DEPONEST – Software Escrow services
- Three-party escrow agreement
- Two-party escrow agreement
- Addtional services
- Price list of software escrow services
Three-party escrow agreement
Three-party software escrow agreement between a software producer, software user and Deponest s.r.o., usually required by the software user, is the main part of our offer. Sources codes are delivered on meeting the conditions agreed on in the agreement (e.g. producer in bankruptcy, termination of the relation by the producer, violation of the SLA etc). Securing source codes by this type of escrow is recommended mainly in following cases:
- relatively big investments in software;
- application tailored to the client’s needs;
- know-how hidden in the source codes;
- business-critical information system.
Following are parts of our standard service:
- creating a tailored agreement based on existing contractual relationships;
- technical consultations on depositing a given type of software;
- check of integrity of the received data;
- verification of completeness of all the items according to the inventory;
- verification of other conditions agreed on (e.g. file sizes);
- antivirus scan;
- output report with all the files in the archive;
- deposit update two times a year.
Ask for a template of our three-party agreement.
Two-party escrow agreement
Two-party escrow agreement may become part of an offer of products and services of a software producer. Software escrow conditions agreed on beforehand provide the producer mainly with following:
- potential better credibility;
- simplified contractual conditions (e.g. in terms of licenses);
- lower risks of lawsuits;
- indisputable competitive advantage.
Following are parts of our standard services:
- creating a tailored agreement based on existing contractual relationships;
- technical consultations on depositing a given type of software;
- check of integrity of the received data;
- verification of completeness of all the items according to the inventory;
- verification of other conditions agreed on (e.g. file sizes);
- antivirus scan;
- output report with all the files in the archive;
- deposit update two times a year.
Two-party agreements are tailored based on the types of products, technologies, and services offered. We are ready to discuss with you the solutions that fit you best. In case you are interested in this type of agreement, please contact us.
Additional services and options
Technical verification
Software producers guarantee by contract to deposit all the source codes including tools, instructions, software etc. necessary to create complete and usable software. The only reliable way to verify this fact is to flawlessly compile source codes and then to verify the basic functionality of the application. The same procedure is used to verify if the version of the application received really corresponds to the version used in client’s production. Compiling the deposited software is the highest level of this technical verification. However, it is possible to agree on a specific verification procedure, i.e. to check versions of individual files based on the information inserted by a version control system, to check versions of libraries of third parties etc.
It is obvious that carrying out the technical verification is not compatible with using the extra safety software escrow, as DEPONEST needs to be able to read the source codes. This is why in such a case we focus on securing them by contract.
Extra safety software escrow
This option is extension of basic verification. We are able to carry out the basic verification without reading the contents of the source codes which is the protected verification. Using this service eliminates the risks of revealing the source codes.
With the help of specialized software the user generates several keys; a public key designed to encipher the data needs to be sent to the software producer while a private key for deciphering is to be kept at a safe place. This tool uses an asymmetric RSA algorithm in combination with a powerful symmetric cipher. DEPONEST checks if all the files agreed on and defined in the inventory are present with no need to be able to read the contents of those files.
For more information about extra safety software escrow process check the site technologies.
Extraordinary update of deposit
We recommend to update the deposit on introducing a new version of the information system in client’s production. An option to update the contents of the deposit two times a year is part of standard escrow services, and in most cases it is sufficient. However, we offer extraordinary updates at any time during the deposit period, if needed.
Adding another licensed product
The two-party software escrow offers one deposit, i.e. a deposit for one licensed product. It is possible to expand the agreement for more products at any time during the deposit period.