There is one IT problem most companies don’t think about when everything is working fine.
It doesn’t look like a mistake.
It doesn’t appear overnight.
And at first, it even feels convenient.
Until one day the company realizes it has no real choice anymore.
This problem is called vendor lock-in — dependency on a single vendor, ecosystem, or technology stack.
At SMMHub, we hear the same sentence from clients again and again — usually too late:
“We would gladly switch solutions…
but now it’s too complicated and too expensive.”
Let’s talk honestly about how companies walk into this trap themselves, why it’s dangerous, and what can still be done before the door fully closes.
How it usually starts (and why it feels like the right decision)
Most lock-in situations begin very logically.
A company chooses:
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one well-known vendor,
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an “all-in-one” ecosystem,
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one integrator,
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one unified platform.
The arguments sound reasonable:
“It’s simpler.”
“It’s faster to deploy.”
“It’s more reliable.”
“Why complicate things?”
At the beginning, everything works.
The system is deployed, integrations are done, the team gets used to it.
What often goes unnoticed is that while comfort increases, flexibility quietly disappears.
When convenience turns into dependency
A year or two later, warning signs begin to appear.
* License prices increase — but there’s no alternative
* Support quality drops — but switching feels risky
* New technologies can’t be adopted because “they’re not supported”
* Tenders become implicitly tied to one vendor
* Any change becomes slow, expensive, and painful
At this point, the company realizes something uncomfortable:
it no longer makes choices — choices are made for it.
That’s vendor lock-in in real life.
The most dangerous myth: “We can always switch later”
This belief costs companies the most.
In reality, “later” means:
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redesigning architecture,
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retraining staff,
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operational downtime,
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business risks,
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internal resistance.
The longer the dependency lasts, the harder it becomes to escape.
At SMMHub, we’ve seen companies that:
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overpaid year after year simply because they had no exit,
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lost tenders due to rigid vendor dependence,
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were afraid to replace outdated solutions because the system was too tightly bound.
Why this is especially risky in Armenia
In a small market, vendor lock-in becomes even more dangerous.
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fewer alternative partners,
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stronger vendor influence on tenders,
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regional and sanction-related risks,
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dependency on external ecosystems.
When alternatives are limited, dependency turns into vulnerability — technical, financial, and strategic.
How to avoid the trap — in simple, practical terms
This is not about rejecting large vendors.
It’s about not handing them full control over your business.
Here are principles that actually work.
1. Architecture before brand
Design your system first.
Choose products later.
2. Open standards matter
If a solution can’t be integrated, replaced, or extended — that’s a red flag.
3. Always define an exit
Contracts and licenses should clearly state:
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how you can leave,
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what it costs,
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who supports migration.
4. Avoid “black magic” systems
If only one partner can maintain or understand your setup — you’re already at risk.
5. Think 3–5 years ahead
IT is not a short-term purchase.
It’s a long-term business decision.
The SMMHub approach: IT without chains
At SMMHub, we deliberately avoid building solutions that lock clients into:
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one vendor,
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one integrator,
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one closed ecosystem.
Our goal is to ensure clients:
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understand their infrastructure,
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retain freedom of choice,
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are not afraid of future changes,
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stay in control.
Yes, this approach is harder.
But it’s healthier — for the business and for the market.
Final thought
Vendor lock-in rarely looks like a mistake at the beginning.
It usually looks like convenience.
But companies that:
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ask uncomfortable questions,
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think ahead,
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calculate long-term risks,
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resist “easy” solutions,
end up stronger — in tenders, negotiations, and crises.
IT should give businesses freedom.
Not put them on a leash.