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Access Technologies, Inc.
Master Services Agreement
Effective Through February 18, 2020; Version 1
This Master Services Agreement (this “Agreement”) is between Access Technologies, Inc., an Iowa corporation that maintains an office for business at 955 South East Olson Drive, Waukee, Iowa 50263 (“us”, “our”, “we”, “Access Systems” or “Access”), and you, the entity whose name, authorized signatory and contact information appear in the signature block of this Agreement (“you”, “your” or “Client”).
1. SCOPE OF SERVICES; SOW. This Agreement governs all of the services that we provide to you (collectively, the “Services”). The Services will be described in one or more statements of work that we provide to you (each, a “SOW”). Once you and we sign a SOW, the SOW will become a part of, and governed under, the terms of this Agreement. If there is a material difference or conflict between the language in a SOW and the language in this Agreement, then the language of the SOW will control, except in situations involving warranties, limitations of liability or termination of this Agreement. Under those limited circumstances, the terms of this Agreement will control unless the SOW expressly states that it is overriding the conflicting provisions of this Agreement.
2. DEFINITIONS. The terms in this section will have the meanings listed below; other terms may be defined within the context of this Agreement.
a. “Authorized Contact” means that person designated by a party to receive and provide instructions and directions concerning the Services.
b. “Client-Side Downtime” will have the meaning described in Section 9(a)(ii), below.
c. “Confidential Information” will have the meaning described in Section 10(a), below.
d. “Effective Date” means the latest date of the signatures of the parties below.
e. “Hard Costs” will have the meaning described in Section 8(a), below.
f. “Minimum Requirements” means the minimum hardware and software infrastructure that must be supplied and maintained by you at all times in order for Access to provide the Services to you.
g.“Response Time” will have the meaning described in Section 9(a), below.
h. “Startup Exception” will have the meaning described in Section 9(b), below.
i. “System” means, collectively, any computer network, computer system, peripheral or device installed, maintained, monitored or operated by Access pursuant to this Agreement.
j. “System Malfunction” will have the meaning described in Section 8(b)(i), below.
k. “Term” will have the meaning described in Section 8, below.
l. “Third Party Products” will have the meaning described in Section 6(a), below.
m. “Updates” means patches and other software-related maintenance updates that are produced and distributed by the manufacturers of software and/or hardware devices.
n. “Access Equipment” will have the meaning described in Section 8(d), below
3. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
a. System Architecture. Our fees are based upon the configuration of your System as of the effective date of the SOW. Consequently, if the System configuration changes, then we may adjust the scope of services and/or the fees charged to you under an applicable SOW to accommodate those changes.
b. Requirements. At all times, all software on the System must be genuine and licensed, and you agree to provide us with proof of such licensing upon our request. If we require you to implement certain Minimum Requirements in a SOW, you agree to do so as an ongoing requirement of Access providing its Services to you.
c. Maintenance; Updates. If Updates are provided under a SOW, Access will install Updates only if Access has determined, in its reasonable discretion, that the Updates will be compatible with the particular configuration of the System. Access will not be responsible for any downtime or losses arising from or related to the installation or use of any Update, provided that the Update was installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s or applicable vendor’s instructions.
d. Third Party Support. If, in Access’s discretion, a hardware or software issue requires vendor or OEM support, Access may contact the vendor or OEM (as applicable) on your behalf and pass through to you, without markup, all fees and costs incurred in that process. If such fees or costs are anticipated in advance or exceed $75, Access will obtain your permission before incurring such expenses on your behalf.
e. Insurance. If you are supplied with Access Equipment, you agree to acquire and maintain, at your sole cost, insurance for the full replacement value of that equipment. Access shall be listed as an additional insured on any policy acquired and maintained by you hereunder, and the policy shall not be canceled or modified without prior notification to Access. Upon Access’s request, you agree to provide proof of insurance to Access, including proof of payment of any applicable premiums or other amounts due thereunder.
