Many vendors will require a commitment by the user to provide sufficient staffing to handle certain implementation tasks. A provision for the escrow and release of the source code is essential. Programmers easily understand source code and a user could continue to support the software even if the vendor goes out of business. The escrow agent will charge a fee for its service and this fee is often passed on to the user. The user should secure written assurances regarding the compatibility of the software and existing hardware.
Users often pay vendors to write custom software.
Specifications and warranties for the custom software must be explicitly discussed and the ownership of the custom software clearly established. Training and education of a user's support staff and individual users entail a significant commitment of cost and time and need to be clarified. Often, the number of training sessions is limited. However, the vendor should explicitly agree to keep this information confidential.