Half of business IT deemed outdated

The majority of business leaders polled in a recent survey for Kyndryl (94%) list technology modernisation as a high priority for their companies, yet Kyndryl has found almost half (44%) of the critical IT infrastructure it manages for customers is approaching end-of-life.

The poll, presented in the Kyndryl readiness report, combines survey data from 3,200 senior leaders and decision-makers, with insights from Kyndryl Bridge, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered, open integration digital business platform.

A Kyndryl security leader quoted in the report warned that end-of-life or end-of-service tech is more vulnerable to cyber attacks and has a higher risk of prolonged outages. “In practical terms, that means almost half of the world’s most critical infrastructure is not resilient and has to be upgraded,” said Kyndryl.

Kyndryl’s research found almost two-thirds of CEOs (64%) are concerned that their IT is outdated or close to end-of-life, bringing vulnerabilities, skills gaps and challenges for modernisation. The survey found that 71% of the executives polled admit their IT infrastructure is not fully ready for artificial intelligence (AI).

Only three in 10 feel their organisation is leading when it comes to their tech modernisation journey and utilising innovative technologies to drive business outcomes. Most leaders (71%) are somewhere in the earlier stages of modernisation.

Over half of the people surveyed (56%) say they are in the process of adopting new digital technologies, and 15% say they’re just starting out.

When asked about the main actions their organisation is currently taking to mitigate external business risks, the business leaders polled rated upgrading IT infrastructure as their main priority.

The data from Kyndryl Bridge suggests an average of 8% of IT issues are remediated by automation without human intervention. Kyndryl said it sees the potential for up to 30% of IT issues being resolved through automation – potentially saving companies billions of dollars per year in maintenance costs and preventing downtime.

Looking beyond IT modernisation, almost two-thirds (65%) of the business leaders surveyed for the Kyndryl readiness report say they are worried about cyber attacks, yet only 30% feel ready to manage them. Similarly, 59% express concern over climate and environmental disruptions, yet just 25% believe their systems can effectively respond.

While 56% of the people polled rate cyber security vulnerabilities as their top challenge when navigating business risk, 53% see speed of innovation as a very significant challenge, and 52% regard difficulties integrating new or emerging technologies as a major business risk.

Discussing the findings, Martin Schroeter, chairman and CEO of Kyndryl, said: “Readiness is an ongoing challenge, and it’s about empowering people, aligning tools with culture and embracing the complex journey of digital transformation across the entire organisation.”