Cloud & IT Contracting

Cloud & IT Contract Specialists

As businesses move to the cloud and rely increasingly on external IT service providers, having the right contracts in place is critical. Arnotts Technology Lawyers provides comprehensive legal services for cloud computing agreements, IT procurement, and technology outsourcing arrangements.

Cloud Services Agreements

We help both cloud service providers and customers navigate the complex legal issues in cloud computing:

Public Cloud Services

• AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud contract reviews
• Cloud service provider (CSP) terms and conditions analysis
• Enterprise agreement negotiations with major cloud vendors
• Service level agreements and uptime guarantees
• Data residency and sovereignty requirements
• Cloud cost optimization and commitment structures

Private & Hybrid Cloud

• Private cloud infrastructure agreements
• Hybrid cloud integration and management
• Multi-cloud strategy and governance
• Cloud migration and transition services
• Legacy system integration
• Cloud backup and disaster recovery

SaaS Platform Agreements

• Software-as-a-Service subscription agreements
• Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) contracts
• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) arrangements
• Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) and serverless computing
• Container and orchestration services
• Cloud-based AI and ML services

IT Procurement & Outsourcing

We guide customers through the IT procurement process from RFP to contract execution:

Enterprise IT Procurement

• RFP development and evaluation criteria
• Vendor selection and due diligence
• Master services agreements (MSAs)
• Statements of work (SOWs) and project schedules
• Proof of concept and pilot agreements
• Implementation and deployment contracts

IT Outsourcing Arrangements

• Application development and maintenance outsourcing
• Infrastructure management outsourcing
• Help desk and IT support services
• Business process outsourcing (BPO)
• Offshore and nearshore development arrangements
• Managed IT services agreements

Government IT Procurement

• Government ICT procurement compliance
• Panel arrangements and standing offers
• Commonwealth and state procurement requirements
• Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) compliance
• Coordinated procurement arrangements
• Security clearance and vetting requirements

Vendor Management Arrangements

We help you structure and manage relationships with IT service providers:

Vendor Governance Frameworks

• Vendor management policies and procedures
• Vendor risk assessment and classification
• Performance monitoring and KPIs
• Regular review and governance meetings
• Escalation procedures and dispute resolution
• Vendor performance improvement plans

Multi-Vendor Coordination

• Prime contractor and subcontractor structures
• System integrator agreements
• Interface management between vendors
• Responsibility allocation and finger-pointing prevention
• Integrated service delivery models

Vendor Relationship Management

• Strategic vs. tactical vendor categorization
• Vendor scorecard development
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Vendor consolidation strategies
• Vendor transition and exit management

Service Level Agreements

Clear service levels are critical for IT and cloud services. We draft and negotiate comprehensive SLAs:

SLA Components

• Availability and uptime guarantees (99.9%, 99.99%, etc.)
• Performance metrics and response times
• Incident management and resolution timeframes
• Scheduled maintenance windows
• Reporting and transparency requirements
• Service credit calculations and remedies

Service Level Metrics

• Quantifiable and measurable KPIs
• Baseline performance establishment
• Continuous monitoring and reporting
• Performance improvement targets
• Benchmarking against industry standards

Remedies & Consequences

• Service credits for SLA breaches
• Termination rights for persistent failures
• Performance bonds and guarantees
• Liquidated damages provisions
• Continuous improvement commitments

Cloud & IT Contract Terms

We negotiate critical terms in cloud and IT contracts:

Data Protection & Security

• Data ownership and licensing
• Data processing agreements and GDPR compliance
• Data encryption and security standards
• Data residency and cross-border transfers
• Security incident notification and response
• Security audits and certifications (SOC 2, ISO 27001)

Business Continuity

• Backup and disaster recovery requirements
• Business continuity planning
• Recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO)
• Redundancy and failover provisions
• Testing and validation procedures

Exit & Transition

• Termination and exit rights
• Data extraction and portability
• Transition assistance obligations
• Knowledge transfer requirements
• Avoiding vendor lock-in
• Post-termination support periods

Cloud Migration & Transformation

We support legal aspects of cloud migration and digital transformation projects:

• Cloud migration strategy and planning
• Legacy system decommissioning
• Application modernization and re-platforming
• Lift-and-shift migration agreements
• Cloud-native application development
• DevOps and CI/CD implementation contracts
• Containerization and microservices architectures

Emerging Cloud Services

We advise on cutting-edge cloud technologies and services:

• Edge computing and content delivery networks (CDNs)
• Serverless computing and event-driven architectures
• Cloud-based AI/ML services
• Quantum computing as a service
• Cloud gaming and streaming platforms
• Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS)

Why Choose Arnotts for Cloud & IT Contracting?