4. FEES; PAYMENT. You agree to pay the fees described in each SOW. If the SOW does not include a fee schedule, then you agree to pay Access on an hourly basis pursuant to Access’s standard hourly rate schedule, which will be provided to you prior to the commencement of Services.
a. Schedule. Unless otherwise stated in a SOW, all undisputed fees will be due and payable in advance of the calendar month in which the Services are to be provided to you. For prepaid fees or fees paid pursuant to a service plan, payment must be made in advance of work performed, unless other arrangements are expressly stated in the SOW.
b. Nonpayment. Fees that remain unpaid for more than fifteen (15) days after the date on the invoice will be subject to interest on the unpaid amount(s) until and including the date payment is received, at the lower of either 1.5% per month or the maximum allowable rate of interest permitted by applicable law. Access reserves the right, but not the obligation, to suspend part or all of the Services without prior notice to you in the event that any portion of undisputed fees are not timely received by Access. All disputes related to fees must be received by us within forty-five (45) days after the applicable Service is rendered or the date on which you receive an invoice, whichever is later; otherwise, you waive your right to dispute the fee thereafter. A re-connect fee may be charged to you in the event that Access suspends the Services due to your nonpayment. Time is of the essence in the performance of all payment obligations by you.
5. ACCESS. You hereby grant to Access the right to monitor, diagnose, manipulate, communicate with, retrieve information from, and otherwise access the System on a 24x7x365 basis, for the purpose of enabling Access to provide the Services. It is your responsibility to secure, at your own cost and prior to the commencement of any Services, any necessary rights of entry, licenses, permits or other permissions necessary for Access to provide Services to the System and, if applicable, at your designated premises.
6. LIMITED WARRANTIES; LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY.
a. Hardware / Software Rented or Purchased Through Access. Unless otherwise stated in a SOW, all hardware, software, peripherals or accessories purchased, rented, or leased through Access (“Third Party Products”) are nonrefundable once the applicable purchase order is placed in Access’s queue for ordering. We will use reasonable efforts to assign, transfer and facilitate all warranties (if any) and service level commitments (if any) for the Third Party Products to you, but will have no liability whatsoever for the quality, functionality or operability of any Third Party Products, and we will not be held liable as an insurer or guarantor of the performance, uptime or usefulness of any Third Party Products. Unless otherwise expressly stated in a SOW, all Third Party Products are provided “as is” and without any warranty whatsoever as between Access and you (including but not limited to implied warranties).
b. Unauthorized Access. Access and its suppliers are not responsible to you for unauthorized access to any data provided by you pursuant to your use of the Services or the unauthorized use of the Services. You are responsible for: (i) the use of the Services by any of your employees or any person to whom you have given access to the Services; and (ii) any person who gains access to Client Data or the Services as a result of your failure to use reasonable security precautions even if such use was not authorized by you.
c. Data Transmission over the Internet. In performing our Services, we use industry-recognized products and software to help ensure the security and integrity of your data. However, you understand and agree that all data transmitted over the Internet may be subject to malware and computer contaminants such as viruses, ransomware, worms and trojan horses, as well as attempts by unauthorized users, such as hackers, to access or damage your data. Neither Access nor its designated affiliates will be responsible for the outcome or results of such activities.
d. Limitations. In no event shall either party be liable for any indirect, special, exemplary, consequential or punitive damages, or for lost revenue, loss of profits (except for fees due and owing to Access), savings, or other indirect or contingent event-based economic loss arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, any SOW, or the Services, or for any loss or interruption of data, technology or services, or for any breach hereof or for any damages caused by any delay in furnishing Services under this Agreement or any SOW, even if a party has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Except for your payment obligations and each party’s indemnification obligations described in this Agreement, each party’s aggregate liability to the other for damages from any and all causes whatsoever and regardless of the form of action that arise from or relate to this Agreement (collectively, “Claims”), whether in contract, tort or negligence, shall be limited to the amount of the aggrieved party’s actual direct damages, not to exceed the amount of fees paid by you to Access for the specific Service upon which the applicable claim(s) is/are based during the six (6) month period immediately prior to the date on which the cause of action accrued. It is understood and agreed that the costs of hardware or software (if any) provided to Client under this Agreement shall not be included in the calculation of the limitation of damages described in this paragraph.
