Below is an another excerpt from a post I wrote for the Cloud Security Blog by Trend Micro:
Portability and interoperability in cloud computing may seem tangential to security, but avoiding vendor lock-in is about more than having access to competitive pricing or better service. When relying on a single provider there is inherent risk, especially in the availability of the service and data.
Throughout history the need for portability and interoperability has usually been dealt with through standardization. Standard railroad gauges enabled cross continental travel, just as TCP/IP unlocked worldwide communications. It's not surprising then, that many people look at cloud computing and assume we need standards before lock-in can be avoided. But do we really need widely-adopted standards? While not ideal, interoperability can still be achieved through abstraction (or brokering) and portability through conversion in an environment with many standards.
