We’re all faced with having to choose and use 3rd party software, products and services to manage our daily lives and businesses. Whether as individuals, small businesses or mega-corporations, we are all consumers of 3rd party products.
The decision tree includes finding a solution that offers the lowest common denominator – that product or service that most easily integrates with our current solution stack. Of course its also a financial decision.
How married are you to your current solution stack?
If your current solution stack is easily switched out for one that better suits your purpose, then considering this option in order to accommodate a new piece of core technology is valid. If on the other hand your solution stack is rooted in core technologies that are difficult to switch out, then choosing new components becomes considerably more complex.
Buy or Build
There are times when building a new piece of technology is unavoidable. But this line becomes somewhat blurred when we consider the example of writing code to integrate an API vs. buying a package solution built around that API. The package solution may seem expensive but if it satisfies our criteria, it may prove the best option simply based on timeline and availability.
EULA
The End User License Agreement is another are for concern. It would seem counter-intuitive at first but the bigger the vendor, the safer you probably are from a EULA perspective. This is because there are special interest groups like consumer rights advocates, looking at large vendor EULAs and exposing potential consumer issues.
If you are facing a technology conundrum and need service expertise, please contact me directly and we’ll help you find the right talent. Alex@SherlockTalent.com.
