Closed Tecnology ecosystems like Microsoft or for that matter Apple are designed for easy interoperability. This has pros and cons. You have mentioned some of the cons. The ‘lock in’ is a con, but it’s also a pro in that a designed ecosystem has a level of simplicity that self designed ‘patchwork’ systems does not. Open systems sometimes have lower unit costs, greater options for innovation but are more complex to manage. They allow for more choice, but that can limit the ability for systems to easily work together. I worry that educators will be forced to become mini technology experts in order to support multiple systems not designed from the ground up to work together. I take your point that a single vendor solution has risks, but also has significant operational simplicity.
Thanks Michael, I completely agree that there are distinct advantages to full ecosystem buy-in. However, the point I was hoping to make here is that generative AI systems cannot be compared to regular supportive IT systems. And if we continue to prioritize bundling and convenience, we at least need to do so with open eyes. This, I believe, is not the case in the Danish higher education system at the moment.
Closed Tecnology ecosystems like Microsoft or for that matter Apple are designed for easy interoperability. This has pros and cons. You have mentioned some of the cons. The ‘lock in’ is a con, but it’s also a pro in that a designed ecosystem has a level of simplicity that self designed ‘patchwork’ systems does not. Open systems sometimes have lower unit costs, greater options for innovation but are more complex to manage. They allow for more choice, but that can limit the ability for systems to easily work together. I worry that educators will be forced to become mini technology experts in order to support multiple systems not designed from the ground up to work together. I take your point that a single vendor solution has risks, but also has significant operational simplicity.
Thanks Michael, I completely agree that there are distinct advantages to full ecosystem buy-in. However, the point I was hoping to make here is that generative AI systems cannot be compared to regular supportive IT systems. And if we continue to prioritize bundling and convenience, we at least need to do so with open eyes. This, I believe, is not the case in the Danish higher education system at the moment.