7. INDEMNIFICATION.
a. Related to Services. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold Access harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, costs, expenses or liabilities, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, (collectively, “Damages”) arising connection with the receipt and use of the Services or in any way related to your performance under this Agreement or any SOW, including, but in no way limited to, a breach by your of your representations and warranties, except those losses, claims, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses arising out of the willful misconduct of Access, its employees, agents or other representatives. The foregoing indemnification obligation includes Damages arising out of any alleged infringement of copyrights, patent rights and/or the unauthorized or unlicensed use of any material, property or other work in connection with the performance of the Services. Access will have the right, but not the obligation, to control the intake, defense and disposition of any claim or cause of action for which indemnity may be sought under this section.
b. Related to Equipment Malfunctions and Telecommunication-related Issues. The Services require a reliable, always-connected internet solution. Internet and telecommunications outages will prevent the Services from operating correctly. In addition, all computer hardware is prone to failure due to equipment malfunction, telecommunication-related issues, etc., for which Access shall be held harmless. Due to technology limitations, all computer hardware, including communications equipment, network servers and related equipment, has an error transaction rate that can be minimized, but not eliminated. As such, Client understands and agrees that any data sent to or stored by Access may become corrupted or lost due to communication or hardware-related failures. Access cannot and does not warrant that such data corruption or loss will be avoided, and Client agrees that the Access shall be held harmless if such data corruption or loss occurs.
c. Related to Breach of Your System. Furthermore, you agree to indemnify, defend and hold Access harmless from and against any and all Damages that arise from, or are related to, any breach of your System, hacking or unauthorized disclosure, or unauthorized use or unauthorized access to your System unless such occurs as a direct result of Access’ breach of its obligations under a SOW and this Agreement.
d. Related to Uninsurable Obligations. It is understood and agreed that, in seeking the professional services of Access, you may be requesting Access to undertake uninsurable obligations for your benefit and, in connection therewith, Access may encounter the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances or contaminants at your site. Therefore, you hereby indemnify and agree to defend and hold us harmless against and from any and all loss, cost, damage, liability and expense incurred by us arising from the presence or potential presence of any hazardous substance or contaminant at your site. Such cost and expense shall include, without limitation, (i) reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation, (ii) reasonable costs arising from any investigation of any governmental agency for purported violation of any environmental law or regulation relating as hazardous substances; (iii) costs of any investigative response, clean-up or remedial actions with respect to the same; and any and all of the foregoing which we may be required under any applicable law or regulation to take, cause to be taken, or pay for.
8. TERM; TERMINATION. This Agreement will begin as of the latest date of the signatures of the parties below, and will continue until terminated as described in this Section (the “Term”). Since this is a master agreement, you may have the option (depending on the circumstances) to terminate individual SOWs without affecting other SOWs that are in-progress.
a. Termination Without Cause. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties in writing, no party will terminate a SOW without cause prior to the SOW’s natural expiration date. If you terminate a SOW without cause, then you will be responsible for paying the early termination fee described in the applicable SOW. If no early termination fee is listed, then prior to the effective date of termination of this Agreement without cause, you agree to pay Access an amount equal to (i) all expenses incurred by Access in its preparation and provision of the Services to you, e.g., licensing fees incurred by Access, non-mitigatable hard costs, etc. (“Hard Costs”), as well as (ii) all fees that would have been paid to Access had the term not been terminated prematurely.
