Terms of Service Agreement

LAST REVISION: [28 Sep 2022] 

PLEASE READ THIS TERMS OF SERVICE AGREEMENT CAREFULLY. BY USING THIS WEBSITE OR PURCHASING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FROM SANDSTORM IT, INC., YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. 

SandStorm IT, Inc. is engaged in the business of providing a full range of information technology products, support, services, and consulting services; and Customer desires to retain Company to perform information technology products, support, services, and consulting services.    

1. Services.    This Agreement shall apply to the delivery of technology products, support, services, and consulting services as further described Estimates, Quotes, or Work Orders that may be proposed and accepted by the parties.  Any such accepted Estimate, Quote, or Work Order shall be incorporated herein by reference (the products, support, services, and consulting services described in any Estimate, Quote, or Work Order are hereafter referred to as the “Services”).  

2. Fees and Payment Terms.  

1. In exchange for the Services performed by Company, as set forth in any Service, Customer agrees to compensate Company at the rates identified in the fee schedule set forth in a Service.  Such rates are exclusive of any federal, state, or local sales or use taxes, or any other taxes or fees assessed on, or in connection with any of the Services rendered herein.  Customer will pay all undisputed invoices within fifteen (15) days of receipt thereof. 

2. A late charge of one and one-half percent (1½%) per month, or the legal maximum if less, shall accrue on past due billings unless Customer notifies Company of a billing dispute in writing prior to the payment due date.  Customer shall be responsible for any costs incurred by Company in the collection of unpaid invoices including, but not limited to, collection and filing costs and reasonable attorney’s fees of not less than fifteen percent (15%) of the outstanding balance due. 

3. Independent Contractor.    The parties enter into this Agreement as independent contractors and nothing within this Agreement shall be construed to create a joint venture, partnership, agency, or other employment relationship between the parties.  All Company employees who are assigned to perform services at any Customer owned or leased facility shall be considered to be an employee of Company only and will not be considered an agent or employee of Customer for any purpose.  Company will be solely responsible for payment of all compensation owed to its employees, including all applicable federal, state, and local employment taxes and will make deductions for all taxes and withholdings required by law.  In no event will any Company employee be eligible for or entitled to any benefits of Customer. 

4. Confidential Information. 

1. Customer understands and acknowledges that Company may, from time to time, disclose “Confidential Information” to Customer.  For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Confidential Information” shall include but not be limited to any nonpublic and/or proprietary information or materials relating to Company’s promotional and/or marketing strategy and activity, Company’s pricing information (including but not limited to rates, margins, and budgets), Company’s financial and budget information, Company’s customer lists, information about the education, background, experience, and/or skills possessed by Company employees, Company employee compensation information, Company’s service and/or sales concepts, Company’s service and/or sales methodology, Company’s service and/or sales techniques, Company’s customer satisfaction data or sales information, or any information which Company marks or identifies as “confidential” at the time of disclosure or confirms in writing as confidential within a reasonable time (not to exceed thirty (30) days) after disclosure.  Customer will not disclose Company’s Confidential Information to any third party at any time without the prior written consent of Company and shall take reasonable measures to prevent any unauthorized disclosure by its employees, agents, contractors, or consultants.  Further, Company’s Confidential Information shall include the terms set forth in this Agreement, all of which shall remain the property of Company and shall in no event be transferred, conveyed, or assigned to Customer as a result of the services provided pursuant to this Agreement.  The foregoing duty shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement. 

2. Company also understands and acknowledges that Customer may, from time to time, disclose to Company proprietary ideas, concepts, expertise, and technologies developed by Customer relating to computer application programming, installation, and operation (collectively “Customer’s Confidential Information”).  Additionally, to provide various support services Company offers, Company may have access to digital, video, and audio data within Customer’s systems.  Customer may further provide to Company documentation, reports, memoranda, notes, drawings, plans, papers, recordings, data, designs, materials, or other forms of records or information relating to Customer’s business operations (collectively “Confidential Trade Information”).  Company agrees (i) not to use any Customer Confidential Information or Confidential Trade Information for its own use or for any purpose other than the specific purpose of completing the Services; (ii) not to voluntarily disclose any Customer Confidential Information or Confidential Trade Information to any other person or entity; and (iii) to take all reasonable measures to protect the secrecy of, and avoid disclosure or use of, Customer Confidential Information and/or Confidential Trade Information in order to prevent it from falling into the public domain or the possession of persons other than those persons authorized hereunder to have such Customer Confidential Information and/or Confidential Trade Information.  The foregoing duty shall survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement. 

3. In no event shall Customer use Company’s Confidential Information to reverse engineer or otherwise develop products or services functionally equivalent to the products or services of the Owner.   

4. The following shall not be considered Confidential Information for purposes of this Agreement: (a) Information which is or becomes in the public domain through no fault or act of the receiving party; (b) Information which was independently developed by the receiving party without the use of or reliance on the disclosing party’s Confidential Information; (c) Information which was provided to the receiving party by a third party under no duty of confidentiality to the disclosing party; or (d) Information which is required to be disclosed by law with no further obligation of confidentiality, provided, however, prompt prior notice thereof shall be given to the party whose Confidential Information is involved. 

5. The parties agree that the disclosure of any of the foregoing Confidential Information by either party shall give rise to irreparable injury to the owner of the Confidential Information, inadequately compensable in monetary damages.  Accordingly, the non-disclosing party may seek and obtain injunctive relief against the breach or threatened breach of the foregoing undertakings, in addition to any other legal remedies that may be available. 

