Services / Maintenance & Support
A team that knows your system, on call
We maintain and develop software, including systems built by other vendors. We keep your system stable, secure and in step with your business.
Something broken right now? Tell us and we'll get back to you quickly. Emergency help needs no contract.
Overview
When nobody owns your software
The agency that built it moved on
Tickets go unanswered for weeks, and nobody there is really looking anymore.
One freelancer knows the whole system
…and he's on holiday. Everything that matters lives in one person's head.
Something breaks and nobody knows how serious it is
No monitoring and no context, so every incident is guesswork.
The libraries are years out of date
Updating them now scares everyone, so the gap keeps getting wider.
Nobody's tested a backup restore since launch
So nobody knows whether the data can actually be recovered.
Small changes cost more than they should
Someone has to relearn the code first, every single time.
Your developer is fully booked with new features
So maintenance is always the thing that gets done next month.
You found out about the outage from a customer
The people who should have seen it first didn't see it at all.
None of this needs a rebuild. It needs a team whose job is to keep watch.
Who it's for
We support software we built and software built by others. Taking over another team's codebase is routine work for us.
Abandoned by the previous vendor
Your vendor stopped responding, closed down or moved you down their list. We take the system over and get it stable again.
Built by one person who's gone
The person who built it left without documentation. We learn the system, write down how it works and take it on.
Working, but nobody's watching
It runs fine today, but there's no monitoring, no tested backups and no update plan. Now is the cheapest moment to fix that.
We built it, and it keeps growing
Ongoing development, new features and care under one predictable monthly agreement.
Your team needs backup
Your developers are fully booked. We take over maintenance so they can build new features.
Not sure which one fits? Start with an audit: a written assessment of your system and its risks, useful whether or not you continue with us.
What's guaranteed, in writing
- SLA
- Response times and scope written into the contract
- 24/7
- Monitoring and alerting on every plan
- Monthly
- A clear, readable report
- Your code
- Code, documentation and access always belong to you
What maintenance includes
A defined set of work we do every month, whether or not anything breaks.
Monitoring and incident response
You find out from us, not from your customers.
- Uptime and performance monitored continuously
- Alerts that reach a named person
- Response times set in the contract
- A written summary of every incident
Fixes and support requests
One place to report problems and a clear date for each fix.
- One channel for every request
- Every request answered
- Bugs fixed at the root
- A task list you can see
Security and dependency updates
The work that's invisible right up until it isn't.
- Libraries kept up to date
- Security fixes prioritised by risk
- Access and certificates reviewed regularly
- Platform upgrades done ahead of time
Tested backups
We test restores, so you know they work.
- Automated backups
- Restores tested regularly
- A documented recovery procedure
- Copies kept in a separate location
Performance and cost optimisation
Faster software and a smaller invoice from your cloud provider.
- The slowest parts sped up
- Database and server review
- No paying for unused capacity
- Before-and-after results
gateway5/5
Technical debt, in planned instalments
Code quality improves month by month.
- A prioritised list of weak spots
- Code cleaned up step by step
- Tests where they matter most
Ongoing development
Your system keeps up as the business changes.
- Hours for changes, not just fixes
- Small changes without a separate quote
- Larger features from the same team
- Regular planning of next steps
Documentation and knowledge continuity
No knowledge locked in one person's head.
- Architecture and integrations documented
- Guides for recurring situations
- Knowledge shared across the team
- Everything in your own accounts
Clear monthly reporting
The key facts about your system, plus a recommended next step.
- The month summed up in one place
- Hours used and what they went into
- Risks flagged early
Need something not listed? Tell us, and we'll shape the scope of care around your system.
Talk to usWhat we can take over
We take over systems built on popular web and mobile technologies, including older ones that need stabilising rather than rebuilding. If we don't know your stack well, we'll tell you so.
Systems we inherited
Three systems we didn't build, taken over and stabilised. Anonymised – nobody wants to be publicly identified as the company whose software was falling over.
No docs, outdated dependencies and frequent outages
First we got the system back under control: monitoring set up, backups fixed and the causes of the most frequent outages removed. Today it runs stably and is still in our care.
Other vendors had quoted a full rebuild
We started with an audit, which showed the system was worth keeping. We strengthened its weakest parts and now look after it on a monthly plan.
Built by one contractor who had left the company
We learned the system, moved all access into the client's ownership and documented how it works. Today the client's own team looks after it.
What changed after the handover
The previous agency took two weeks to answer an email. These people replied in twenty minutes on a Saturday, and it wasn't even critical.
E-commerce
Took over a platform after the original vendor closed
We'd been quoted a full rebuild by two companies. They stabilised what we had for a fraction of it and told us honestly which parts would eventually need replacing.
