The Final Battle for Calendars. The First Battle for AI Context

In this article, the author examines the current state of the enterprise software market, focusing on calendars, email services, and address books. The core argument is that despite efforts to combat vendor lock-in through open protocols, Big Tech is creating a new layer of dependency. By 2026, corporations are shifting from selling basic tools to providing a 'social and cognitive graph' that serves as critical context for AI operations. Migrating from these platforms becomes nearly impossible due to the loss of accumulated semantic data. The author questions whether open standards like JMAP and Matrix (MSC4496) can ensure business independence and ownership of their own context. The article highlights the shift from competing over functionality to competing for control over the data that powers corporate AI, making interoperability a critical issue for the future of business.