General Terms and Conditions

1. Applicability

1.1 The SIS terms and conditions shall apply in the event that the Supplier provides services in the field or under the name of Application Service Provision (ASP), Software as a Service (SaaS) and/or Computer Service.

1.2 The terms ‘Application Service Provision’ and ‘Software as a Service’ shall be understood to refer to: the ‘remote’ placing and maintaining at the disposal of the Client of software by the Supplier via the internet or another network, without providing the Client with a physical data medium on which the software in question is stored.

1.3 The term ‘Computer Service’ shall be understood to refer to: the automatic processing of data using software and hardware managed by the Supplier.

2. Services

2.1 The Supplier shall provide the Client with the service specified in the agreement between the parties in the field of Application Service Provision, Software as a Service and/or Computer Service, as well as the other services agreed between the parties.. The Supplier shall not be responsible for the purchase and/or correct functioning of the Client’s infrastructure or that of third parties.

2.2 Except where agreed otherwise in writing, the Client shall be responsible for the management, which includes monitoring settings, the use of the service and the manner in which the results obtained through the use of the software are used. The Client shall also be responsible for training given to and use by users, regardless of whether or not there is a relationship of authority between the Client and these users. If no explicit agreements have been made in this regard, the Client itself shall install, set up, parameterise and tune the (auxiliary) software required on its own hardware and adapt the hardware used, other (auxiliary software) and operating environment where necessary, as well as achieving the interoperability desired by the Client.

2.3 Except where agreed otherwise in writing, the Supplier shall not be obliged to carry out data conversion.

2.4 If the agreement stipulates that the service provided to the Client shall also include the provision of support to users, the Supplier shall issue advice by telephone or e-mail on the use and operation of the software referred to in the agreement and on the use of the service. The Supplier may impose conditions in relation to the qualifications and the number of contacts who are eligible for support. The Supplier shall deal with properly substantiated requests for support within a reasonable period of time. The Supplier cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of responses or support provided. Except where agreed otherwise in writing, support shall only be provided on working days during the Supplier’s standard business hours.

2.5 If the agreement stipulates that the service provided to the Client shall also include the creation of backups of the Client’s data, the Supplier shall create a full backup of the Client’s data that it has in its possession with due observance of the periods agreed between the parties in writing. If no periods have been agreed, a backup shall be created once per week. The Supplier shall retain the backup for a period of time to be agreed between the parties and if no agreements have been reached in this regard, for the Supplier’s standard period of time. The Supplier shall handle and store the backup with due care and diligence.

2.6 The Supplier shall only be obliged to have a backup centre or other backup facilities if this has been explicitly agreed in writing.

3. Provision of services

3.1 The Supplier shall make every effort to ensure that the services are provided with due care and in accordance with the arrangements and procedures agreed in writing with the Client where applicable. The Supplier shall provide all services on the basis of a best efforts obligation, unless and in so far as the Supplier has explicitly undertaken in the written agreement to achieve a specific result and the result in question is sufficiently determined.

3.2 The Supplier shall only perform the service on behalf of the Client. If the Supplier carries out work relating to the Client’s data or that of its employees or users pursuant to a request or an authorised order from a government agency or in connection with a statutory obligation, the Client shall be invoiced for all of the associated costs.

3.3 The Supplier may make adjustments to the content or scope of the service. If such adjustments result in a change in the procedures that apply to the Client, the Supplier shall notify the Client as soon as possible and the costs of this change shall be borne by the Client. In this case, the Client may terminate the agreement in writing with effect from the date on which the change takes effect, unless this change is related to changes in relevant legislation or other regulations issued by competent authorities, or if the Supplier bears the costs of this change.

3.4 The Supplier may continue to provide the service using a new or amended version of the software. The Supplier shall not be obliged to maintain, change or add certain features or functionalities of the service or the software specifically for the Client.

3.5 The Supplier may temporarily suspend the service in full or in part for the purpose of carrying out preventive, corrective or adaptive maintenance. The Supplier shall not suspend the service for longer than necessary and shall arrange for this to take place outside of office hours where possible and, according to the circumstances, shall notify the Client in advance.

3.6 If the Supplier is providing services on the basis of information to be provided by the Client, this information shall be prepared and supplied by the Client in accordance with the conditions to be imposed by the Supplier. The Client shall bring the data to be processed to, and collect the results of the processing from, the location at which the Supplier is providing the service. Transport and transmission, in any form whatsoever, shall take place at the risk and expense of the Client, even if this is carried out or organised by the Supplier. The Client shall at all times guarantee that all materials, information, software, procedures and instructions that it makes available to the Supplier for the purpose of providing the services is accurate and complete and that all data carriers issued to the Supplier meet the Supplier’s specifications.

3.7 All hardware, software and items used by the Supplier in providing the service shall remain the property or the intellectual property of the Supplier or its own suppliers, even if the Client pays a fee in respect of the development or purchase of these by the Supplier.

3.8 The Supplier shall under no circumstances be obliged to provide the Client with a physical data carrier containing the software to be made and kept available to the Client within the context of Application Service Provision and/or Service as a Service, or the software to be used by the Supplier within the context of Computer Service.

