Why outdated systems keep holding your business back
Aging systems are like anchors on enterprise modernization efforts. While most executives believe they have “best-in-class” technology, reality paints a different picture.
According to Kyndryl, nearly 44% of mission-critical enterprise IT infrastructure is at or nearing the end of its life. These systems are under constant strain to support evolving business needs, but without current vendor support, maintenance costs skyrocket, and downtime risks grow.
That means the longer these systems stay in place, the slower innovation becomes, like trying to run a marathon while dragging weights. Balancing the latest tech ambitions with the gritty, necessary task of maintaining and upgrading these systems remains one of the biggest challenges executives face today.
Modernization challenges, when legacy tech slows you down
It’s easy to want flashy new tech, but old systems can grind modernization projects to a halt. Outdated infrastructure clogs the wheels of innovation because teams spend too much time troubleshooting systems that weren’t designed for today’s demands.
And here’s the problem: when an old system finally breaks down, fixing it can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
As Michael Bradshaw from Kyndryl puts it, identifying tech debt can feel like an “archeological dig.” Only when systems fail, or end-of-support alerts start flashing, do companies realize the enormity of the problem.
The subtle costs of tech debt lurking in your systems
In complex IT environments, tech debt doesn’t typically announce itself. If companies don’t have comprehensive IT asset and configuration management, finding hidden costs and outdated tech is nearly impossible.
Tech debt hides in layers, buried in systems running quietly in the background until they reach their breaking point.
It’s only then that IT teams scramble to repair, often at much higher costs than if they’d dealt with these problems early on. It’s a reactive approach that leaves companies vulnerable and keeps costs rising, especially as modernization and digital transformation accelerate.
Shiny new tools or strong foundations? Why both matter
Everyone wants the newest tech innovations—chatbots, sleek dashboards, advanced interfaces—attracting major funding, mostly because they’re visible. Executives see value in innovations that users can interact with, but there’s a catch: while funds flow into eye-catching advancements, the bedrock infrastructure goes neglected.
It’s the less glamorous parts of IT—asset maintenance, system health, operational stability—that keep everything running smoothly.
Focusing only on what looks good means missing out on the stronger foundation that makes sustainable innovation possible. Imbalances here create a tech ecosystem on the surface but with cracks below that may weaken the whole structure over time.
Cybersecurity worries are skyrocketing, but readiness isn’t keeping up
Cyber threats keep executives up at night, and for a good reason. Around two-thirds of enterprise leaders are seriously concerned about cyber risks. Still, less than one-third feel ready to manage them.
It’s not just the technical risk that’s a problem here, it’s the financial and reputational toll a single data breach can bring.
Recent breaches remind us just how much is at stake, but despite the high-profile losses, proactive investment in cybersecurity remains weak. Companies need to think about more than simply reacting to a crisis—they need defenses strong enough to prevent one.
Everyone’s worried about cyber threats, so why aren’t we ready?
Even with the sharp rise in cyber threats, there’s a gap in readiness. Many executives recognize the risk, but there’s a lag in actual preparedness.
The reality is that big security budgets don’t always translate into effective security if they’re not allocated to the right areas.
Data breaches can cost companies both money and reputation, and recovery is never guaranteed. More than any headline or warning, the real question is, what will it take to shift from reacting to breaches to preemptively building cyber resilience?
AI investments are booming, but ROI isn’t guaranteed
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are all the rage, but here’s the truth: only some of these investments are paying off.
In fact, three-quarters of executives are pushing money into AI/ML projects, yet fewer than half report any meaningful ROI.
The reasons are obvious. When you have aging infrastructure and mountains of tech debt, AI can’t perform at its best. Compliance issues add another layer of complexity, slowing down potential gains.
Many companies are running into the reality that you can’t impactfully invest in AI without putting a solid, modern foundation beneath it.
Want more from AI? Why infrastructure upgrades matter for ROI
There’s a reason AI isn’t delivering as expected for many companies. If you’re building AI on top of outdated systems, you’re limiting its potential. AI needs data, but if your systems struggle to manage and protect that data efficiently, the returns will be mixed at best.
And compliance hurdles just add another speed bump. If companies want true value from AI and ML, they’ll need to address infrastructure and compliance issues upfront.
When IT outages strike, asset management is your safety net
IT outages are a hard lesson in why asset and configuration management matters. We all saw it during the recent CrowdStrike security patch incident, which set off global outages and showed just how vulnerable businesses can be.
Recovery times varied across industries, with the aviation sector showing that strong asset management practices can make a real difference.
Those with comprehensive asset management bounced back faster, while others faced extended disruptions. Asset management isn’t only a “nice-to-have”—it’s what keeps your operations resilient when unforeseen issues arise.
Outage-proof your business: How asset management cuts recovery time
The ability to bounce back from an outage isn’t magic. It’s good asset and configuration management, plain and simple.
Strong asset management practices give companies a roadmap to recovery when unexpected problems hit.
In sectors like aviation, the difference is clear—companies with strong asset tracking recover faster, showing just how key these practices are. If your goal is to minimize downtime and boost resilience, asset management is where you start.
Preventative IT maintenance
Preventative maintenance may not be glamorous, but it’s a must-have. The “Maytag repairman in reverse” gets it right—when you’re preventing issues, no one notices.
It’s the unseen foundation of healthy IT operations, but the downside is this invisibility makes it hard to get the budget and support for it.
Because success in this area means nothing goes wrong, it’s a tough sell. But for companies looking to reduce disruptions and keep systems running smoothly, preventative maintenance is one of the best investments they can make.
Preventative maintenance is hard to fund – But crucial for stability
Everyone wants to be proactive, but preventive IT maintenance isn’t an easy budget item. When things work well, nobody notices. It’s only when systems fail that they recognize the need for prevention.
IT teams face an uphill battle to secure the funds for these initiatives, but those who invest reap the rewards. For companies that understand this, preventative maintenance goes beyond avoiding incidents and becomes a key part of a stable and resilient IT infrastructure.
Final thoughts
Ignoring the aging systems and tech debt lurking in your infrastructure is like setting sail with a slow leak. Innovation and AI might propel you forward, but only if your systems are ready to handle it.
Think about what’s truly holding you back—is it lack of new tools, or is it the unseen debt slowing every step? It’s time to rethink priorities, secure your foundation, and make the tough decisions that will set your business up for the long haul.
