>Hi All,
>
>Just want to throw an idea around with the community. From time to time our company gets confronted with a large corporate client or prospect and the inevitable question of what will happen if the lead developer / IT-guy drops dead, in other words, what's the continuity plan for the software. Normally we tell the client / prospect a combination of the following:
>
>1) Source code is extensively documented
>
>2) Surviving management have;
> 2.1) Lists of contract developers for hire
> 2.2) Lists of developer communities where new programmers can be found and hired/contracted
>
>3) Software can be placed in escrow
>
>4) We are prepared to train one of their developers (rarely, if ever, do we use this one)
>
>However, it occurred to me that perhaps there is a more elegant solution especially since this problem is not unique. Is there an organization/website where;
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>1) Developers post their CVs on the website, listing skill sets, resources, work history, photos, samples of work / screenshots, etc.
>
>2) Each developer can connect with other developers explaining their software, the requirements, what it does, what libraries it uses, what is needed (just in general terms - no secrets exposed).
>
>3) Other developers indicate whether they feel comfortable to be able to take over or support your software and listing their reasons for that belief (e.g. have the software skills, language, experience, etc.)
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>4) Maybe even have an escrow facility built into it whereby someone could see when last (and each prior time) software was uploaded for escrow.
>
>The purpose is not to just setup an association of developers - they exist and are really just a sort of community. The purpose I am after is to specifically show how your software has continuity in the event that you get hit by the proverbial bus. A resource which can be shown to a client/prospect to make them feel safe that the future of your products are secured.
>
>Does it exist?

Linked-In might be used for all items you mention in 1). The rest might be the base of a website/community you build. If it's good I'd consider an opt-in, even if it costs some money.

A big company always chooses software from a 'big' software company merely because it is assumed that such a company does have lots of developers maintaining the software. This is not always (always not?) the case. But somehow such a software company succeeds in letting the customer think it is indeed the case.