Kindred Office

Freedom for enterprise data Freedom of data is essential for businesses to exist and thrive. Big tech companies thrive on data-lock-ins, but customers need more data freedom, not less. When data is locked in an incumbent system of record, customers cannot choose their preferred vendor. Instead of working with the best product, they are forced to use the subpar solution offered by the system of record. Data lock-in also increases the risk of big tech companies negatively affecting customers. If all the customer data is locked in on the big-tech system of record, and the system of record goes down, the customer business is down.? If the system of record is compromised, customer data may be forever corrupted or lost.? If the system of record unexpectedly goes out of business, the client might be left hanging.? These scenarios are common because many incumbent systems don’t allow or make it hard for their customers to get regular data backups. Systems of record can also use the data lock-in to the detriment of their customers. Often, enterprise systems of record aggregate customer data to make pricing or cost suggestions, potentially using the data from a customer to benefit someone else instead of the data owner. This issue can even extend to antitrust regulation, where data aggregation for “recommendations” can yield price fixing, which hurts the end customer. In the debate of data ownership, from consumer data in places like Facebook to enterprise data systems like Salesforce, global governments have focused on control over competition.? The focus has been on controlling big tech so they behave the way the government feels best. Government regulation may seem like sticking it to BigTech, but these policies are making competition harder. Large companies can absorb the government requirements, but not small ones. The result is the government feels they did something, the customer and the new companies get screwed, and the big companies win. The outcome of these policies is upside down. We need more freedom and more competition, not less. Companies own their data and have the right to unfettered access to it and the right to use and move it however they see fit. Companies need access and mobility, not oversight and control. Regulators need to be careful not to give incumbents more control. The goal must be to give customers more freedom. Bigtech often misuses the ideas of convenience and security to keep you locked in. The government often translates good intentions into some complex regulation that can not represent or adapt to an ever-changing reality. Customers need access and freedom to their data. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.