Software Escrow

Learn more about Software Escrow

At times Software Escrow can be complicated and sometimes a little difficult to understand, however, at SES-Secure Knowledge Hub we try to break everything down so you fully understand Software Escrow and how it could benefit you and your business.


None of our content and explanations are Ai generated, or taken from other websites, but are all individually wrote by one of senior, Software Escrow Specialists who have a combined experience of over 150 years in Software Escrow Solutions.

FAQ's


  • What is Software Escrow?

    Software Escrow helps to protect your software and is often described as “an insurance policy” for your software applications.

  • What Software Can Software Escrow Protect?

    Software Escrow protects your software applications by supplying the end-user with either a copy of the software source code or by fully re-instating the software, “Software Continuity”, in the event of an issue or problem with the software supplier or owner, often called a “Release or Trigger Event”. 

  • Who Provides Software Escrow?

    Software Escrow is supplied by specialist Software Escrow Providers and is delivered in the form of a Software Escrow Agreement.

  • What is a Software Escrow Agreement?

    A Software Escrow Agreement is a legally binding agreement between the software provider and the end user that is arranged by a specialist Software Escrow Provider that sets out an agreed set of relevant terms or “Trigger Events” that would result is releasing the source code to the end user.

  • What are Standard Release or Trigger Events?

    Standard release or trigger events in a software escrow agreement, also known as relevant events are as follows: 


    • If the Software Supplier / Owner ceases to trade
    • If the Software Supplier / Owner goes into administration / liquidation be that voluntary or compulsory
    • If the Software Supplier / Owner doesn’t fulfil its obligations of both their support/maintenance contract directly with the end user or the obligations of the Software Escrow contract
    • If the Software Supplier / Owner is bought out and the intellectual property rights (IPR) are assigned to a new company.  This would allow the new owner to continue supporting the Escrow protection or, if they don’t want to do this, allow a release of deposited materials

  • What Type of Software Can be Covered by Software Escrow?

    Most types of software applications can be covered by software escrow, however, software escrow is especially suited to high value, enterprise or bespoke software applications. It does not matter whether your software is hosted on your own premises, “on premise” or hosted by a third party or in the cloud, “SaaS or Cloud Host Applications”, they can both be protected by Software Escrow Agreements.


    The types of software applications that are not as suitable for software escrow are mass market software applications like Adobe or Canva, as the software developers / owners will very unlikely to enter into agreements with single users, and also heavily modified or open sauce software as it is difficult to determine who has full rights to the software. 


Benefits of Software Escrow




Peace of Mind

Software Escrow provides you with piece of min that your software is protected.

Operational Resilience

Software Escrow provides Operational Resilience for your business.

Regulatory Compliance

Software Escrow is a condition of many compliance certifications & accreditations.

Business Continuity

Software Escrow is a large part of business continuity planning.

What is Source Code Escrow? - Is Source Code Escrow different from Software Escrow?


Technically speaking Source Code Escrow just protects the source code whilst Software Escrow will also include build scripts, user manuals, etc. In reality no provider would supply a purely Source Code Escrow Agreement and most commonly Source Code Escrow is just another term used to describe Software Escrow.


Still have questions?


Please contact us by filling in the form or by contacting any of our Software Escrow Specialist below. We genuinely would love to try and help you.

Contact Us

Contact one of our Key Software Escrow Specialists...

Are You a Software Developer?

At SES Secure we fully understand your specific needs and have the skills, knowledge and experience to really help you. We not only provide Software, Source Code and SaaS Escrow Agreements that give your clients the peace of mind they need but also ensure our agreements robustly protect your intellectual property (IP) while minimising operational and legal liability, and are fair to both parties.


We can offer advice, based on our wealth of experience, no matter whether you are new to software escrow, have difficult, urgent or complex requirements or are just wanting to ensure your existing software escrow agreements offer you the best protection for you and your business.


We provide all the standard things you would expect from any Software Escrow Company, including:


  • automated deposits
  • clear release clauses
  • insolvency guardrails
  • clear and verified software validation
  • dispute resolution clauses


but also provide a level and depth of knowledge and experience that you will not find from alternative software escrow providers.


Please take advantage of this and contact one of our experienced Software Escrow Specialists above - they all have years of experience in Software Escrow but also understand you, are your needs.

About SES Secure

SES Secure are the leading Software Escrow Provider in the UK. Don't just take our word for it, theses are the reasons why we feel you should trust us with your Software Escrow requirements:


  • We are the only Software Escrow Provider to have an "Exceptional" rating on Feefo


  • We are ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 Certified, ico Registered and Cyber Essentials Certified


  • We have been trading for over 25 years and our Software Escrow Specialist have a combined experience of over 150 years


  • We have a 96% client retention rate and 98% customer satisfaction rate



Trusted by:

SES Secure have been chosen by Numecent, Datamere, Western Power Distribution and Crown Golf as their preferred supplier of Software Escrow Solutions in the UK.

Recent Blogs...

A banner with information on SES Secure and the BCI's webinar in October 2026.
By Writtick Mazumder • October 6, 2026
Led by SES Secure and the BCI, this webinar explores the growing role of third-party technology in delivering critical business services. Register for free.
Image of plane for a blog exploring the role of software escrow in aviation by SES Secure
By Writtick Mazumder • September 29, 2026
As the UK’s leading Software Escrow provider, SES Secure helps aviation organisations safeguard the business-critical software that underpins modern air travel.
SES Secure - Protecting your Software with Software Escrow Agreements
By Tom Sweet • September 17, 2026
SES Secure are the leading Software & SaaS Escrow provider in the UK & can provide Escrow Agreements to protect Software Developers & End Users.