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Many organizations spend a huge proportion of their annual IT budget on paying for existing software support and maintenance contracts – and you should, too!

After signing the software licensing agreement and deploying the solution, the customer is typically very happy with the software and its functionalities. Fast forward through one or two trouble-free years and the question about the importance of the maintenance agreement is arising. So, what are the benefits of the maintenance agreement?

 

Understanding the importance of software maintenance in general

Software maintenance is a very broad activity that includes error correction, enhancements of capabilities, deletion of obsolete capabilities, and optimization. Because change is inevitable, any work done to change the software after it is in operation is considered to be maintenance work. The purpose is to preserve the value of the software over time. The value can be enhanced by meeting additional requirements, becoming easier to use, increasing efficiency, and employing and staying up-to-date with newer technology.

 

The software maintenance agreement

The agreement specifies the annual cost that you pay for upgrades and technical support of the software. Most vendors start maintenance the moment you sign the contract or begin the implementation. Cloud solution providers charge monthly or annually, so maintenance is a part of the service they provide. Maintenance revenue provides software companies with the resources to improve their product by keeping up with the latest technology changes that enhance the user experience and increase productivity.

Maintaining a software solution is extremely important. It keeps the system healthy to deal with changing technical and business environments on a regular basis. IT service providers suggest maintenance services for their clients for the consistent and enhanced performance of the system.

 

5 benefits of regular software maintenance

Here are some of the most important benefits that regular software maintenance does for your system:

Bug Fixing
In maintenance management, bug fixing comes at a priority to run the software seamlessly. This process consists of searching for errors in the code and correcting them. The issues can occur in hardware, operating systems or any part of software. This must be done without interfering with the rest of the functionalities of the existing software.

Access to Expert Technicians
No software solution is perfect, and the ability to open a trouble ticket with the manufacturer who is most familiar with the software is critical. Consider the down time, the blind troubleshooting, and frustration that could result from not having an expert to lean on.

Capability Enhancement
Capability enhancement consists of improving features and functions to make the solution compatible with the varying market environment. It enhances software platforms, work patterns, hardware upgrades, compilers and all other aspects that affect system workflow.

Performance Improvement
Developers detect issues through testing and constantly resolve them, which improves system performance. Also, elements of the UI and coding are removed and replaced with new developments, using the latest tools and technologies. This prevents the solution from vulnerabilities and harmful activities like hacking.

Upgrade Protection
Some features may not have been in the version of the product you purchased a year ago, but it will be in the upcoming release. As long as you have renewed your maintenance agreement, you will be able to upgrade easily to the new version. Now, you may leverage that new feature you’ve been waiting to see. You don’t want to fall behind the competition because you are manually performing a task that your current investment could perform for you, just because you couldn’t perform an upgrade.

 

Have any questions or want more information? Leave us a comment and let us know!