What happens to your software if the supplier falls away?
How much impact does that have on your continuity?

Softcrow offers continuity solutions that keep your software available and running. So that you can always carry on, even if the supplier goes bankrupt or ceases its business activities.

When software escrow is relevant

• The supplier of your software goes bankrupt: undisturbed use of the software is at risk
• The supplier stops maintenance: no more updates, but the software is business-critical
• The SaaS service falls away: in one go not only your software but also all your data is no longer available
• A regulator asks for demonstrable continuity measures: DORA, NIS2 and other frameworks
• The entire cloud service must stay operational, even if the supplier goes bankrupt: CloudSecure®
• The software you use contains AI components: model weights and source code can be deposited just like traditional software

Key features of our escrow schemes

• Sovereign, free from the CLOUD and USA PATRIOT Act: 100% EU-hosted in EU data centres
• Zero-knowledge storage: Softcrow has no access to the contents (E2EE)
• Legally watertight: the deposit does not form part of the bankruptcy estate
• On bankruptcy a deposit is directly available to the rightful party
• No vendor lock-in on release: unpack with standard software, no dependence on Softcrow
• Part of IT risk management: relevant for compliance frameworks such as DORA, NIS2 and ISO 22301
• Softcrow’s own continuity is safeguarded, even if Softcrow itself falls away

How does it work in practice?

A software escrow touches on both legal and technical aspects. The supplier delivers an encrypted deposit at the agreed moments; Softcrow stores it zero-knowledge in SecureStorage and the beneficiary holds the encryption key. Once the release conditions are met, Softcrow releases the deposit and the beneficiary opens it with their own key. Optionally, a verification audit checks whether a working version of the software can be built from the deposit. The full process is set out step by step on the process page.

The escrow process in one overview →

Transparent cost structure

Softcrow uses clear, fixed rates: a one-off set-up fee and an annual fee per beneficiary under the agreement. By default enough storage space and data traffic is included. Need more? No problem: we settle the extra usage afterwards. All rates are fully transparent.

View the rates →