[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"glossary-source-code-escrow::en":3,"gloss-cluster-source-code-escrow::en":18,"gloss-next-source-code-escrow::en":9},{"slug":4,"category":5,"name":6,"definition":7,"meta_desc":8,"faq":9,"schema_markup":9,"related":10},"source-code-escrow","saas","Escrow (Source Code Escrow)","Source code escrow is a contractual risk-mitigation arrangement, common in enterprise SaaS deals, in which a vendor deposits a current copy of their application's source code (and often build\u002Fdeployment scripts and documentation) with a neutral, independent third-party escrow agent — rather than handing it directly to the customer, which the vendor would obviously never agree to for a live commercial product. The escrowed code is released to the customer only if specific, contractually pre-defined \"release conditions\" occur — most commonly the vendor going bankrupt, ceasing operations, or materially failing to maintain\u002Fsupport the software as contractually obligated — giving the customer a fallback path to keep running (or have a third party maintain) mission-critical software even if the vendor providing it disappears. This matters specifically for large enterprise and government buyers evaluating a SaaS vendor for a mission-critical system, because unlike on-premise software (where the customer already possesses a running copy regardless of the vendor's fate), a pure SaaS\u002Fcloud-hosted product gives the customer no independent copy of anything — if the vendor vanishes overnight, the customer has no code, no infrastructure, and often limited data export options, an existential risk that source code escrow is specifically designed to hedge against as part of enterprise vendor due-diligence and risk management. Specialized escrow agents (Iron Mountain and NCC Group are the two most recognized providers) verify that deposited code is complete, current, and actually buildable — some higher-assurance escrow tiers include periodic \"verification builds,\" where the escrow agent actually compiles and runs the deposited code against the customer's specified environment to confirm it's not stale, incomplete, or missing a critical undocumented dependency, which is a real and common failure mode of unverified escrow deposits. Concrete worked example: a hospital system signing a 5-year contract for a mission-critical SaaS platform for patient scheduling requires, as a non-negotiable procurement condition, a source code escrow agreement with Iron Mountain, including quarterly code deposits and an annual verification build. Two years into the contract, the vendor is acquired and the acquiring company announces it will sunset the product within 6 months — the hospital's escrow agreement gives its legal and IT teams a documented, contractually guaranteed path to obtain the actual source code and either self-host it or hand it to a new vendor for continued maintenance, rather than being left with zero recourse and a hard migration deadline dictated entirely by the acquirer.","Source code escrow holds a vendor's code with a neutral third party, released to the customer if the vendor fails or stops support.",null,[11,14,17],{"slug":12,"name":13},"sla","Service-Level Agreement (SLA)",{"slug":15,"name":16},"soc-2","SOC 2",{"slug":4,"name":6},[19,23,27,30,33,36,39,43,46,49,52,55],{"slug":20,"category":5,"name":21,"updated_at":22},"activation","Activation","2026-08-24T02:46:36+00:00",{"slug":24,"category":5,"name":25,"updated_at":26},"aha-moment","Aha Moment","2026-08-24T02:46:37+00:00",{"slug":28,"category":5,"name":29,"updated_at":26},"annual-contract-value","Annual Contract Value (ACV)",{"slug":31,"category":5,"name":32,"updated_at":22},"api-first","API-First",{"slug":34,"category":5,"name":35,"updated_at":22},"arpa","Average Revenue Per Account (ARPA)",{"slug":37,"category":5,"name":38,"updated_at":22},"arr","Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR)",{"slug":40,"category":5,"name":41,"updated_at":42},"auto-renewal-clause","Auto-Renewal Clause","2026-08-24T02:46:38+00:00",{"slug":44,"category":5,"name":45,"updated_at":42},"build-vs-buy","Build vs. Buy",{"slug":47,"category":5,"name":48,"updated_at":26},"burn-multiple","Burn Multiple",{"slug":50,"category":5,"name":51,"updated_at":42},"burn-rate","Burn Rate",{"slug":53,"category":5,"name":54,"updated_at":22},"cac","Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)",{"slug":56,"category":5,"name":57,"updated_at":22},"cdn","Content Delivery Network (CDN)"]