Vendor Lock-in
Vendor lock-in means: a customer is so tightly bound to a provider – technically or contractually – that switching becomes difficult or costly.
For developers: a restriction of choice.
For decision-makers: a risk to cost, control, and independence.
For us: a condition we consciously avoid – without sacrificing security or convenience.
What is Vendor Lock-in?
Vendor lock-in occurs when:
- core tools or components are proprietary and non-transferable
- configurations aren’t documented or accessible
- systems can’t be migrated without significant effort
And it’s not just about software – it also affects infrastructure, credentials, CI/CD pipelines, or monitoring setups.
Sub-vendor lock-in – the underestimated trap
Lock-in frequently happens at the infrastructure layer – for example:
- exclusive cloud services with proprietary APIs
- non-transferable PaaS platforms
- databases or storage systems without portability
We call this sub-vendor lock-in: the dependency is not only on your direct provider, but also on a third-party vendor like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
Our own Infrastructure-as-Code setup is intentionally designed to work across bare metal, VMs, or cloud platforms. Backup and migration strategies (e.g. using Velero) make transitions possible – even in short timeframes.
Why vendor lock-in is a problem
- high switching costs
- reliance on knowledge held by a single provider
- limited development flexibility
- legal and compliance risks in exit scenarios
Lock-in is rarely intentional – but often poorly considered.
How we handle lock-in at RiKuWe
We have a clear position on this – and a dedicated policy that outlines how we actively avoid lock-in on technical, organizational, and contractual levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s a real-world example of vendor lock-in?
An application that only runs on a specific cloud platform using proprietary services. Migrating it elsewhere would require rewriting major parts of it.
Is vendor lock-in always bad?
Not necessarily. Sometimes you gain speed or convenience. What matters is making that dependency a conscious choice – with clear exit strategies in mind.
How can I avoid vendor lock-in?
By relying on open standards, modular architecture, and avoiding proprietary functions. A clean separation between code and infrastructure helps too.
Can I stay independent while using the cloud?
Yes – if your architecture, code, and data are portable. Kubernetes, IaC, and open APIs help keep you flexible across vendors.
Learn more about infrastructure without lock-in
Custom Operations & Architecture
Containers & Kubernetes Strategies
