vendor lock-in [English]


InterPARES Definition

n. ~ The use of proprietary or restricted software or technology that makes it difficult or impractical to migrate to a similar service offered by another vendor.

Other Definitions

  • Wikipedia (†387 s.v. vendor lock-in): In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in or customer lock-in, makes a customer dependent on a vendor for products and services, unable to use another vendor without substantial switching costs.

Citations

  • Furht and Escalante 2010 (†583 p.212): This is arguably one of the weakest points in Clouds, which usually are services offered by single organizations that enforce their -often proprietary- protocols, leading for examples to the already identified problem of vendor lock-in. (†1216)