Data Exit Strategy and Portability

This question asks whether your vendor will give you enough time (90 days) to retrieve all your data and move to another provider if they go out of business, get acquired, or shut down the service. It's like having a guarantee that if your landlord sells the building, you'll have three months to pack up and move rather than being locked out immediately.

Vendor lock-in and sudden service termination can cripple your operations and strand critical business data. A 90-day exit window protects your business continuity, gives you time to find alternatives, and ensures you maintain control over your data assets. This commitment reduces vendor risk and is often required for enterprise contracts and compliance frameworks.

Many vendors promise data portability but don't specify a timeframe or make the process so complex it's practically impossible. Others might offer data export but in proprietary formats that can't be used elsewhere, or charge excessive fees for data extraction during the exit period.