If you do, it's important to make sure you own the components or have the right to allow the vendor to use them. Make sure that any software license you provide allows a third party, such as the software developer, to use it on your behalf. If you lease development equipment, make sure you have the right to relocate it and allow the vendor to use it on your behalf. All of this may seem like trivia, but it could be costly if it's overlooked. Your development agreement should also provide for the timely return of all the development environment components you provided.
Some licenses allow only short-term use.
If the third party is a direct competitor of the licensor, it will be more difficult to obtain an extended right of use. The key to this puzzle is understanding and agreeing up front what's standard and what's unique. The vendor should be responsible for the standard stuff, and you should be responsible for the unique stuff. Regardless, make sure you're getting what you're paying for - or not paying for something you're not getting. In my Sept. 4 column, I ran an e-mailed question from Mike, a vice president of a regional bank who asked for input on a few vendor liability and accountability issues.