Vendor lock-in makes companies unable to switch suppliers without substantial costs or inconvenience. While standards bodies and an increased focus on interoperability have helped reduce the threat of application lock-in, website and web application development can still be a minefield. Often, site owners only realise the dangers of lock-in once they are trapped with rising support and maintenance costs, slow and expensive change processes, and the prospect of prohibitive costs to develop an equivalent solution from scratch.

In this white paper, Ian Barber, one of the technical consultants in Ibuildings' Professional Services delivery unit, looks at eight ideas that can help companies avoid vendor lock-in:

• Separate suppliers


• Integrate rather than extend


• Retain ownership of your data


• Retain ownership of intellectual property


• Look for mindshare


• Document the processes


• Prefer extensibility to features


• Get a second opinion

Following these guidelines, it is possible to realise the benefits of working with external suppliers without fear of lock-in.

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