How to Keep Control of Your Data and Infrastructure #

No matter what stage a company is at, there’s always a palpable fear of vendor lock-in when adopting new software. This fear becomes heightened when it comes to database systems. Vendor lock-in is prevalent with proprietary software, where vendors make users sweat over leaving the platform to adopt a new one. This essentially defeats the purpose of having a future-proof tech stack.

Besides, you still have to factor in the potential increase in usage or license cost for these proprietary solutions. In a way, it’s hardly surprising that cost savings and vendor lock-in are two main factors that drive the adoption of open-source database software, according to a 2020 study by Percona.

This blog post will explore the meaning and implications of vendor lock-in when adopting database software.

What is vendor lock-in? #

According to Wikipedia, “vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs.”

Vendor lock-in makes you dependent on a single vendor or technology without an easy way to migrate or switch to new software in the future without incurring significant financial implications, legal constraints, integration, or compatibility issues.

In its place, companies can enjoy all the benefits that their license covers, including maintenance, regular updates, hosting options, etc.