Operators are locked to the first CPMS their chargers ever connected to
Operators stay on platforms they have outgrown because leaving is riskier than staying.
- Chargers point at one URL. Changing the backend means touching firmware config on every unit in the field.
- Mixed fleets speak mixed protocols. OCPP 1.6 and 2.0.1 units live side by side, and every backend handles them differently.
- Roaming is bolted on. OCPI partners, hubs, tokens, tariffs, and CDRs each get wired straight into the CPMS.
- Migration is a big-bang event. Switching CPMS means an estate-wide cutover on one date with no way back.
- Operations live in raw message logs. Diagnosing a stuck session means reading OCPP traffic by hand.
Illustrative internal model: a large CPO spends €200k+ a year on interoperability testing, labs, and manual regressions before any migration starts.
