Software maintenance and support that keeps you running
Our software maintenance and support keeps the application your customers use every day watched and up to date. It makes no difference if we built it or another company did.
We keep your live product monitored and improving
Monitoring, fixes and updates for your live application, with response times agreed up front.
What we cover
- Uptime monitoringWe check your application around the clock
- Error trackingFailed checks go to the right engineer
- Security patchingFixes that close known weaknesses
- Backups and restore testsWe test restores so backups really work
- Dependency updatesOutside code libraries kept up to date
- Performance tuningStops growing data from slowing pages
- Reply within one business day
- Response times agreed in advance
What software maintenance and support includes
Software needs looking after once it's live. Phones and browsers update. The outside code libraries your product relies on release security fixes you need to apply. And as your data grows, pages that loaded instantly at launch start to drag. Leave it alone for a year and small issues build up until a customer runs into one before you do.
With our application support services, we keep an eye on your system and apply updates and security patches (fixes that close known weaknesses). When something breaks, we fix it. When we spot something that could work better, we suggest it. Each kind of issue has a response time we agree with you before we start.
Who this service is for
- Businesses with a live product but nobody free to look after it.
- Teams whose original developer has left and taken the know how with them.
- Owners of older systems still running on outdated technology.
- Companies that have just launched and now want a smaller team to keep things steady.
Application support services we provide
This is the routine that runs in the background and keeps your product healthy long after launch day.
The support cycle
- MonitorAutomatic checks run day and night to see if your site is up, how fast it is and whether errors are climbing.
- DetectWhen a check fails, the right engineer gets an alert. Anything you report gets rated, from urgent down to minor.
- Key stepFixWe track down the root cause (the real reason behind the fault), fix it and add a test that catches it if it ever comes back.
- ReleaseWe try every fix and update on a copy of your system first, then release it at a time you've agreed.
- ReportYou get a plain English note on what changed and what small improvements we'd suggest next.
The cycle runs continuously.
How software support begins
From the first call to full cover usually takes about two weeks. Here's what happens in that time.
- Review your systemWe look through your code, hosting and backups, then send you a short health report.Week 1
- Agree response tiersTogether we decide how quickly each kind of issue gets answered and who on your side can raise requests.Week 1
- Key stepSwitch on monitoringWe turn on uptime checks and error tracking, so we hear about problems as they happen.Week 2
- Fix, report, improveFrom here the regular support cycle takes over.Ongoing
Support tiers and response times
You pick the tier that matches how much your business leans on the product. Either way, an urgent fault is dealt with before a routine request.
| Tier | Suits | What it includes | Response target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential care | Stable, lower risk products that change slowly | Uptime checks, planned updates, bug fixing | Within one business day |
| Standard care | Products your business relies on daily | Monitoring with alerts in your working day, monthly updates | Within a few hours in your working day |
| Priority care | Systems your business can't run without, where downtime costs you money | Monitoring with alerts at any hour, fastest response | Same day, including urgent issues outside normal hours |
Legacy system support
An old system that keeps falling over needs to be steadied before anyone rebuilds it. Once it's stable, we can modernise it step by step with custom software or cloud migration. Our guide to legacy system modernisation explains the options.
- StabiliseWe add monitoring and backups, then fix the faults doing the most damage.
- DocumentWe write down how the system works, so it no longer lives in one person's head.
- ProtectWe close the known security holes in old code libraries and servers.
- Key stepModernise in stepsWe replace one part at a time and test each change before moving on to the next.
Taking over from another vendor
- We review before we agree anything. You'll know what we're taking on, and so will we, before we set response tiers.
- Your access moves over properly. Accounts, hosting and domains are transferred cleanly and stored securely.
- Gaps get written down during the handover, so you can see them too.
- You won't need your previous vendor once the access is in place.
What our support covers
We look after web and mobile applications and their APIs (the connections that let systems share data). That includes the databases behind them and the AWS or Azure servers they run on.
What the cost of support depends on
- Your response tier, and whether you need cover outside normal hours.
- How big and how old the system is.
- How many environments we look after, such as a test copy and the live site.
- How many improvements you want from us each month.
You get the cost in writing before support starts. To compare ways of working with us, see our engagement models page.
What comes with every support plan
- A health report on your system when we start.
- Monitoring, with alerts sent to our engineers at the hours your plan covers.
- Response times agreed for each kind of issue.
- Regular reports on what we fixed and what we suggest next.
- Up to date documentation, which belongs to you along with all the code.
Software support in practice
Your software support questions answered
Yes, we do this often. During the handover we go through the code and the servers it runs on, so we know what we're looking after before we take it on.
That depends on your tier. On Priority care we respond the same day, even outside normal hours. On Standard care you hear from us within a few hours during your working day.
Maintenance is the planned work that stops problems starting, like updates and backups. Support is what happens when something goes wrong anyway. We do both, and the more care goes into maintenance, the fewer support requests you tend to raise.
Small improvements fit inside your plan. Bigger pieces of work can run alongside it as a fixed project, or with a dedicated development team.
Every plan includes security patching. If you want a closer look, you can add an audit or a penetration test from our application security services.
We settle this with you. Many clients begin with a short first period and carry on once they've seen how support works for them.
Services often paired with support
Cloud and infrastructure
Move an ageing system to AWS or Azure, and we'll keep looking after it there.
Explore cloud servicesApplication security
Add a security audit or a penetration test to your support plan.
Explore security servicesDedicated teams
Bring in more developers when support turns up bigger work.
Explore dedicated teamsIndustries we support
Support matters most in industries where software stays in use for years after the project that built it has ended. Companies in energy and utilities run their assets for decades, and the public sector has to keep records for as long as the law requires. In manufacturing, the machines on the floor are often older than the software watching them. In education, a system that fails during enrolment or exams causes real trouble for students and staff. See all the industries we work in.
Keep what you built running well
Tell us how much your business relies on your product, and we'll suggest the right plan.