Episode 252: Vendor lock-in and interoperability

Waters Wavelength

James Crosby, founder and CEO of data management firm Fencore based out of Singapore, joins Wei-Shen on the podcast this week. They talk about the risks of vendor lock-in and how firms—both end-users and service providers—are working towards interoperability. 4:30 – James joins the podcast and gives an overview of what Fencore does. 8:30 – They discuss if there’s a balance between creating product stickiness and true openness. 12:30 – What are the biggest risks of vendor lock-in? 15:00 – How should firms balance consolidation of system providers versus spreading across different providers? 17:30 – James talks about how having a single approach to systems is a utopian ideal. 19:00 – What needs to happen to achieve true interoperability between different systems? 21:30 – James walks through the work required in implementing and configuring a new platform. 23:30 – How does providing flexibility to the end-user work from a contracting perspective? 28:00 – They discuss what the end state of interoperability may look like.