Archive for May 20th, 2009

Source Code Escrow – How to Protect Your Custom Software Assets

Source code escrow offers a kind of guarantee to companies who purchase bespoke software solutions from software developers. The functioning of custom software is often mission critical to companies, and if the vendor were unable to continue supporting and maintaining the software, for instance due to bankruptcy, this could present a severe problem to the licensee.

One possible solution would be for the licensee to have access to the up-to-date source code. However most software development companies will not agree to this - the source code is their intellectual property and they will be extremely unwilling to release it to the licensee.

This is where software escrow services comes in. It is an elegant solution to a fundamental conflict of interest: the source code is deposited with a third party escrow agent, and is released to the licensee only if the vendor is unable to continue to provide support and maintenance, under conditions defined in a contractual source code escrow agreement.

The software escrow agent is typically a company specialising in this service, and should be completely independent of both the licensor and licensee.

Typical provisions of a source code escrow agreement will include:

1) A definition of the scope and subject of the escrow (usually this will include the source code of a specific software solution, and anything that would be required to independently maintain the software, including documentation and software tools.)

2) The conditions that must be met for the source code escrow agent to release the source code to the licensee (ie bankruptcy of the software vendor or cancellation of the development project.)

3) Specifics of what rights the licensee has with regard to the source code after the software is released (ie the right to modify the code to fix bugs.)

4) A specification of services the escrow agent provides beyond simple custody of the software (the agent may, for instance, build the software and check that the binary matches the version supplied to the licensee.)

5) Any fees due to the agent for providing escrow services.

In the event of bankruptcy on the part of the software developer, the developer's creditors may be legally entitled to seize all assets, including source code in escrow, and this could prevent (or delay) the release of the software to the licensee.

For more information about software escrow services, visit source code escrow

Seeking Frightening Termites

The wisest course of action is to prevent the infestation before it occurs. Termite control will need to be established by a licensed professional - preferably with years of experience - in order to prevent a termite infestation. It is just like termite control terre haute. Termite control is very important to every home or property owner because once termites infest your home, it is impossible to prevent severe damage. Once serious damage has happened, the cost of repairs can be very expensive. For this reason, it is much wiser to prevent a termite problem before it occurs.

If you find that you already have a termite infestation, it would be wise to seek the counsel of a professional pest control service so that they may be able to accurately advise you as to the best course of action for your situation. It is like termite control for terre haute. Waiting to seek out termite control will end up being even more expensive because the termites will continue to do more and more damage as time goes by.

The last thing you need to worry about is whether termites are feasting on your home or not. The structure of your house can be damaged and weakened due to the termites eating away at the property. This is why it is advisable to hire a pest control company as soon as possible to control termites.

Hiring a service to eliminate your termite infestation is great way to give you peace of mind and help protect the investment you have already made in your home. A licensed and insured company can ensure that the job will be done right, and that the treatment will last.

Termite control is important in Terre Haute, Indiana, just like it is in any other city. It is difficult to find qualified, reliable services that are capable of administering termite control. It is like termite control in terre haute. Do put it off. Your termite problem won't improve by doing nothing.

More On hydroponic gardening

It's all about marketing. That's what local growers say about hydroponic gardening. In a time when water and fertile lands to farm are scarce, hydroponic or soilless gardening is considered as a some kind of mana from heaven. Where before farmers where completely at the mercy of the seasons, now they can grow crops throughout the year and yield good harvests no matter the season. That is most direct effect of hydroponics.

The possibility that plants could survive and grow without soil as the nutrient source was first described historically by Woodward in 1699, though the technique has been in practice since the time of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

However, it was only in the 1840s when the principle was applied in modern agriculture. Researchers discovered that by developing a formula containing all the essential nutrients that plants need for growth - nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen dioxide (H20) - the need for soil in growing them may be completely eliminated. Adopting this idea, a number of German botanists soon developed the basic nutrient formulas and growing techniques which are in use today.

With hydroponic gardening, the growing of crops requires as little as 10% as much land as regular farming, and less than 10% as much water. And sometimes, the water used may be even dramatically lessened further if the water is re-circulated.

One key advantage of hydroponic gardening is that the produce is less affected by insects thriving in soil or diseases caused by soil microorganisms. This, of course, means that farmers are less inclined to use insecticide to keep these pests away. The overall result therefore is that you have yourself crops that do not carry traces of insecticide, and can be picked ripe just before eating so preservatives are not required.

Produce such as broccoli, cabbage, celery, chard, cucumbers, eggplant, flowers, grapes, lettuce, melons, onions, peppers, broad beans, radishes, strawberries, and tomatoes have been grown hydroponically.

Another attractive feature of hydroponic gardening is water economy. In arid areas, where precious water must be re-circulated, hydroponic systems may help improve harvest yields. A large volume of hydroponic food can be grown rapidly in a small area. In fact, it has been reported that four heads of lettuce can be raised in the same amount of space required to grown one head of field lettuce.

There are various techniques to hydroponic gardening. In water culture, the roots of the plants are held in a large waterproof tank. The plants are supported by mesh or string, and they get their food from the nutrient formula contained in the tank.

Another form of hydroponics is gravel culture. Considered a more costly system to install and maintain, gravel culture involves a waterproof bench which is filled with inert pea-sized gravel. These are used to support the roots f the plants. Then, a solution containing all the essential nutrients required by the plant is pumped into the gravel from a holding tank. When the bench is full of the solution, the pump is turned off and the solution drains back to the holding tank.

The solutions for both systems are replenished periodically. And for lighting, a number of grow light devices are available used to automate lighting for plants.