b. Termination For Cause. In the event that one party (a “Defaulting Party”) commits a material breach under a SOW or under this Agreement, the non-Defaulting Party will have the right, but not the obligation, to terminate immediately this Agreement or the relevant SOW (a “For Cause” termination) provided that (i) the non-Defaulting Party has notified the Defaulting Party of the specific details of the breach in writing, and (ii) the Defaulting Party has not cured the default within twenty (20) days (ten (10) days for non-payment by Client) following receipt of written notice from the non-Defaulting Party. If Access terminates this Agreement or any SOW For Cause, then Access shall be entitled to receive, and you hereby agree to pay to Access, (i) all amounts that would have been paid to Access had this Agreement or SOW (as applicable) remained in effect, and (ii) all Hard Costs. If you terminate this Agreement or a SOW for cause, then you will be responsible for paying only for those services that were properly delivered and accepted by you up to the effective date of termination.
i. System Malfunction As A Basis for Termination. In the event that any Client-supplied equipment, hardware or software, or any action undertaken by you, causes the System or any part of the System to malfunction on three (3) occasions or more (“System Malfunction”), and you fail to remedy, repair or replace the System Malfunction as directed by Access, then Access will have the right, upon ten (10) days prior written notice to you, to terminate this Agreement or the applicable SOW For Cause or, at Access’s discretion, amend the applicable SOW to eliminate from coverage any System Malfunction or any equipment or software causing the System Malfunction.
ii. Client Activity As A Basis for Termination. Your use of the Services must, at all times, be in accordance with all applicable local, state, federal or international laws, regulations, rules, orders and other requirements, now or hereafter in effect. Access may suspend Services (or any portion thereof) without liability if: (i) Access reasonably believes that the Services are being used in violation of these terms and conditions; (ii) Access is required by any laws to suspend the Services; or (iii) Access reasonably believes that the suspension of the Services is required.
c. Consent. You and we may mutually consent, in writing, to terminate a SOW or this Agreement at any time.
d. Equipment / Software Removal. Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, you will provide Access with access, during normal business hours, to your premises or any other locations at which Access-owned equipment or software (collectively, “Access Equipment”) is located to enable Access to remove all Access Equipment from the premises. If you fail or refuse to grant Access access as described herein, or if any of the Access Equipment is missing, broken or damaged (normal wear and tear excepted) or any of Access-supplied software is missing, Access will have the right to invoice you for, and you hereby agree to pay immediately, the full replacement value of any and all missing or damaged items. Any equipment or software rented or leased by you under a Rental Agreement is considered non-cancelable for the full term of that agreement. Even if you terminate this Agreement for any reason, you agree that you are unconditionally obligated to pay all amounts due under that Rental Agreement for its entire term and you are not entitled to reduce or set-off against any amounts due under that Rental Agreement for any reason.
e. Transition; Deletion of Data. In the event that you request Access’s assistance to transition to a new service provider, Access will provide such assistance if (i) all fees due and owing to Access are paid to Access in full prior to Access providing its assistance to you, and (ii) you agree to pay Access its then-current hourly rate for such assistance, with up-front amounts to be paid to Access as may be required by Access. Unless otherwise expressly stated in a SOW, Access will have no obligation to store or maintain any Client data in Access’s possession or control beyond fifteen (15) calendar days following the termination of this Agreement. Access will be held harmless for, and indemnified by you against, any and all claims, costs, fees, or expenses incurred by either party that arise from, or are related to, Access’s deletion of your data beyond the time frames described in this Section 8(e).
9. RESPONSE; REPORTING.
a. Response. Access warrants and represents that Access will provide the Services, and respond to any notification received by Access of any error, outage, alarm or alert pertaining to the System, in the manner and within the time period(s) designated in an applicable SOW (“Response Time”), except for (i) those periods of time covered under the Startup Exception, or (ii) periods of delay caused by Client-Side Downtime, or (iii) periods in which Access is required to suspend the Services to protect the security or integrity of your System or Access’s equipment or network, or (iv) delays caused by a force majeure event.
i. Scheduled Downtime. For the purposes of this Agreement, Scheduled Downtime will mean those hours, as determined by Access but which will not occur between the hours of 8 AM and 5:00 PM CST (or CDT, as applicable), Monday through Friday without your authorization or unless exigent circumstances exist, during which time Access will perform scheduled maintenance or adjustments to its network. Access will use its best efforts to provide you with at least twenty-four (24) hours of notice prior to scheduling Scheduled Downtime.
