In today’s work force, it is almost certain that you will engage subcontractors and consultants to help manage your IT operations, including its third-party SaaS applications.
Today’s tip – make sure that any use and access rights granted in a SaaS contract are broad enough to include such augmented staff so that you can carry on operations without breaching your contract.
Are your rights to use your SaaS broad enough?
Your SaaS contract grants you the right to access the SaaS software for your business purposes. Typically, the default is to grant this right to the “customer”, the party entering into the contract.
Today, with the wide range of IT technologies and niche skills involved, it is rare to find an IT department that does not engage subcontractors, consultants and augmented staff to help manage its complex IT systems, including your third-party SaaS applications.
When negotiating access rights to the SaaS, make sure that they are broad enough to include all the different entities that need to use the SaaS .
Some users to consider:
✔Current (and possibly future) subcontractors, consultants and augmented staff that will be assisting you in the management of the application and its integrations
✔You affiliates and other related entities that may need to use the same SaaS application (such as an enterprise wide CRM install) or lto everage the terms of the contract to subscribe to their own instants
✔ Your clients, agents and suppliers who may use the application to interact with you in some way (like an invoicing portal or a product ordering platform)
Depending on factors like the subscription model and the secret sauce in the SaaS, these extended use rights may have restrictions attached to them. This is where the negotiation part comes in.
For more information and to join the discussion, check out my LinkedIn post.
