What is Vendor Lock-In?

Vendor lock-in occurs when a company is constrained to a single vendor because the associated cost of switching to another company is too high and impractical. Vendor lock-in may force you to continue using a particular product or service regardless of its quality. This is because switching away from that product or service would be too costly, too time-consuming, or too complex.

Vendor lock-in most frequently occurs in cloud computing, where users sign up for cloud-based software platforms but are consequently unable to move their data to different service provider platforms. According to Flexera, 68% of the CIOs (Chief Information Officers) surveyed worried about vendor lock-in with regards to the public cloud. But even though the threat of vendor lock-ins looms over the cloud computing industry, there are easy steps you can take to altogether avoid them.

How you can avoid vendor lock-in

1. Develop a clear exit strategy

You can significantly reduce the risk of vendor lock-in by establishing a detailed and concise possible exit strategy. Your exit strategy should answer difficult questions that arise when your business needs to switch vendors. By creating a comprehensive exit strategy and understanding the terms of your agreement with the service provider, your business can prevent vendor lock-in before it becomes a significant issue.

2. Read policies stated in the contract carefully

Doing your due diligence by reading the fine print of your business’s contractual obligations with a vendor before agreeing to a contract and ensuring that the terms of your agreement are fair and can prevent a possible vendor lock-in scenario is vital. Both parties should agree to feasible terms of exit such as the amount of notice required, the removal of automatic service renewals, and detailing specific termination clauses in company contracts.

3. Use Open-Source Platforms

Gartner estimates that more than 70% of database installations will be implemented on open-source platforms, and 50% of existing projects based on closed source databases will move to open-source equivalent application platforms by the year 2022. Open-source application models allow users to more easily track system security and provide the flexibility to customize application features and tools. This freedom can allow your business to move data easily without dealing with costly service provider fees.

4. Design Applications That Allow Easy Switch Between Providers

Building portable applications can help your business avoid vendor lock-in. Portable applications are flexible enough to be implemented on a variety of different operating systems and interfaces without making significant changes to their underlying coding structure.

By building cloud-based, portable applications, you can significantly reduce your business’s dependence on one specific service provider. Therefore, the process of switching providers becomes much more efficient than ever before. You can use Crust’s flexible cloud-based low-code solution to tailor-make the apps you need.

Crust To Your Rescue

Crust is the driving force behind Corteaza, the open-source low-code platform. It provides your business with the tools to build self-hosted business applications. Additionally, with its workflow builder, you can automate any process. Try a demo of this exceptional piece of software and experience the best benefits of safe cloud computing firsthand.