Vendor lock-in
In brief
When a supplier makes leaving so complicated that you end up trapped. Proprietary formats, in-house tools, exit costs: everything is designed to make leaving more expensive than staying.
▶ Precise definition
A situation in which dependence on a supplier becomes difficult or costly to break free from, due to proprietary formats, specific interfaces, high migration costs or ecosystem effects. Lock-in transforms an initial choice into a lasting constraint and renders competition ineffective, even when several suppliers exist in theory.
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