Answers
The questions people ask us most about business software, each answered in its first paragraph. Where the question is about cost, the answer uses our published prices.
Questions
- How much does software maintenance cost?What software maintenance costs for a bespoke business system in the UK: how monthly support plans are priced, what moves the fee and how to compare quotes.
- How much does a code audit cost?What a code audit of a bespoke business application costs in the UK, what the fixed price covers, how long it takes and what moves the figure you are quoted.
- How much does bespoke software cost?What bespoke software costs in the UK, with published fixed-price ranges for four common projects and the factors that move a quote for a larger system.
- How much does it cost to replace legacy software?What it costs to replace legacy software in the UK: published ranges for small systems, why larger ones need scoping and how staging spreads the cost.
- How much does it cost to convert an Access database to a web app?What it costs to convert a Microsoft Access database to a web application in the UK, and how forms, VBA code, data quality and integrations move the price.
- Can another company take over our software?Yes, another company can take over bespoke software if you hold the source code. What a takeover needs, how it starts and what to do if the code is missing.
- Who owns the source code of bespoke software?Who owns the source code of bespoke software in the UK depends on the contract. What the default is, which clauses to check and what to hold a copy of.
- What happens when software reaches end of support?When software reaches end of support it keeps running, but security fixes stop and the software around it moves on. What changes and what to do about it.
- Should we rewrite or modernise legacy software?Whether to rewrite or modernise legacy software: why staged modernisation is usually safer, and when a full rewrite or a packaged product is the right call.
- How long does it take to take over a software system?How long a software takeover takes: the audit is 1 to 2 weeks, and the handover depends on access, documentation and how releases are made. What helps.
- What should a software support contract include?What a software support contract should include: systems covered, hours, response times by severity, chargeable change, ownership, ending it and handback.
Us or the alternatives
Each comparison says when the alternative is the better choice.
- A software company or a freelance developerHow a freelancer and a software company compare, and when each fits
- A software company or an in-house developerEmploying a developer compared with using a company, and when each fits
- A UK software company or an offshore teamWhere an offshore team and a UK company differ, and when each fits
- Bespoke software or a low-code platformLow-code platforms and bespoke software compared, and when each fits
Tell us about your system
Say what it does, what it is built on and what is worrying you. We will reply with what we would look at first and whether we are the right people to help.
Tell us about your system 0800 433 7990 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. A first 20-minute call is free, and we reply to every enquiry within one working day. What happens after you get in touch