4. Service Level Agreement

4.1 Any service level agreements shall in all cases only be entered into explicitly in writing. The Client shall notify the Supplier at all times of all circumstances that may affect the service and the availability of the service. If service level agreements are entered into, any periods of decommissioning announced in advance due to maintenance work or to circumstances outside of the sphere of influence will not be taken into account when assessing availability. The assessment will be based on the service as a whole during the term of the agreement. Barring proof to the contrary, the availability and service level measured by the Supplier shall be conclusive evidence.

5. Term

5.1 The agreement shall be entered into for the term agreed between the parties. If no term has been agreed, a term of one year shall apply. The term of the agreement shall be extended automatically by the term of the original period each time, unless the Client or the Supplier terminates the agreement in writing with due observance of a notice period of three months prior to the end of the period in question.

6. Payment

6.1 If an invoicing schedule has not been agreed, all amounts relating to the service provided by the Supplier shall in each case be payable in advance each calendar month with a payment period of 14 days.

6.2 After the initial term agreed between the parties has ended (or annually in case there is no initial term), the fees will be indexed annually on the basis of the Dutch CBS-index CPI “alle huishoudens” (2015=100) as published on the internet”.

7. Guarantee

7.1 The Supplier shall not guarantee that the software to be made and kept available to the Client within the context of Application Service Provision and/or Service as a Service, and the software used by the Supplier within the context of Computer Service are free of defects and will operate without interruptions. The Supplier shall endeavor to fix any defects in the software within a reasonable period of time if and in so far as the relevant software was developed by the Supplier itself and the Supplier has received detailed notification in writing of the defects in question. As and when necessary, the Supplier may postpone the fixing of defects until such time as a new version of the software is brought into use. The Supplier shall not guarantee that defects in software that was not developed by the Supplier itself will be fixed. The Supplier shall be entitled to install temporary solutions, program bypasses or problem-avoiding restrictions in the software. If the software was developed on behalf of the Client, the Supplier shall be entitled to invoice the Client for the costs of fixing errors at its standard rates.

7.2 The Supplier shall not be responsible for checking the accuracy and completeness of the results of the service and the data generated through the use of the service. The Client itself shall regularly check the results of the service and the data generated through the use of the service.

7.3 If and in so far as necessary or desirable, the Supplier shall, where shortcomings in the results of the Computer Service are the direct result of products, software, data carriers, procedures or operating procedures for which the Supplier is explicitly responsible pursuant to the agreement, repeat the Computer Service for the purpose of rectifying these shortcomings, provided that the Client provides the Supplier with detailed notification in writing of the shortcomings as soon as possible, and no later than one week after obtaining the results of the Computer Service. Such repetition of the service shall only be carried out free of charge if the shortcomings in the Computer Service are attributable to the Supplier. If the shortcomings are not attributable to the Supplier and/or the shortcomings are the result of errors or shortcomings on the part of the Client, such as the provision of incorrect or incomplete data and/or information, the Supplier shall, where appropriate, invoice the Client for the costs of repetition of the service according to its standard rates. If the Supplier is of the opinion that the rectification of shortcomings that are attributable to the Supplier is not reasonably possible, the Supplier shall credit the amounts payable by the Client for the Computer Service in question, without any further or other liability vis-a-vis the Client. The Client shall not enjoy any rights as a result of shortcomings in the Computer Service other than those described in this guarantee scheme. This sub clause explicitly does not apply to Application Service Provision and Software as a Service.

7.4 On the basis of the information provided by the Supplier in relation to measures for the purpose of preventing and limiting the consequences of interruptions or shortcomings in the service, the scrambling or loss of data or other incidents, the Client shall identify and list the risks for its organisation and take additional measures where necessary. The Supplier declares that it is prepared to lend its cooperation to further measures to be taken by the Client to a reasonable extent and at the request of the Client, subject to (financial) conditions to be imposed by the Supplier. Under no circumstances shall the Supplier be responsible for the recovery of scrambled or lost data.

7.5 The Supplier shall not guarantee that the software to be made and kept available to the Client within the context of Application Service Provision and/or Service as a Service, and the software used by the Supplier within the context of Computer Service will be adapted according to changes in relevant legislation and regulations in a timely manner.

8. Processing of personal data

8.1 The Client shall guarantee that all of the requirements in respect of the lawful processing of personal data input by the Client in the software to be made and kept available to the Client within the context of Application Service Provision and/or Service as a Service, and the software used by the Supplier within the context of Computer Service, are met.

8.2 Without prejudice to the provisions of the General module, full responsibility for the data processed through the use of the service by the Client shall rest with the Client. The Client shall guarantee the Supplier that the data is not illegal and does not infringe the rights of third parties. The Client shall indemnify the Supplier against claims by thirds parties, of whatever nature, in relation to the processing of this data or the execution of the agreement. Pursuant to legislation in respect of the processing of personal data (such as the Personal Data Protection Act [Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens]), the Client has obligations vis-a-vis third parties, such as an obligation to provide information, and an obligation to allow the inspection, correction and removal of personal data of parties involved. The Client is fully and exclusively responsible for ensuring compliance with these obligations. The parties agree that, with regard to the processing of personal data, the Supplier is the ‘processor’ within the meaning of the Personal Data Protection Act. The Supplier shall, as far as technically possible, lend its cooperation in respect of the obligations to be met by the Client. The costs associated with such cooperation are not included in the Supplier’s agreed prices and fees and shall be borne in full by the Client.

9. Applicable law

9.1 The Agreement is governed by Dutch law and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dutch courts.