Does a vendor-agnostic stack really exist?

As an architect, I’ve made it a principle to avoid becoming dependent on specific vendors. That itself seems prudent, but is it really possible? Anyone who’s been in the industry knows of at least one vendor relationship that feels a bit one-sided. But getting rid of them isn’t that easy. Why? How did we get so dependent on them in the first place?

Enter the F/OSS people. Standards-based, maybe free. Not dependent on any vendor; you can get your F/OSS from multiple places. You are free to pick your own employees or consultants. Surely this is a means of getting away from the dependence? I don’t think so. Because now you’re tied to the politics. Don’t believe me? Look at Microsoft, who has in the past few years contributed a great deal of OSS software. But no one will ever believe that they do so except because of some grand evil plan. That’s you as a partner to OSS: you either walk the walk or become an object of scorn.

I’m picking on OSS because I’m particularly against the sorts of politics that they play. I don’t believe in free software. As a developer, I am fond of making a living doing so. I don’t buy into all the FUD about the evils of commercial software development, nor do I feel that I owe the world any more than I choose to give. But, I accept that my beliefs can be criticized too. If I am to choose principles in a business context, I have to be very careful to not let my beliefs bias my principles. Being anything but neutral in this day and age can even get you cancelled! Even your choice of friends can make you guilty by association.

So really, there’s no such thing as vendor-agnostic. Your solutions will put a vendor first because you have an existing relationship and it’s easier to add than to integrate. All in one place is just too convenient. But that’s when the vendor gets their hooks into you. Licensing fees go up, technology stacks become static and refuse to integrate other systems. You no longer have any say in how your system is designed, you just buy what you’re told and pay the consultants.

At some point, I’d feel like it wasn’t my company any more, that I was really just a tool of the vendor. And this is why principles are more important than beliefs. I believe that my technology stack works and will continue to work for a long time. My principles, however, prevent me from ever becoming completely dependent on that stack in the case that the vendor ever asks anything unreasonable. Stay agile, always explore other options, and be ready to move in response to an unreasonable vendor.