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All issuesVolume 337, Issue 2IT NewsCxO

Why Application Modernization Fails When Data Is An Afterthought

Architecture and Governance, Tuesday, April 7th, 2026

Application modernization - migrating and upgrading legacy systems to modern architectures - often fails when organizations neglect data considerations.

According to an industry research, 68 - 79% of legacy modernization projects fail or fall short of expectations. Application modernization is often framed as a cloud migration or technology refresh initiative. New platforms are adopted, legacy systems are decomposed, and architectures are redesigned. Yet many modernization programs stall, exceed budgets, or fail to deliver meaningful business value.

The uncomfortable truth is this: application modernization fails far more often because of data than the complexity of cloud technology.

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