ii. Client-Side Downtime. Access will not be responsible under any circumstances for any delays or deficiencies in the provision of, or access to, the Services to the extent that such delays or deficiencies are caused by your actions or omissions (“Client-Side Downtime).
iii. Remedies; Limitations. Except for the Startup Exception, if Access fails to meet its service level commitment in a given calendar month, then upon receiving your written request for credit, Access will issue you a pro-rated credit in an amount equal to the period of time of the outage and/or service failure. All requests for credit must be made by you no later than forty-five (45) days after the outage. The remedies contained in this paragraph are in lieu of (and are to the exclusion of) any and all other remedies that might otherwise be available to you for Access’s failure to meet any service level commitment during the term of this Agreement.
b. Startup Exception. You acknowledge and agree that for the first ten (10) business days following the commencement date of a SOW, the Response Time commitments described in this Agreement will not apply to Access, it being understood that there may be unanticipated downtime or delays due to Access’s initial startup activities with you (the “Startup Exception”).
10. CONFIDENTIALITY.
a. Defined. For the purposes of this Agreement, Confidential Information means any and all non-public information provided to Access by you, including but not limited to your customer data, customer lists, internal documents, and related information. Confidential Information will not include information that: (i) has become part of the public domain through no act or omission of Access, (ii) was developed independently by Access, or (iii) is or was lawfully and independently provided to Access prior to disclosure by you, from a third party who is not and was not subject to an obligation of confidentiality or otherwise prohibited from transmitting such information.
b. Use. Access will keep your Confidential Information confidential, and will not use or disclose such information to any third party for any purpose except (i) as expressly authorized by you in writing, or (ii) as needed to fulfill Access’s obligations under this Agreement. If Access is required to disclose the Confidential Information to any third party as described in part (ii) of the preceding sentence, then Access will ensure that such third party is required, by written agreement, to keep the information confidential under terms that are at least as restrictive as those stated in this Section 10.
c. Due Care. Access will exercise the same degree of care with respect to the Confidential Information it receives from you as Access normally takes to safeguard and preserve its own confidential and proprietary information, which in all cases will be at least a commercially reasonable level of care.
d. Compelled Disclosure. If Access is legally compelled (whether by deposition, interrogatory, request for documents, subpoena, civil investigation, demand or similar process) to disclose any of the Confidential Information, Access will immediately notify you in writing of such requirement so that you may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy and/or waive Access’s compliance with the provisions of this Section 10. Access will use its best efforts, at your expense, to obtain or assist you in obtaining any such protective order. Failing the entry of a protective order or the receipt of a waiver hereunder, Access may disclose, without liability hereunder, that portion (and only that portion) of the Confidential Information that Access has been advised by written opinion of counsel reasonably acceptable to Access that it is legally compelled to disclose.
11. THIRD PARTY SERVICES.
a. EULAs. Portions of the Services may require you to accept the terms of one or more third party end user license agreements (“EULAs”). EULAs may contain service levels, warranties and/or liability limitations that are different than those contained in this Agreement. You agree to be bound by the terms of such EULAs, and will look only to the applicable third party provider for the enforcement of the terms of such EULAs. If, while providing the Services, Access is required to comply with a third party EULA and the third party EULA is modified or amended, Access reserves the right to modify or amend any applicable SOW with you to ensure Access’s continued compliance with the terms of the third party EULA.
b. Information Reporting. In order to improve security awareness, you agree that Access or its designated third party affiliate may transfer information about the results of processed files, information used for URL reputation determination, security risk tracking, and statistics for protection against spam and malware. Any information obtained in this manner does not and will not contain any personal or confidential information.
c. Data Loss. If backup and/or disaster recovery services are to be provided under a SOW, then you hereby understand and agree that Access will not be responsible for any data lost, corrupted or rendered unreadable due to (i) communication and/or transmissions errors or related failures, (ii) equipment failures (including but not limited to silent hardware corruption-related issues), or (iii) Access’s failure to backup or secure data from portions of the System that were not expressly designated in the applicable SOW as requiring backup or recovery services.
