timeless' look often works). Even the 'foundational' software and reports in a business have to change due to the market and goals of the business evolving.