How IT leaders can fight back against vendor lock-in and regain control

Enterprise IT leaders are facing growing frustration with software vendors who wield excessive control over their technology roadmaps. From restrictive licensing agreements to forced upgrades and shifting support models, IT departments often find themselves at the mercy of vendors rather than in control of their own digital strategies. What was once a partnership between enterprises and software providers has increasingly become a one-sided relationship where businesses are locked into high-cost, low-flexibility arrangements that serve the vendor's bottom line more than the customer's needs.

VMware's transition to subscription bundles following its acquisition by Broadcom is a prime example of this trend. Frustrated by escalating costs and restrictive bundling practices that force them to pay for tools they may not need or want, this shift has reportedly left nearly half of its customers exploring alternatives.

VMware is not an anomaly. This trend is indicative of a broader shift in the industry that puts organisations in a bind, requiring them to either comply with vendor-imposed terms or seek new ways to retain control over their IT investments.

When vendors call the shots

Vendor lock-in isn't just an inconvenience, it has real consequences for budgets, operations, and innovation. Licensing terms are often rigid, with minimal room for negotiation, and forced upgrades can disrupt IT environments that are otherwise stable and functional. The financial burden of these imposed changes can be significant, requiring additional hardware, retraining, and reimplementation of critical business processes.

At the same time, IT teams lose autonomy over their own systems with vendor lock-in. Strategic decisions, such as when to upgrade, what functionality to adopt, and how to allocate resources, are dictated by vendors' product lifecycle schedules rather than the organisation's actual needs. This loss of control results in unnecessary expenses, wasted resources, and reduced ability to innovate on an organisation's own terms.

Companies locked into proprietary ecosystems have limited or no leverage when vendors change pricing models, discontinue support, or introduce new contractual obligations. This lack of flexibility stifles innovation, forcing IT leaders to make decisions based on monolithic vendor mandates rather than competitive advantage.

Reclaiming IT autonomy

Organisations must rethink their approach to software management and regain control over their IT environments. The key is shifting from a vendor-dictated strategy to a business-driven IT strategy. One where enterprises decide when, how, and why they upgrade, modernise, and allocate resources. IT leaders must recognise that they are not obligated to follow vendor-imposed roadmaps if those roadmaps do not serve their business needs.
 

Actions IT leaders can take

Instead of reacting to vendor-imposed changes, IT leaders should build strategies that prioritise flexibility, cost efficiency, and autonomy. Here's how:

• Assess vendor contracts with a focus on "leaveability" 

Organisations should conduct a thorough review of vendor contracts to identify restrictive clauses, price escalation risks, and unnecessary dependencies. Upon this important exercise, IT and finance leaders must ask themselves, "What is my ability to walk away if my business strategy changes or if there are new innovations I want to adopt that are not available from this vendor?" This is what I call "leaveability." Reframe the relationship to take charge and have ultimate control over your roadmap. 

• Adopt a hybrid IT strategy

Instead of committing to a single vendor's ecosystem, businesses can reduce risk by diversifying their IT strategy. This could include leveraging open-source alternatives or maintaining a mix of on-premises, cloud, and multi-vendor solutions to ensure flexibility. As an example, on-premises is making a strong comeback as cloud costs continue to escalate and get out of control, making the return back to self-hosted infrastructure a smarter choice for multiple reasons, be it budget or security.  

• Consider alternative support options to maximise the value of existing investments

IT teams often upgrade software simply because the vendor dictates an end-of-support deadline, not because the current system is failing. Organisations should assess the actual value of the upgrades, ensuring that every dollar spent on IT modernisation delivers tangible benefits. If a system is stable, secure, and meeting business needs, forced upgrades may be an unnecessary expense.

For organisations that determine an upgrade isn't immediately necessary, that doesn't mean they have to lose support for that system. Vendor-provided support is not the only option. Alternative, proven models, such as third-party support, allow organisations to maintain and optimise existing systems, often at a lower cost and with greater flexibility than vendor-provided support. By decoupling support from the vendor, businesses can extend the life of existing IT investments while avoiding disruptive and costly upgrades that don't align with their strategic priorities.

The payoff: More control, lower costs, and greater agility

By taking proactive steps to mitigate vendor lock-in, organisations can unlock several benefits:

• Lower IT costs – Reducing dependency on vendor-imposed upgrades and licensing structures can result in substantial cost savings. Businesses can redirect these funds toward innovation, digital transformation, or other strategic initiatives.
• Greater IT flexibility – With fewer constraints from software vendors, IT teams gain the freedom to choose the best-fit technology solutions for their specific needs rather than being limited to a single vendor's ecosystem.
• Improved business resilience – By maintaining control over their IT environments, organisations can adapt more quickly to market changes, security threats, and evolving business priorities, without waiting for vendor timelines.

Your IT strategy, your terms

Vendor lock-in is a challenge that many enterprises face, but it is not an inevitability. IT leaders have the power to break free from restrictive vendor relationships by renegotiating contracts, adopting hybrid IT strategies, and maximising the value of existing technology investments. 

By taking back control, businesses can reduce costs, increase flexibility, and ensure their IT strategies align with their own priorities, not the vendor's.