Software stays secure and current only with care

Yes, once an application is used in production, a service contract makes sense. Software does not age visibly like a machine, but just as reliably: security gaps are constantly discovered in dependencies and frameworks, browsers and operating systems change, interfaces get restructured. Without regular updates, a stable application slowly turns into a risk, especially when personal data is processed and the GDPR applies. A service contract solves this structurally: updates, backups and monitoring happen regularly, not only after something has failed. On top of that you get a fixed contact who knows the application and does not need onboarding in an emergency. The alternative, fixing problems ad hoc, is almost always more expensive and more stressful than planned care. If you are unsure which scope fits, look at the three tiers on this page or just ask briefly.

Additional effort is billed transparently by time spent; the flat rate covers the agreed allowance, and anything beyond it we discuss beforehand. Concretely: if a request looks like it will exceed the monthly allowance, you get an estimate of the extra effort upfront and decide yourself whether and when the work is done. There are no silent back-charges and no surprises on the invoice. If your needs are regularly higher, switching to a larger tier often pays off, for example from Basic to Business: that is usually cheaper than repeated individual billing and gets you prioritized support. Conversely, if your needs stay low, you can scale down again. How unused allowances are handled is something we settle in the contract. That keeps the flat rate fair: you pay for what you actually need.

Yes, in many cases I also take over software that someone else built. The prerequisite is a short technical assessment: I look at the code, infrastructure, dependencies and documentation and check what condition the application is in. Then you get an honest evaluation: what works solidly, where the risks are, and what should be cleaned up before a takeover. Typical first steps after a takeover are updating outdated dependencies, setting up backups and monitoring, and closing known security gaps. Sometimes the analysis shows that an application is in such poor shape that a gradual rebuild would be more economical; I will tell you that openly too, instead of artificially keeping a hopeless case alive. Contact with the original developer is helpful but not required: access to the code and hosting is usually enough.

A 12-month minimum term with a fair notice period is common; we settle the details individually in the contract. The minimum term has a practical reason: maintenance works over months, not weeks. The real value only builds over time, namely an application that is kept continuously up to date and a contact who knows it inside out. After the minimum term, the contract usually renews automatically and remains cancellable with reasonable notice; nobody gets locked in artificially. Adjustments during the term are possible too, for example switching to a different tier when your needs change. If a contract ends, you get an orderly handover: access credentials, documentation and data exports, so a successor can continue cleanly. If you have particular requirements for term or cancellation, just raise them in the initial call.

Response time depends on the chosen tier: in Basic I respond within one business day, in Business within four hours for critical issues, and Premium adds an SLA with guaranteed availability and a fixed escalation matrix. Response means: I review the problem, give you a first assessment and start on the fix or a workaround. How fast a bug is fully resolved depends on its cause; you get an honest assessment on that too, instead of vague reassurances. To prevent outages in the first place, monitoring and regular security updates are part of every tier: many problems surface before users even notice them. Business-critical systems with high availability requirements are best placed in Premium. Tell me how critical your application is and I will recommend the right tier.