The Short-Sightedness of Serverless: Why Proprietary Solutions Can Lead to Long-Term Headaches

The allure of serverless computing is undeniable. The promise of reduced operational overhead, increased scalability, and lower costs is a siren's song that many developers and engineers can't resist. However, in the rush to adopt serverless solutions, many teams are making a critical mistake: prioritizing short-term gains over long-term sustainability.

The problem lies in the fact that many serverless solutions, as employed today, rely heavily on proprietary technologies. AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions, and Azure Functions are all proprietary solutions that lock users into a specific vendor's ecosystem. While these solutions may offer ease of use and rapid deployment, they also introduce a significant risk: vendor lock-in.

Vendor lock-in occurs when a team becomes so deeply invested in a proprietary solution that it becomes difficult or impossible to switch to a different solution. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including the complexity of the solution, the lack of standardization, or the high cost of migration. When a team is locked into a proprietary solution, they are at the mercy of the vendor. If the vendor decides to change their pricing model, alter their feature set, or simply discontinue support, the team is left scrambling to adapt.

This is precisely what happens when teams prioritize short-term gains over long-term sustainability. They may save time and money in the short term, but they also introduce significant risks that can have long-term consequences. Sooner or later, something will happen that forces the team to consider alternatives. It may be a change in business requirements, a shift in market trends, or simply a desire to reduce costs. Whatever the reason, the team will be forced to re-evaluate their technology choices and consider alternatives.

But why wait until it's too late? Why not use the right technology from the beginning? By choosing standardized solutions, teams can avoid the risks of vendor lock-in and ensure that their technology choices are sustainable in the long term. Standardized solutions, like Docker+DOrch and Podman+DOrch, offer a level of flexibility and portability that proprietary solutions simply can't match.

In addition, using standardized solutions can also help teams to avoid the risks of proprietary solutions becoming obsolete. We have seen this happen many times before, where a proprietary solution becomes popular, only to be discontinued or replaced by a new solution (ask Google). By using standardized solutions, teams can avoid this risk and ensure that their technology choices remain relevant and supported over time.

In conclusion, while serverless computing may offer many benefits, it's essential to approach it with a long-term perspective. By choosing open-source, standardized solutions, teams can avoid the risks of vendor lock-in and ensure that their technology choices are sustainable in the long term. It may require little extra upfront, but the benefits of using them far outweigh the costs. So, why not use the right technology from the beginning? Your future self will thank you.