Taking over software someone else built.
Software takeover means a new supplier takes responsibility for an application, web shop or automation that someone else built. Tsunami Digital, a software studio in Zagreb, first reviews the code and infrastructure, moves access into your name and removes urgent risks, then stabilises the system and keeps developing it.
Overview
The freelancer stopped answering, the agency closed or tripled its prices, the employee who built the system has left. The software still runs, but nobody dares to touch it, and every week without someone responsible adds risk. A takeover starts with a calm review: we find out what you actually have, who holds which accounts, what is fragile and what is urgent - and only then do we change anything.
Not everything is worth saving. Sometimes the right answer is to stabilise and keep developing, sometimes to rewrite one piece at a time, and occasionally to replace the system with a ready-made product. The review ends with a written recommendation, so you decide with the facts in front of you rather than on a gut feeling.
When it fits
- Your developer or agency has stopped answering, and the system still has to run.
- You do not have access to the domain, hosting or code repository - or you are not sure who does.
- The application works, but nobody dares to change it.
- A project was left half-finished and you do not want to start from scratch.
- You are unhappy with your current supplier and want a second opinion before you move.
What a software takeover includes
06- 01
Code and architecture review
What the system is made of, how healthy the code is, where the risks are and how hard further development will be.
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Access and accounts in your name
Domain, hosting, repositories, app stores and third-party services moved onto accounts you own.
- 03
Security check and urgent fixes
Outdated libraries, exposed keys and missing backups dealt with first, before any new development.
- 04
Documentation
How the system is built, deployed and run - so it never again depends on one person.
- 05
Plan: fix, upgrade or rewrite
A written recommendation with priorities, from quick fixes to a gradual rewrite where it pays off.
- 06
Further development
New features and upgrades once the ground is stable, as a monthly partnership or hourly work.
How it starts
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Free first call
What you have, what you know about it and what worries you most.
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Review
A fixed-scope review of the code, infrastructure and access, ending in written findings and a recommendation.
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Handover and stabilisation
Accounts moved to your name, urgent risks removed, backups and monitoring in place.
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Ongoing care
Monthly maintenance and further development, or hourly work if changes are rare.
€40-60 per hour. No surprises on the invoice.
Hourly work and developers in your team are billed at €40-60 per hour (excluding VAT), depending on the kind of work and the experience it needs. Before we start, we agree the rate and an estimate of hours in writing, and every month you get a clear breakdown of what was done.
- 01Rate and estimated hours agreed in writing before work starts
- 02A monthly breakdown of every task and the hours it took
- 03Fixed-price projects and monthly packages are quoted separately
We run our own products
Further reading
- 01 Who owns the custom software you paid for? Who owns custom software source code: what Croatian copyright law presumes, what the contract must cover, and the three questions to ask before you sign.
- 02 Legacy software: when to migrate, when to scrap and build new A practical guide to the decision about legacy software. When to upgrade, when to migrate, when to scrap and start fresh - with real costs and risks.
Other ways to work together
- 01 Software maintenance and development Monthly maintenance and further development of your software, with response times in writing.
- 02 Hire developers for your team One or more of our developers in your team, hourly (€40-60 excl. VAT) or for a full month.
Services we look after
Questions
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01 How do you take over software from another agency or freelancer?
In four steps: an inventory of everything you have (domain, hosting, repositories, accounts, contracts), a review of the code and infrastructure with written findings, moving access into your name while removing urgent risks, and documentation with a plan for further development. Only then do we decide whether the system is fixed, upgraded or gradually rewritten.
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02 What should we ask the previous supplier to hand over?
The source code with its change history; access to the domain, hosting, database and repository; a list of third-party services with their keys; documentation and a data export. Check your contract too: who owns the code and whether the supplier has to hand it over.
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03 What if we do not have the source code?
First we check where it might be - repositories, hosting, the previous supplier's accounts - and what your contract says about it. If the code cannot be obtained, we assess what can be rebuilt and how, and propose the most sensible route.
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04 What if we do not have access to the domain or hosting?
That is the most common situation. We help you find out who holds which account and how to move it into your name, usually through the providers' official procedures. Until then we work with whatever access is available.
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05 Is it better to fix the existing system or start again?
It depends on the state of the code and on what you need next. Rewriting from scratch is expensive and risky, so we recommend it only when fixing would cost more in the long run. The review gives you a written answer with reasons.
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06 How long does the review take?
It depends on the size of the system, but it is always a fixed-scope piece of work with a clear end date and a written result, agreed before we start.
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07 Who owns the code after the takeover?
You do. The code, data and accounts are moved into your name and documented, so you can continue with us, with your own developers or with another supplier.
Has your developer left you on your own?
Tell us what you have and what worries you. The first call is free, and the review is agreed in writing before we start.
Completely free. No commitments.
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