Plain-English definition
What Data Portability means.
Data portability means you can take your data with you when you switch tools. This includes customer records, job history, financial data, and any other information your business has generated. Good data portability means clean export formats, complete data access, and no vendor tricks that make migration difficult.
Why operators care
Where it shows up in the business.
Your business data belongs to you, not your software vendor. When you cannot easily export your data, you are trapped. Ensuring data portability before choosing tools protects your business from vendor lock-in and gives you freedom to switch when better options emerge.