d. BYOD. You hereby represent and warrant that Access is authorized to provide the Services to all devices, peripherals and/or computer processing units, including mobile devices (such as notebook computers, smart phones and tablet computers) that (i) are connected to the System, and (ii) have been designated by you to receive the Services, regardless of whether such device(s) are owned, leased or otherwise controlled by you. Unless otherwise stated in a SOW, devices will not receive or benefit from the Services while the devices are detached from or unconnected to the System.
12. OWNERSHIP. Each party is, and will remain, the owner and/or licensor of all works of authorship, patents, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property owned or licensed by such party (“Intellectual Property”), and nothing in this Agreement or any SOW shall be deemed to convey or grant any ownership rights in one party’s Intellectual Property to the other party.
13. MISCELLANEOUS.
a. Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any SOW may be assigned or transferred by a party without the prior written consent of the other party. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, their legal representatives, and permitted successors and assigns. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Access may assign its rights and obligations hereunder to a successor in ownership in connection with any merger, consolidation, or sale of substantially all of the assets of the business of a party, or any other transaction in which ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of either party’s voting securities is transferred; provided such assignee expressly assumes the assignor’s obligations hereunder.
b. Amendment. No amendment or modification of this Agreement or any SOW will be valid or binding upon the parties unless such amendment or modification is originated in writing by Access, specifically refers to this Agreement, and is accepted in writing by one of your Authorized Contacts.
c. Time Limitations. The parties mutually agree that any action for any matter arising out of this Agreement or any SOW (except for issues of nonpayment by Client) must be commenced within six (6) months after the cause of action accrues or the action is forever barred.
d. Severability. If any provision hereof or any SOW is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity, illegibility or unenforceability so that the remainder of that provision and all remaining provisions of this Agreement or any SOW will be valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
e. Other Terms. Access will not be bound by any terms or conditions printed on any presentation, proposal, quote, purchase order, invoice, memorandum, or other written communication between the parties unless such terms or conditions are incorporated into a duly executed SOW. In the event any provision contained in this Agreement is held to be unenforceable in any respect, such unenforceability will not affect any other provision of this Agreement, and the Agreement will be construed as if such an unenforceable provision or provisions had never been included in this Agreement.
f. No Waiver. The failure of either party to enforce or insist upon compliance with any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, the temporary or recurring waiver of any term or condition of this Agreement, or the granting of an extension of the time for performance, will not constitute an Agreement to waive such terms with respect to any other occurrences.
g. Merger. This Agreement, together with any and all SOWs, sets forth the entire understanding of the parties and supersedes any and all prior agreements, arrangements or understandings related to the Services, and no representation, promise, inducement or statement of intention has been made by either party which is not embodied herein. Any document that is not expressly and specifically incorporated into this Agreement or SOW will act only to provide illustrations or descriptions of Services to be provided, and will not act to modify this Agreement or provide binding contractual language between the parties. Access will not be bound by any agents’ or employees’ representations, promises or inducements not explicitly set forth herein.
h. Force Majeure. Access will not be liable to you for delays or failures to perform Access’s obligations under this Agreement or any SOW because of circumstances beyond Access’s reasonable control. Such circumstances include, but will not be limited to, any acts or omissions of any governmental authority, natural disaster, act of a public enemy, acts of terrorism, riot, sabotage, disputes or differences with workmen, power failure, communications delays/outages, delays in transportation or deliveries of supplies or materials, and acts of God.
i. Non-Solicitation. You acknowledge and agree that during the term of this Agreement and for a period of one (1) year following the termination of this Agreement, you will not, individually or in conjunction with others, directly or indirectly solicit, induce or influence any of Access’s employees or subcontractors to discontinue or reduce the scope of their business relationship with Access, or recruit, solicit or otherwise influence any employee or agent of Access to discontinue such employment or agency relationship with Access. In the event that you violate the terms of the restrictive covenants in this Section 13(i), you acknowledge and agree that the damages to Access would be difficult or impracticable to determine, and you agree that in such event, as Access’s sole and exclusive remedy therefore, you will pay Access as liquidated damages and not as a penalty an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) percent of that employee or subcontractor’s first year of base salary with you (including any signing bonus).