Logistics
Inherited a system with no documentation
The monthly report is the first thing I've ever received from a software company that I read all the way through.
Professional services
Ongoing care and development, third year
From first call to ongoing care
Taking over an existing system follows a set order. We start with an audit, so both sides know what they're agreeing to.
01
First call
We learn what the system does and what isn't working. In an emergency, we help first and discuss the contract later.
02
Audit
We assess the system's condition and risks and set out the findings in a written report.
03
Recommendation
We advise whether to maintain the system, rebuild it in stages or replace it.
04
Access and continuity
We move all access into your ownership, so the system no longer depends on any one company or person.
05
Stabilisation
We deal with the most urgent and riskiest issues first.
06
Plan and SLA agreed
We put the scope of care and response times in writing.
07
Steady state
Every month we look after the system, report on progress and plan its development with you.
Three care plans
Choose the level of support your system needs. All plans are monthly and can change up or down.
How pricing works
Start with an audit
A written verdict on the system's condition and its risks, priced by size.
A plan sized to the system
We set the scope of care based on what the audit found.
Stabilise, then steady state
First we strengthen the system's weakest points, then move to ongoing care.
Essential
At a glance
- Core maintenance of the system
- Response time set in the contract
- Business-hours coverage
For systems that work and need to keep working.
Price
From $550 / month
What you get
- Monitoring, backups, security patches, dependency updates
- Monthly report
- Development work available at an hourly rate
Active
At a glance
- Hours for maintenance and new features
- Faster response to critical incidents
- Named engineer, plus a second person briefed
For systems that keep developing.
Price
From $2,200 / month
What you get
- Everything in Essential
- Quarterly roadmap review
- Ongoing technical debt reduction
Dedicated
At a glance
- Your own team: developer, QA and PM
- Critical incidents handled around the clock
- Out-of-hours phone contact
For business-critical systems.
Price
From $5,500 / month
What you get
- Everything in Active
- Architecture and capacity planning
- An SLA tailored to your business
Compare the plans
| Essential | Active | Dedicated | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage hours | Business hours | Business hours | 24/7 |
| Out-of-hours contact | – | – | Phone · named people |
| Monitoring & alerting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backups & tested restores | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Security patching | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dependency updates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Included development hours | At hourly rate | Included | Included |
| Technical debt work | – | Included | Included |
| Named engineer | – | ✓ + backup | ✓ team |
| Dedicated QA | – | – | ✓ |
| Dedicated PM | – | – | ✓ |
| Architecture planning | – | – | ✓ |
| Monthly report | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quarterly review | – | ✓ | ✓ |
No lock-in
If you leave, we hand over the code, documentation and access in full.
Emergency support without a contract
Not a client yet? We'll help with an emergency on an hourly basis and discuss plans afterwards.
Change plans any month
Up or down, as your system's needs change.
Response times in the contract
Agreed up front with the scope of work, for each plan.
Not sure which plan fits, or whether the system needs support or a rebuild? Book a free consultation and we'll help you work it out.
doubleucode · Free consultation
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your question? Email us:
Ask a questionWhat kind of software do you support?
Web and mobile apps and internal business systems, whether we built them or another company did. If we don't know your technology well, we'll tell you on the first call.
Will you take over a system somebody else built?
Yes. Taking over systems built by other vendors is everyday work for us. We start with an audit, so we know the system well before we take responsibility for it.
What does the audit cost?
It depends on the size and complexity of the system. The audit report is yours to keep, whatever you decide. We'll go through the details in a free consultation.
What if you tell us it needs rebuilding?
We'll say so and explain why, and the decision is yours. A rebuild can often happen in stages while we keep the current system running.
How fast do you respond?
It depends on your plan and how serious the issue is. Response times are agreed up front and written into the contract.
What counts as critical?
We agree it together before we start, based on your business. For an online shop it's usually anything that stops orders; for an internal system it can be something quite different.
Do you need access to our production data?
Only as much as the work requires. Access to data is always agreed with you and covered by the right agreement, and you'll know who on our side has it. We'll go through the details in a free consultation.
Can you work alongside our own developers?
Yes. Your team can focus on new features while we take care of maintenance. We work within your existing processes.
What happens if we want to leave?
There's no long-term commitment. If you leave, we hand the documentation and our knowledge of the system to the new team, and the code and access have been yours from day one.
What if we only need help once, right now?
We'll help, no ongoing contract needed. If you want ongoing care later, we'll find the right plan.
Our system is on old technology. Will you still take it?
Often, yes. A stable system on older technology is usually cheaper to keep running than to replace. The audit will show whether that holds for you.