Vercel: The anti-vendor-lock-in cloud

What this post added

This post introduces and defines the concept of 'Framework-Defined Infrastructure' (FDI) as Vercel's core strategy to combat vendor lock-in. It explains how Vercel interprets framework code to provision infrastructure automatically, eliminating the need for developers to interact with Vercel-specific APIs or modules. The post contrasts this with vendor-specific primitives found on platforms like AWS and Cloudflare, highlighting how FDI ensures code portability across different environments. It also discusses the benefits for local development, the widespread adoption of Next.js outside of Vercel, and the role of Next.js Build Adapters in formalizing the framework-platform contract. The post also touches on Vercel's commitment to standards in areas like databases and AI Gateways, and its development of proprietary services like Vercel Sandbox and Edge Config.