Addressing Common Questions About Having Custom Software Made
Posted on: 5 August 2016
Having custom software made for your business can be an excellent way of ensuring that your employees have the tools needed to succeed. Unfortunately, it can be common for business leaders to be unsure of what they should expect from having this type of software made. In particular, you may need to have the following couple of questions answered so that you can be better prepared for what to expect from this process.
Will You Receive The Source Code For Your Software?
Possessing the source code for your software is essential if you will ever need another developer to work on the program. In many instances, the developer may be hesitant about releasing the code to the customer. Without this code, it would be exceedingly difficult for the developer to decompile and analyze the program, which could dramatically increase the cost of needing to have work done to it. Unfortunately, developers will retire or go out of business, and when this happens, you may be concerned about what happens to your code.
Luckily, you should be relieved to learn that many developers will use a software escrow service. When using these services, the escrow service will release the source code to customers in the event the developer is no longer able to maintain the software.
How Does Software Escrow Work?
When a developer utilizes a software escrow service, they will provide the service with the source code as well as identifying information from the purchaser. This can be the name and contact information, a confirmation code or any other unique identifying information. By providing this verification to the escrow service, they will send you a copy of the source original source code as well as any additions or updates that were made to the program. While this may seem like an inconvenient system, it is essential for protecting the rights of the software developer and the client.
Having custom software made can be a rather intimidating process the first time that you order these programs. However, if you are fairly informed about what to expect from using these services, you will find that you are in a far better position for being able to make informed decisions during this process. To this end, knowing that many developers utilize escrow services for delivering source code and the way that these services work will help you to be a better-informed customer when using these services to meet your enterprise's technological needs.
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