j. Survival. The provisions contained in this Agreement that by their context are intended to survive termination or expiration of this Agreement will survive.
k. Insurance. Access and you will each maintain, at each party’s own expense, all insurance reasonably required in connection with this Agreement or any SOW, including but not limited to, worker’s compensation and general liability. Access agrees to maintain a general liability policy with a limit not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. All of the insurance policies described herein will not be canceled, materially changed or renewal refused until at least thirty (30) calendar days written notice has been given to the other party by certified mail.
l. Arbitration / Venue and Governing Law. This Agreement and any SOW will be governed by, and construed according to, the laws of the State of Iowa. You hereby irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state courts in Dallas County, in the State of Iowa, for any and all claims and causes of action arising from or related to this Agreement. YOU AND WE AGREE THAT EACH OF US WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY for any and all claims and causes of action arising from or related to this Agreement. Except for attempts by us to collect amounts owed under this Agreement, which may be pursued, among other ways, through the federal and state judicial systems, any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the breach thereof, shall be referred to arbitration by either party hereto and finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association as the exclusive method of dispute resolution. The arbitration panel shall consist of three (3) arbitrators, to be appointed by each party and the third to be appointed by the first two arbitrators so selected. The arbitration shall take place in Dallas County, Iowa. The arbitration award shall be final, binding upon the parties, not subject to any appeal, and shall deal with the question of costs of arbitration and all matters related thereto. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered by any court having jurisdiction, or application may be made to such court for judicial recognition of the award or an order of enforcement thereof, as the case may be.
m. No Third Party Beneficiaries. The Parties have entered into this Agreement solely for their own benefit. They intend no third party to be able to rely upon or enforce this Agreement or any part of this Agreement.
n. Usage in Trade. It is understood and agreed that no usage of trade or other regular practice or method of dealing between the Parties to this Agreement will be used to modify, interpret, supplement, or alter in any manner the terms of this Agreement.
o. Business Day. If any time period set forth in this Agreement expires on a day other than a business day in Dallas County, Iowa, such period will be extended to and through the next succeeding business day in Dallas County, Iowa.
p. Notices; Writing Requirement. Where notice is required to be provided to a party under this Agreement, such notice may be sent by Certified U.S. mail, overnight courier, or email as follows: notice will be deemed delivered one (1) day following delivery when sent by Certified U.S. mail, or one (1) day following delivery when sent by United Parcel Service, FedEx or other overnight courier, or one (1) day after notice is delivered by email. Notice sent by email will be sufficient only if (i) the sender emails the notice to the last known email address of the recipient, and (ii) the sender includes itself in the “cc” portion of the email and preserves the email until such time that it is acknowledged in writing by the recipient. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any notice from you to Access regarding (a) any alleged breach of this Agreement by Access, or (b) any request for indemnification, or (c) any notice of material breach or termination of this Agreement or any SOW, must be delivered to Access either by Certified U.S. mail or overnight courier, unless such requirement is expressly and specifically waived by Access. All electronic documents and communications between the parties will satisfy any “writing” requirement under this Agreement.
q. Independent Contractor. Each party is an independent contractor of the other, and neither is an employee, partner or joint venturer of the other.
r. Subcontractors. Access guarantees all work performed by any Access-designated subcontractor as if Access performed such work itself.
s. Prevailing Party. If a party is required to bring an action to enforce the terms of this Agreement, the party prevailing in the action shall be entitled to an award of the reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs that such party incurred in the action.
