Software Maintenance and Support Agreement
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- Last edited 5 years ago by Margit Link-Rodrigue
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The Software Maintenance and Support Agreement ("Maintenance Agreement") is a service for software projects.
Maintaining and supporting a software is a very extensive activity that includes bug fixes, enhancements to functions, deleting obsolete features, and optimization. As changes are inevitable, mechanisms for assessment, control, and modification must be developed.
The software maintenance service ("maintenance") ensures that a software system is reliably kept up to date. The updates affect both the standard software and the custom extensions. It comes with minor fixes - the patches to fix bugs - and updates that often include improved or even new features.
The costs for software maintenance are incurred annually. The minimum contract term of a maintenance contract is two years.
The support service provides support beyond the software maintenance for the user or operator while the system is running.
The software support is used to clarify questions, help with the administration and provide immediate assistance with configuration. It can be used for acute repairs or corrections.
Also included is an account for the ticketing system where support requests can be placed. A technician will then process and answer the request.
Pricing overview:
| Service | annual cost (example) |
|---|---|
| Basic cost software maintenance | € 1.000 |
| 10 hours support | € 1.200 |
| 25 hours support | € 2.900 € |
| 50 hours support | € 5.500 |
Value retention
Therefore, any changes to the software after comissioning is considered maintenance. The goal is to preserve the value of the software over time. The value can be increased by meeting additional requirements, simplifying operation, increasing efficiency and using new technologies. Maintenance can last over 20 years, while development can last 1 to 2 years.