The longer they use the software the more data gets trapped. So, a quick bit of testing can give you an important indication of the usefulness of the software. The reason that importing and exporting data is so important has to do with the ever-increasing speed of technological innovation. We want to make the best choices from these new technologies, but you often have very little on which to make your decision. You are often required to make gut level decisions, but not know the success of those decisions until weeks or months later.
Technologies die for many reasons other than flaws in the technology.
Companies get bought and sold. Some go bankrupt. Some can't withstand the Microsoft juggernaut. These reasons are ephemeral and ever changing. There is no way you can know that some multi-millionaire is going to sell the company on a whim because they need a new sailboat.