Supportsoft Glossary

Ongoing Upkeep of Digital Systems

Website, Application or IT System Maintenance after Initial Release. Maintenance is the process of maintaining and improving the website, application, or IT system after its initial release. Maintaining a website, application, or IT system is essential for its long-term security as well as to protect the integrity of the software and relationship with the users, as more sophisticated users, smarter devices, and changing technology will all require continuous updates to each of these products.

In addition to these routine maintenance activities, when integrating the website/application into payment gateways, APIs, etc., to support the ongoing operation of the website/application. This integration into payment gateways, APIs, etc. allows the information generated by the website/application to be transmitted securely between the website/application and its respective payment processing providers. Without ongoing routine maintenance to these integrations, a website/application will lose its reliability and continue to present security vulnerabilities to the end user as well as operational failures for the business that would be selling or providing the service.

Ultimately, for a company, having a budget for routine website application or IT system maintenance is risk management. Preventing downtime, protecting data from loss, and creating a consistent user experience are all factors of having a routine maintenance budget. Finally, as technology continues to change rapidly, the routine maintenance staff ensures that all of the websites/applications can function within the new technologies and technology functionality and also are aligned with the company's goals for its website/application after its