You might be familiar with traditional on-premise source code escrow. It focuses on the release of source code to an end-user because the object code of the software is often already running on the end-user's own servers and hardware.
But for cloud-hosted applications, there’s a broader range of supply chain dependencies an end-user has to consider if they want to remain secure and resilient in the cloud.
When an application is hosted in the cloud, the product environment, source code and data are controlled and managed by the software vendor.
This means that if the software vendor suffers a service failure, becomes insolvent or defaults on its service obligations the end-user will likely lose access to the software, the production environment and any data it has stored within it.
To avoid this, end-users need a solution that gives them both system and data recoverability. The most efficient way to achieve this is to implement a Cloud Software Escrow Agreement supported by Cloud Software Escrow Verification.
A Cloud Software Escrow Agreement protects a SaaS end-users third-party software license agreement by storing source code, critical data and other important cloud materials necessary to support an application in the long term.
We store this material in our highly secure vaults to ensure that the material can be accessed and released when it’s needed.
Cloud Escrow Verification validates the accuracy and usability of the materials held under the agreement and gives the SaaS end-user the knowledge required to plan their exit plan accordingly.
The technical documentation produced following the Verification enables the end-user to redeploy and maintain the third-party SaaS application, without additional support from the SaaS vendor.
Choosing the most suitable Cloud Escrow solution will depend on the type of cloud-hosted application being used, how the application is configured and provided by the software vendor and most importantly, what you, as the end-user, would need access to maintain the application.
“My SaaS application is in a multi-tenanted environment and supports a key function across the organization.”
We recommend Escrow as a Service Replicate. We take a replicated snapshot of the live environment and transfer it into our secure environment. It will enable you to rebuild and restore the production environment of the application in the event of SaaS vendor failure.
“I will need to retrieve and restore critical data in a useable format to demonstrate compliance with my industries regulations.”
EaaS Replicate & Recover is the most suitable solution here. We store Intellectual Property and software application-specific material in Escrow and frequently automate real-time database back-ups to ensure full recoverability of both a critical application and most recent data in a release event.
“I will need continued access to the latest iteration of my single-tenanted application.”
We take the necessary credentials, such as usernames, passwords and source code and deposit these into Escrow. So, if your SaaS vendor can no longer support the application you can regain access to the latest iteration of it.
No matter which solution you choose, software escrow for cloud-hosted applications offers end-users a contingency plan in the event their vendor can no longer support applications that an end-user considers mission-critical to their businesses.
Download our Cloud Escrow solutions brochure below 👇