t. Counterparts. The parties may sign and deliver this Agreement and any SOW in any number of counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original and all of which, when taken together, will be deemed to be one agreement. Each party may sign and deliver this Agreement (or any SOW) electronically (e.g., by digital signature and/or electronic reproduction of a handwritten signature), and the receiving party will be entitled to rely upon the apparent integrity and authenticity of the other party’s signature for all purposes.
u. Diagnostic Services. Any diagnostic services performed by Access may require Access to install a small amount of code (“Diagnostic Code”) on one or more of the devices attached to the System. No personal information or personal data reviewed or copied by Access at any time during the testing process. No files will be erased, modified, opened, reviewed or copied at any time during the testing process. The Diagnostic Code will not install or create any disabling device, or any backdoor or hidden entryway into the System. The results of the diagnostic testing will be kept confidential by Access. You grant Access permission to access the System for the purpose of conducting the diagnostic testing, and agree to hold Access harmless from and against any and all incidents or damages that may occur during or as a result of the testing process, regardless of the cause of such damages including but not limited to data loss due to events beyond Access’s reasonable control, network or communication outages, and deficiencies or errors in any of hardware or equipment that may interrupt or terminate the diagnostic testing process. The testing process is for diagnostic purposes only. The process is not intended, and will not be used, to correct any problem or error in the System. Access does not warrant or represent that the testing process will result in any particular outcome, or that any particular issue, hardware or software configuration will be correctly detected or identified.
v. Maintenance Services. Unless otherwise provided in a SOW, maintenance services will be applied in accordance with the recommended practices of the managed services industry. Client understands and agrees that maintenance services are not intended to be, and will not be, a warranty or guaranty of the functionality of any particular device, or a service plan for the repair or remediation of any particular managed hardware or software. Repair and/or device remediation services are not covered under the Access’s maintenance service plan, and shall be provided on an hourly basis to Client.
w. IP Addresses. Any IP addresses provided to Client by Access during the term of the Agreement are managed by Access and Access will retain these IP addresses after termination of the agreement, meaning that they may not be transferred or utilized by Client after termination of the Agreement.
x. Unsupported Configuration Elements Or Services. If Client asks us to implement a configuration element (hardware or software) or hosting service in a manner that is not customary at Access, or that is in “end of life” or “end of support” status, Access may designate the element or service as “unsupported,” “non-standard,” “best efforts,” “reasonable endeavor,” “one-off,” “EOL,” “end of support,” or with like term in the Service Description (referred to in this Section as an “Unsupported Service”). Access makes no representation or warranty whatsoever regarding any Unsupported Service, and Client agrees that Access will not be liable to Client for any loss or damage arising from the provision of the Unsupported Service. The Deployment and Service Level Guaranties shall not apply to the Unsupported Service, or any other aspect of the Hosting Services that is adversely affected by the Unsupported Service. Client acknowledges that Unsupported Services may not interoperate with Access’s other services, such as backup or monitoring.
y. Sample Policies & Procedures. From time to time, Access may provide Client with sample (i.e., template) policies and procedures for use in connection with Client’s business (“Sample Policies”). The Sample Policies are for Client’s informational use only, and do not constitute or comprise legal or professional advice. The Sample Policies are not intended to be a substitute for the advice of competent counsel. Client should seek the advice of competent legal counsel prior to using the Sample Policies, in part or in whole, in any transaction. Access does not warrant or guaranty that the Sample Policies are complete, accurate, or suitable for Client’s specific needs, or that Client will reduce or avoid liability by utilizing the Sample Policies in its business operations.
z. Suggestions and Advice. Suggestions and advice rendered to you are provided in accordance with relevant industry practices, based on Client’s specific needs. By suggesting a particular service or solution, Access is not endorsing any particular manufacturer or service provider. Access is not a warranty service or repair center, and does not warrant or guarantee the performance of any third party service or solution.
In witness whereof, the parties hereto have entered into this Agreement as of the date this Agreement is signed by Client as set forth below.
AGREED AND ACCEPTED:
Date:
Access Technologies, Inc.
By:
Print Name / Position:
Date:
Client:
By:
Print Name / Position:
Contact Information:
