K2: Firmware Escrow
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I'm sure Elecraft's design team, "escrows" and
archives their firmware and software production code - somewhere safe. I worked for Exxon's QYX, back in the "Z80 Intelligent Typewriter" days - and our software team used to store the day's production of code, firmware, and structured assembler code, copies of RAM patterns - to a local "MOTEL" room offsite every night. (I designed QYX's QTTY Teletype send/receive product, in structured-assembler code, targeted for Z80 processors in smart typewriter) Besides worrying about a hostile takeover of Elecraft - hopefully they are diligent in making sure they can't be ruined by departure of employees, renagade employee actions, and just plain code theft. Some major corporations, deny current but departing employees, access to corporate code - for a number of weeks, before they leave company. (re - timebombs, built into code, by disgruntled employee) Two other major R&D development organizations I worked for, one the U.S. governemnt, and the other a major New York photographic giant - both had in place very explicit active software archival and escrowing procedures. In fact both, had a system of secure storeage locations - approx. five in all, located in more than a few U.S. states. One was a VERY deep nuclear-safe bunkered location? One was a salt-mine. One was in a permanently rented motel room, close by, but off site of our software engineering facility. And as I recall - the photo giant used to rotate the total stored software, around and thru these locations. This included all of the corporate's data, etc. Tapes, floppies, disk packs, ROMS, CD's ............. Now that many of us have prepaid for our K3's, ahead of delivery and ahead of production status - It would be informative if Elecraft's team, would share & give us some assurance that they are protecting their product software, firmware, and source and object code - for all the products. Maybe, as a company in Calif., they can address also the escrow status - from a customer's point of view. Legally, and from a customer's (via purchase orders, etc.) - I'm not sure what the fine print does or should say. Hopefully there is little risk to all of us - and it isn't anything like that 50mpg carbureator that GM had hidden and locked up in the back room - way away from the U.S. public. 73, Fred, N3CSY NY/FL ____________________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mobileweb/onesearch?refer=1ONXIC _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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> I'm sure Elecraft's design team, "escrows" and
> archives their firmware and software production > code - somewhere safe... I'm sure we do, too, in multiple locations spread over a large geographic area. 73, Lyle KK7P _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Fred (FL)
On Fri, 8 Jun 2007, Fred (FL) wrote:
> should say. Hopefully there is little risk to all > of us - and it isn't anything like that 50mpg > carbureator that GM had hidden and locked up > in the back room - way away from the U.S. public. Is this the one? http://www.snopes.com/autos/business/carburetor.asp If not, is there a url to see "The Rest of the The Story". Thom,EIEIO Email, Internet, Electronic Information Officer www.baltimorehon.com/ Home of the Baltimore Lexicon www.tlchost.net/hosting/ Web Hosting as low as 3.49/month _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by Fred (FL)
It's called Disaster Preparedness.....of course a disaster can come in various forms. Any company
worth their salt has one in place where they keep vital records, software and databases off-site and in multiple locations. ------------------------- 73, Greg - AB7R Whidbey Island WA NA-065 On Fri Jun 8 14:36 , "lyle johnson" sent: >> I'm sure Elecraft's design team, "escrows" and >> archives their firmware and software production >> code - somewhere safe... > >I'm sure we do, too, in multiple locations spread over a large geographic >area. > >73, > >Lyle KK7P >_______________________________________________ >Elecraft mailing list >Post to: [hidden email] >You must be a subscriber to post to the list. >Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): > http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > >Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm >Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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[hidden email] wrote:
> It's called Disaster Preparedness.....of course a disaster can come in various forms. Any company > > worth their salt has one in place where they keep vital records, software and databases off-site and > > in multiple locations. > > > When I was negotiating contracts for telecommunications companies, we had two reasons for insisting on a code escrow clause. The first was as mentioned, disaster prep. This, however, was not our main concern. Rather, it was that the company would go bankrupt and the source code would be tied up in receivership or bankruptcy litigation and during that time we would not have software support. Hence, we required suppliers to agree that in those circumstances, the purchaser would receive access to the escrowed source code (via a non-exclusive license) for the purpose of support and bug fixes. In order to make this work, the code had to be in the hands of a 3rd party escrow agent, as leaving it with the developer would not short-circuit access problems, since we would be just another contract claimant in the bankruptcy court. But, the access provisions could be enforced against the third party escrow agent without getting tangled up with the bankruptcy proceeding. Or, at least that was the theory. Fortunately, we never had to implement this process. Jack K8ZOA www.cliftonlaboratories.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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> It's called Disaster Preparedness.....
You guys are all missing the point of the original post, which was excellent by the way. The point is not that the code be somewhere safe in case of disaster, rogue employees, or loss of a backup, but rather that the code be legally accessible by customers in the event that the company abandons, for whatever reason, its ongoing maintenance. I thought this was an excellent idea and I hope it's something that Wayne and Eric will give some consideration to. You just don't know what the future holds, and this would be a nice way to protect the interest of customers in the long term. Craig NZ0R KX1 #1499 K1 #1966 K2/100 #4941 K3/100 < #200 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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