Under what condition will HSS have no obligation to provide Proprietary Software Maintenance services to an Embassy Suites franchisee?

According to Embassy Suites's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, HSS (presumably a software or IT service provider) has no obligation to provide Proprietary Software Maintenance services to an Embassy Suites franchisee if the franchisee uses or installs any third-party software other than Certified Software on the Authorized Equipment, or uses equipment that is not Authorized Equipment. This condition is put in place to ensure the integrity and compatibility of the software systems used within the Embassy Suites franchise network.

This stipulation means that franchisees must adhere strictly to the software and hardware configurations approved and certified by HSS. Any deviation from this standard, such as introducing unapproved software or using unauthorized equipment, immediately voids HSS's responsibility for maintaining the Proprietary Software. This is a significant point for prospective franchisees to consider, as it highlights the importance of sticking to the approved technology solutions to ensure ongoing support and maintenance.

For a prospective Embassy Suites franchisee, this implies a need for careful planning and adherence to the franchisor's technology guidelines. It would be prudent to fully understand what constitutes "Certified Software" and "Authorized Equipment" and to factor in the costs and limitations associated with using only approved technology. Any desire to use alternative software or equipment would need to be discussed and approved in writing by HSS to avoid losing maintenance support. This policy is fairly standard in franchising, as franchisors need to maintain system-wide consistency and security.