>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.)
>
>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?

It's a common problem. There is another discussion at http://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9128/how-can-i-prepare-for-getting-hit-by-a-bus

You've covered most if not all of the bases for mitigating the bus scenario. ISTR seeing something a few months back about someone creating a company or organization to deal with this exact situation, don't have a link, unfortunately. How well that org would be able to herd the cats is an open question.

Peter brings up an excellent point about larger software companies. A situation I ran into lately got me thinking about this:

- A client bought a semi-custom solution based on Microsoft Dynamics, with .Net customizations for $X

- After using it for a year, it turns out Microsoft has ceased support for the version of Dynamics on which the current version is based. To continue to use it would require upgrading to the latest version of Dynamics and significant rewriting of the .Net customizations. Even getting a "deal" recognizing the short useful life of the current version, the cost to bring the solution forward would be ~60% of the original purchase cost (call this $Y)

- Instead, the client will likely go with a field-for-field replacement written in Java (I don't yet know the exact details). Total cost something like 30% of $Y (not $X)

The kicker is the guy offering the Java solution is the same guy who supports the current solution - an independent developer. IOW he's dropping Dynamics/.Net in favour of Java.

So when someone asks me these "bus scenario" questions I recommend that they ask the same questions of "large" suppliers. They might find:

- the "large" solution is based on an expensive or obsolete platform
- customizations are familiar to only one person at the organization - or outsourced, so no-one at the "large" company is familiar with them
- the "large" company may be unwilling to offer options independents might (like software escrow) or even be affronted that a customer might ask about that

IOW a "large" company may be just as vulnerable to the bus scenario as an independent, but be unwilling to admit it, and unwilling to offer as many, or any, mitigations.

One area where a large company will have an advantage is if the client is looking to purchase software with zero, or very few customizations e.g. QuickBooks.

... unless they get disrupted by a small, nimble outfit using different technology :)