What term refers to the software that manages computer hardware and software resources?

The term that refers to the software managing computer hardware and software resources is operating system. An operating system serves as an intermediary between users and the computer hardware components, facilitating communication and managing system resources like memory management, process scheduling, and input/output operations.

It provides a user interface, whether it’s graphical or command-line, which allows users to interact with the computer without needing in-depth technical knowledge about the hardware. Moreover, the operating system oversees the execution of application software, enabling them to run efficiently by allocating necessary resources and managing system tasks.

In contrast, application software is designed to perform specific tasks for users, utility software helps in managing, maintaining, and controlling computer resources, and firmware refers to low-level software that is closely tied to hardware and provides control and configuration for the hardware's operations. Each of these plays a distinct role, but none provides the broad management functionality of an operating system.