Modernizing Legacy:
Winning in the Age of AI
New IDC research sponsored by MongoDB surveys 1,400 APAC IT leaders. Discover why the Leaders cohort generates 3x digital revenue and how you can join them.
The high cost of the AI readiness gap
AI is now a board-level priority for APAC growth, yet most firms remain held back by technical debt. As legacy risks grow, leaders are modernizing core infrastructure to seize the AI opportunity.
IDC’s research identifies two distinct cohorts shaping the region’s digital economy:
- Leaders who modernize core systems, enabling stronger AI adoption
- The Mainstream who stay constrained by legacy infrastructure
The 3x digital revenue multiplier
The Leaders cohort generates nearly three times the regional average in digital revenue. In three years, this divide will be a crucial factor that defines market dominance across the APAC region. Organizations that fail to bridge this gap risk being left behind.
Leaders sustain their advantage
By 2029, Leaders expect digital revenue to hit 77%, maintaining their lead over the Mainstream, who are expected to reach 60%.
Winning in the Age of AI: Your APAC Data Edge
Why AI projects fail before they begin
The technical debt barrier
IDC reports that 89% of APAC organizations acknowledge that technical debt is a major obstacle to modernization. For these firms, legacy infrastructure has shifted from a technical burden to a structural constraint on innovation.
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The inertia
Despite the AI hype, 34% of organizations have yet to begin any modernization initiatives, effectively sitting on the sidelines of the AI revolution.
The 50% failure tax
IDC predicts that CIOs who fail to address and remediate their growing data debt will face a 50% higher failure rate for their AI initiatives due to persistent model underperformance.
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The reality check
About 95% of organizations reported project delays, and 90% have encountered failed modernization initiatives, with poor data quality consistently cited as a root cause.
How to turn technical modernization into revenue
Shift in strategic perspective
Leaders prioritize AI, security, and data structure, while the Mainstream remains stuck solving basic performance and scalability issues.
Growing importance of cloud-centric data
Thirty-eight percent of APAC organizations prioritize cloud-centric data platforms for modernization to drive scalable, future-ready digital transformation.
Accelerating investment in modernization
Leaders are increasing their modernization spend by about 65% over the next three years, from roughly US$3.4M to US$5.6M on average.
Winning the Age of AI: Your APAC Data Edge
- The AI readiness gap
- Hybrid cloud strategies
- Leadership insights
- The MongoDB factor