5. Warranty of Services.    Any warranty offered by Company for Services provided herein shall be set forth in the SOW.  In the absence of any warranty language in the SOW, Company warrants that all Services performed pursuant to this Agreement will be performed in accordance with the general standards and practices of the information technology industry in existence at the time the Services are being performed.  IF THERE IS NO WARRANTY SET FORTH IN THE SOW, THE FOREGOING EXPRESS LIMITED WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, CONTRACTUAL OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE TO THE EXTENT APPLICABLE. 

6. Limitation of Liability.    Customer agrees that Company shall not be liable to Customer, or any third party, for (1) any liability claims, loss, damages or expense of any kind arising directly or indirectly out of services provided herein for (2) any incidental or consequential damages, however caused, and Customer agrees to indemnify and hold Company harmless against such liabilities, claims, losses, damages (consequential or otherwise) or expenses, or actions in respect thereof, asserted or brought against Company by or in right of third parties or for (3) any punitive damages. For purposes of this Agreement, incidental or consequential damages shall include, but not be limited to, loss of anticipated revenues, income, profits, or savings; loss of or damage to business reputation or good will; loss of Customers; loss of business or financial opportunity; or any other indirect or special damages of any kind categorized as consequential or incidental damages under the law of the State of Tennessee.  Company’s liability for any damages hereunder shall in no event exceed the fees paid by Customer to Company as of the date the alleged damages was incurred. 

7. Indemnification.    Each party shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the other, its employees, principals (partners, shareholders, or holders of an ownership interest, as the case may be) and agents, from and against any third party claims, demands, loss, damage or expense relating to bodily injury or death of any person or damage to real and/or tangible personal property directly caused solely by the negligence or willful conduct of the indemnifying party, its personnel or agents in connection with the performance of the Services hereunder.  To the extent that such claim arises from the concurrent conduct of Customer, Company and/or any third party, it is expressly agreed that Company’s liability shall be limited by the terms and provisions of paragraph six (6) herein and that, with respect to any remaining obligations to pay any third party claims, demands, losses, damages or expenses that are not limited by the terms and provisions of paragraph six (6) herein, each party’s obligations of indemnity under this paragraph shall be effective only to the extent of each party’s pro rata share of liability. To receive the foregoing indemnities, the party seeking indemnification must promptly notify the other in writing of a claim or suit and provide reasonable cooperation (at the indemnifying party’s expense) and full authority to defend or settle the claim or suit. The indemnifying party shall have no obligation to indemnify the indemnified party under any settlement made without the indemnifying party’s written consent. 

8. Equal Opportunity Employer.    Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, development, and termination of its employees on the basis of race, color, sex, age, marital status, national origin, handicap, religious beliefs, veteran’s status, or other protected category as required by applicable Federal, State, and local laws. 

9. Non-solicitation of Employees.    Customer will not, either directly or indirectly (except through Company) solicit, hire, or contract with any Company employee during the term of this Agreement and for a one (1) year period following termination thereof (hereafter the “Non-solicitation Term”).  If Customer desires to directly hire any Company employee during the Non-Solicitation Term, Customer must first seek Company’s consent to directly hire the employee and to speak with the Company employee about the employment opportunity.  

10. Force Majeure.  Neither party will be liable to the other for failure to perform its obligations hereunder if and to the extent that such failure to perform results from causes beyond its control, including and without limitation: strikes, lockouts, or other industrial disturbances; civil disturbances; fires; acts of God; acts of a public enemy; compliance with any regulations, order, or requirement of any governmental body or agency; or inability to obtain transportation or necessary materials in the open market.  

11. Applicable Law.  This Agreement is made under and will be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee without giving effect to that state’s choice of law rules. 

12. Successors and Third-Party Beneficiaries.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of Company and Customer and any successors or assigns of Company and Customer.  No third party shall have any rights hereunder. 

13. Termination.  

1. Termination for Cause:  If either party believes that the other party has failed in any material respect to perform its obligations under this Agreement (including any Exhibits or Amendments hereto), then that party may provide written notice to the other party’s management representative describing the alleged failure in reasonable detail.  If the alleged failure relates to a failure to pay any sum due and owing under this Agreement or if Customer makes an unauthorized solicitation of a Company employee under the provisions of paragraph nine (9) herein, the breaching party shall have ten (10) business days after notice of such failure to cure the breach.  If the breaching party fails to cure within ten (10) business days, then the non-breaching party may immediately terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part, for cause by providing written notice to the management representative of the breaching party.  With respect to all other defaults, if the breaching party does not, within thirty (30) calendar days after receiving such written notice, either (a) cure the material failure or (b) if the breach is not one that can reasonably be cured within thirty (30) calendar days, then the non-breaching party may terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part, for cause by providing written notice to the management representative of the breaching party.  

2. Termination for Bankruptcy:  Either party shall have the immediate right to terminate this Agreement, by providing written notice to the other party, in the event that (i) the other party becomes insolvent, enters into receivership, is the subject of a voluntary or involuntary bankruptcy proceeding, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (ii) a substantial part of the other party’s property becomes subject to any levy, seizure, assignment or sale for or by any creditor or government agency. 

3. Payments Due:  The termination of this Agreement shall not release either party from the obligation to make payment of all amounts then or thereafter due and payable.