The Escrow service consists of a deposit of source code, other design documents and procedures at a third party’s premises in order to guarantee a customer against a default risk of its provider. The Escrow contract defines the conditions for a possible release of the deposit to the customer (typically a bankruptcy, company buyout or a support failure of the provider).
A client may require a source code Escrow if the envisioned product is strategic for its activities and/or if the provider cannot offer sufficient guarantees about its support capabilities or its financial health.
As an independent research centre and a non profit organization, CETIC is recognised as an technical expert in embedded systems and also as a trustworthy escrow agent by customers and providers; it protects the Intellectual Property of the provider and gives accurate information to the customer about the usability of the deposit.