Hosting and Maintenance

Hosting

Almost everything we build either is a web application or has web application elements that need to live on a server somewhere. When it comes to hosting, clients have two options: manage it themselves through their own provider or on-premises infrastructure, or let us manage it on their behalf.

We recommend the latter, and the reason is straightforward. If we manage the hosting, we're responsible for the whole stack — the application and the environment it runs in. When something goes wrong, we can deal with it directly. The alternative is the all-too-familiar situation where the hosting provider blames the application and the developers blame the hosting provider, and the client is stuck in the middle while their system is down.

We host on one of two platforms depending on what's right for the client: Microsoft Azure, or our own dedicated hardware based here in the UK. Azure suits projects that need flexibility and elastic scaling. Our own infrastructure is a good fit for clients who have specific requirements around data sovereignty or simply prefer their data on physical hardware in the UK rather than in a cloud environment. Either way, it stays under our management and within our control.

Maintenance & Support

Software technology doesn't stand still. Frameworks get updated, security patches need applying, and browsers evolve in ways that can affect how applications behave. Left unattended, software that worked perfectly at launch can gradually drift out of condition.

Most of our clients take out a maintenance package after go-live. This covers regular inspection of the application, routine maintenance, bug fixes, and general upkeep — keeping the system in good health and current with the underlying technology. It also means there's always someone to call or email if something isn't behaving as expected or a member of staff needs a hand.

For most clients, the annual cost of a maintenance and support package runs between 10% and 14% of the initial development cost. Given that it covers both the technical upkeep of the system and ongoing access to the team who built it, most clients consider it straightforward value.

The longer view

A well-maintained system is also one that's easier and less expensive to extend when the time comes to add new features — which, in our experience, it always does. Maintenance isn't just about keeping the lights on; it's about making sure the asset you've invested in continues to perform and can grow when you need it to.