New Technologies Meet Legacy Infrastructure

Legacy IT environments have become one of the most significant strategic challenges facing Swiss organizations. While companies must accelerate cloud adoption, strengthen cybersecurity, and implement AI initiatives to remain competitive, a large share of their IT resources is still consumed by maintaining outdated systems. What is needed now is an integrated, strategic approach—one that modernizes IT landscapes not as isolated components, but as interconnected ecosystems.

Over the years, many Swiss organizations have built up complex IT environments without consistently following a unified architectural vision. The result is fragmented data silos, increasingly complex integrations, and a lack of end-to-end data flows. Today, 62% of organizations across the DACH region report that their business-critical applications have become outdated and require modernization. (Lünendonk)

As a consequence, a substantial portion of IT resources is dedicated to operating and maintaining existing systems. Companies spend up to 80% of their IT capacity managing legacy environments that have evolved over decades (digital Journal). At the same time, demands continue to grow. Cloud platforms, modern workplace solutions, cybersecurity requirements driven by regulations such as NIS2, the AI Act, DORA, the Swiss FADP and GDPR, as well as emerging AI applications, must all be implemented and managed in parallel.

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This combination of factors has turned legacy IT environments into one of the most critical strategic priorities for Swiss businesses. Organizations are responding by introducing new cloud platforms, expanding cybersecurity capabilities, piloting AI solutions, and modernizing collaboration tools. Each of these initiatives addresses a genuine business need and, viewed independently, makes perfect sense.

The real challenge, however, lies in how these initiatives interact. New technologies must be integrated into existing environments that were never designed to support today's requirements. Interfaces are extended, processes are adapted, and additional systems are layered onto the existing infrastructure. As a result, complexity continues to increase. Data remains fragmented, dependencies multiply, and managing the overall environment becomes increasingly difficult.

This challenge is particularly evident in the adoption of AI. According to recent findings, 64% of Swiss companies identify the lack of integration between AI solutions and existing systems as their biggest obstacle to AI adoption—a direct consequence of their legacy IT environments (Swiss AI Report).

Instead of delivering efficiency gains, AI initiatives often require additional integrations, manual workarounds, and new operational dependencies. In many cases, they increase operational complexity rather than reduce it.

This is precisely why introducing technologies one after another is no longer sufficient. Organizations need an integrated approach that considers existing systems, business processes, and governance structures as a whole. A clear strategic and architectural roadmap is essential:

• Which systems need to be connected?
• Which data flows are business-critical?
• How can new technologies be integrated effectively into existing environments?

Only when these elements work together can organizations create a digital environment that remains manageable, scalable, and capable of supporting future innovation.

 If your organization is facing similar challenges and you want to understand how to create an IT environment that is structured, integrated, and built for long-term success, learn more about Axians’ holistic approach and the key pillars of modern digital transformation