Authors: Paul Klinger and Rachel Burnett

Publisher: Bloomsbury Professional

The IT industry is in a state of flux and IT contracts, which are often complex, need to reflect these changes. Fortunately two practitioners with extensive and wide-ranging experience in the IT industry have shared their combined know-how.

Klinger and Burnett have updated this much-needed resource for all busy practitioners involved in the IT contracting process. The 771 pages (not including the helpful index) are bound in an attractive red hardback cover. An indispensable CD-ROM is also included, which contains 18 example contracts including: non-disclosure, computer product supply, lease and rental, demonstration and evaluation licence, source code deposit (escrow services), software development, hardware maintenance services, software support services, contractor and consultancy services, outsourcing services, cloud computing, website development and support, business continuity and disaster recovery.

The authors’ main objective is to explain the various types of IT contract in terms of negotiability and clarify why various provisions are included, what they are intended or implied to mean, to what extent and how can they be reasonably negotiated, and what should buyers and sellers respectively be seeking to achieve. Legal risk management issues are touched upon and checklists provided. The style is very readable, the tone authoritative and the content topical and extremely helpful.

Amanda Gibbs is a practising solicitor

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