Chris Smith

Chris Smith is the Founder and CEO of PRAXIS Technology Escrow and a recognized leader in software and SaaS escrow with more than 20 years of industry experience. He pioneered the first automated escrow solution in 2016, transforming how escrow supports Agile development, SaaS platforms, and emerging technologies.

Data Protection Consulting: Safeguarding Your Critical Business Assets

Practical Strategies for Legal, Tech, and Executive Teams Quick Summary / Key Takeaways Data protection consulting addresses real operational risk. It focuses on protecting proprietary software, source code, and sensitive data from vendor failure, access loss, and system disruption. Effective protection requires alignment. Legal agreements, technical controls, and operational processes must work together — not […]

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Securing Critical Assets: The Escrow Agreement for Tech Continuity

Protecting Source Code and Data Access in Vendor Relationships Quick Summary / Key Takeaways Escrow mitigates real vendor risk. It ensures enforceable access to source code, SaaS materials, data, and configurations when a vendor fails, exits the market, or stops cooperating. Continuity depends on execution, not promises. Effective escrow agreements define precise deposit obligations, automated

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Why Ignoring Escrow for Your Machine Learning Code Could Cost You Millions

AI Vendor Risk: Why Enterprises Can’t Afford Software Disruption AI and emerging technologies are central to modern enterprise operations, powering decision-making, automation, and data-driven insights. However, the increasing reliance on third-party AI software creates a critical vulnerability: vendor failure. When an AI software vendor goes out of business, enterprises risk operational disruption, regulatory non-compliance, and

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AI Vendor Risk Management: How to Protect Your Enterprise from Software Disruption

AI Vendor Risk: Why Enterprises Can’t Afford Software Disruption AI and emerging technologies are central to modern enterprise operations, powering decision-making, automation, and data-driven insights. However, the increasing reliance on third-party AI software creates a critical vulnerability: vendor failure. When an AI software vendor goes out of business, enterprises risk operational disruption, regulatory non-compliance, and

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Why Companies Worldwide Choose U.S. Software & SaaS Escrow Agents

As businesses become increasingly dependent on software, SaaS platforms, and proprietary technology, the risks associated with vendor failure, insolvency, or product discontinuation have grown. To manage these risks, companies worldwide rely on software escrow and SaaS escrow agreements administered by independent escrow agents. In global technology transactions, many parties, regardless of headquarters, choose a U.S. based technology

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Why Your AI Startup Should Establish Software Escrow Before Your First Enterprise Deal

In the early stages of artificial intelligence development, startups face heightened technical and contractual scrutiny from enterprise customers. With accelerated innovation cycles and deep integration dependencies, software developers must balance creativity with risk mitigation. A critical, yet often overlooked, element of a robust enterprise readiness strategy is software escrow. By establishing a software escrow arrangement

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Vendor Bankruptcy: Protecting Enterprise Technology Investments from Software Risk

Enterprise organizations depend on third-party software to operate, scale, and innovate. Core platforms support revenue generation, customer engagement, compliance, and operational efficiency. Despite this reliance, many enterprises underestimate one of the most disruptive risks in the technology supply chain: vendor bankruptcy. When a software provider becomes insolvent, enterprises may suddenly lose access to business critical

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The Enterprise Guide to AI Vendor Due Diligence and Risk Mitigation

Artificial intelligence is now embedded in core enterprise operations, from decision automation to proprietary model development. While AI delivers measurable efficiency and competitive advantage, it also introduces new categories of vendor risk that traditional procurement and legal frameworks were not designed to address. For enterprise buyers, AI vendor due diligence must go beyond standard financial

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The Evolution of Software Escrow: How Protection Has Expanded from Source Code to AI Models

Software escrow has existed for decades as a practical safeguard for organizations that rely on third party technology. Historically, escrow focused on storing source code for locally installed software. As long as the codebase and build instructions were available, a beneficiary could maintain or rebuild the system if the vendor could not support it. The

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Regulatory Compliance and AI Software: The Escrow Connection

Artificial intelligence has become central to how enterprises operate. AI models, automation tools, and machine learning platforms support decisions, workflows, and daily operations in nearly every industry. This rapid adoption brings new risks and responsibilities, especially for organizations that must meet strict regulatory and compliance requirements. When critical operations rely on AI software that is

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