  Enterprises rely more on Information Systems (IS) and software than ever
before. However the issue of maintaining a vendor-supplied IS, in particular
standard packaged software, has been poorly represented within academic
literature. This paper presents a conceptual study that synthesises the current
state of research concerning the deferral or execution of vendor-supplied
maintenance by the purchasing organisation. Based on a systematic review
process that adopts the purchasers viewpoint, a series of fears and triggers
emerge and are captured from the literature. Fears are articulated as reasons
for the purchasing organisation deferring the installation of vendor-supplied
maintenance, whereas triggers are events that upset the equilibrium of the
purchasing organisations IS or software and require the installation of the
vendor-supplied maintenance to proceed. Although prevalent in literature, fears
and triggers have not previously been recognised as an area of focus for
academic research.
