A look at risk, regulation, and lock-in in the cloud [Video]

In some countries, the government is attempting to regulate cloud computing, and cloud providers are suing each other over competition and lock-in. Where does that leave enterprises?

Credit: Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB / Shutterstock

“We’re from the government, and we are here to help!” has been a laugh line for many years, but clearly, there are some good aspects to government involvement in how enterprises consume IT resources, including cloud computing.

While major cloud providers Google, Microsoft, and Amazon dominate the global scene, debates around cloud lock-in have resurfaced. This is likely due to increasing complexities in cloud service offerings and strategic maneuvers by tech giants. I’m often asked to opine on it, so here goes.

The “lock-in” dilemma

“Vendor lock-in” is a term that can send shivers down the spine of IT executives. It refers to a customer becoming overly dependent on a single cloud provider, making it financially onerous or technically challenging to switch vendors. Google’s complaint …