Perceived and Actual Lock-in Effects Amongst Swedish Public Sector Organisations When Using a SaaS Solution

Abstract

AbstractWhen a public sector organisation (PSO) uses a software as a service (SaaS) solution from a global provider this imposes risks for different types of lock-in effects. In turn, use of such solutions by PSOs may prevent full control of digital assets that need to be created, processed, maintained, and archived for use and reuse over long life-cycles. This paper addresses perceived and actual lock-in effects related to use of SaaS solutions in the public sector. We review perceptions of lock-in amongst government agencies and investigate how 46 PSOs have addressed challenges related to obtaining licences and an effective exit plan related to use of the Microsoft Office 365 SaaS solution. Through a review of responses to a survey conducted by the Swedish Government Offices we find significant misconceptions concerning lock-in effects. We find that every one of the 46 PSOs investigated neither obtained necessary licences nor established an effective exit strategy to allow the PSO to independently access, process and maintain digital assets processed by the SaaS solution after decommissioning. We present recommendations for any PSO considering use of a SaaS solution.