What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? That’s an old and familiar question, partly philosophical and partly playful. But today organizations face a similar, equally perplexing question, one rooted in technology. Because modern technology is both an irresistible force and an immovable object, all at the same time.
Let’s start with the immovable object. Many businesses, including some of the world’s largest global companies, have IT departments managing legacy systems—both hardware and applications—that have been in place for decades. For example, 4 out of 10 organizations report that they still use legacy systems for functions such as data protection. Many have not significantly evolved over the years for a simple but compelling reason: They get the job done, so why mess with a solution that’s tried and true?
This brings us to the irresistible force. Innovative technologies that call for infrastructure and application modernization emerge every day, including cloud, AI, microservices and containerization. These technologies can create more efficient ways of doing things, boost productivity or potentially even enable new business models. Tapping into new tech is important for businesses, education, nonprofits and governments that want to be competitive. In fact, businesses with modernized legacy systems are able to increase their annual revenue by at least 14%.
An IT systems paradox
So, here’s the paradox. Organizations have legacy systems that they have relied on for a very long time. For example, one college CIO reported that it’s not uncommon to have “systems that are in fact 30 or even 40 years old that are still out there.” But organizations increasingly face competitors that are taking advantage of tech innovations to get ahead.
That’s where the irresistible force meets the immovable object. When a recent survey by digital intelligence company ABBYY asked C-level executives about the problems they face as they try to transform into modern digital enterprises, more than a third of them pointed to their legacy systems as a challenge.
The problem is complex. First, it’s important to know that making any meaningful technology transformation in IT is going to be difficult, especially when it involves introducing an innovative technology into the mix. Among other challenges, it is important that IT adjustments or transitions be done in such a way that they do not interrupt business as usual.
Infrastructure and application modernization requires specialized skills
This means that even if an organization is willing to move past the tried and true to fully embrace innovations, and even if an organization actively wants to modernize their infrastructure and their applications, doing so requires specialized skills and knowledge the company likely doesn’t have.
That’s why VMware IT Academy does what we do. We provide educational materials so educators and learners can learn how to use the cloud and related technologies they need to modernize their infrastructure and use modern apps to streamline their operations and improve their ability to deliver value to their customers.
The bottom line is that modern app development and the use of modern infrastructure are the key technologies that businesses need for the near future. VMware is looking ahead to understand how we can accelerate digital and technical skills around the world together.
If you would like to get started today, we invite you to check out these offers, at no cost to you:
