The Extent of European Organizations' Dependence on Legacy Systems in the Age of AI

This IDC Market Note highlights European organizations' continued reliance on legacy systems as they strive to meet their AI objectives. Despite economic pressures, investment in AI and automation continues to grow, signaling maturity and urgency. However, aging infrastructures and stringent regulations are consuming most IT budgets, limiting innovation capacity. Legacy systems, far from obsolete, are foundational to AI integration and must be modernized to unlock intelligent capabilities. Service providers play a key role in enabling compliant, value-driven modernization, helping organizations balance technical debt, regulatory demands, and innovation to achieve sustainable AI adoption.