Legacy tech holds back modernization efforts

A new study of over 400 technology leaders in the US, UK and Germany shows that 80 percent of organizations are struggling to reach application delivery requirements with their existing infrastructure.

However, even with the other challenges of 2020, efforts to modernize networks and applications to address this challenge are accelerating with 83 percent reporting budget increases for these initiatives over the next three years.

The research, conducted by IDG for application and access networking solutions company NS1, reveals companies are prioritizing transformation initiatives for mobility (70 percent), remote data access (68 percent), automation (65 percent), security (61 percent), and IT resilience (60 percent). Other areas where efforts are accelerating include public and private cloud deployments (58 percent and 57 percent respectively), improvements to scalability (58 percent) and deployment velocity (56 percent).

"Modernization was already on the radar for many organizations, but the pandemic has shocked the system and created a heightened sense of urgency," says Kris Beevers, co-founder and CEO, NS1. "Our research shows that IT leaders are accelerating projects aimed to increase efficiencies and business agility, improve application performance and user experiences, and drive additional revenue."

There are still obstacles though, four out of five acknowledge some progress with modernization, but only eight percent report that they have achieved their initial objectives, and 28 percent report 'significant progress' (75 percent or greater on the project). Challenges to modernization include a talent and skills gap and competing priorities (37 percent each), as well as aging networks (35 percent) and the outdated, inflexible organizational structures that often come with them.

"Static, legacy tech drags down modernization efforts because it lacks the flexibility and agility necessary to support dynamic, scalable applications and IT environments," adds Beevers. "Successful digital transformation starts with the underlying enterprise network and application infrastructure -- DNS, DHCP and IP address management. When purpose-built for speed, reliability and scalability, these foundational technologies are critical in expediting modernization projects, automating network management tasks, and increasing efficiency and operational velocity in complex heterogeneous environments."

You can get the full report from the NS1 site.

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