*By Thiago Spósito
Investment in technology in Brazil exceeded US$ 75 billion in 2022, projected the consultancy IDC Brasil. According to the estimate, US$ 46 billion was allocated to information technology and US$ 29 billion to telecommunications services. In total, a growth of 5% compared to 2021. Modernization of legacy systems and improved access to critical services were the main drivers of spending.
But there are legacy systems and legacy IT systems. For example, IDC predicts a 5.1% annual decline in global fixed voice spend in 2023, showing a change in company culture. There are also infrastructures that are no longer supportable, expensive to maintain, and pose cybersecurity and performance risks that, of course, need to be replaced. However, I would like to talk about how with each change of command in the IT of companies the 'time' of the legacy is shorter and shorter: the so-called Reset Syndrome.
I often say that "God only created the world in seven days because he had no legacy". Digital transformation is not a fixed-term project—it cannot be achieved in three months, six months or a year. She never stops. It never ends. What happens, in my view, is irresponsibility on the part of companies and IT leaders.
The “chairs dance” or “Vai-e-Vem” is very common in the corporate market and both business and IT managers want to imprint their work style. Nothing fairer, however, companies are spending more with this and are not extracting the maximum potential of the solutions that are implemented there in the name of excessive reinventions or investment in technologies that are in the hype. By the way, many times the tools are exchanged before they are even minimally assimilated by the users.
In an era of increasingly scarce resources and tight belts, CIOs need that vision, along with the technological acumen, conviction and courage to meet this challenge. It is critical to lead your organizations by looking at past budgets and thinking of legacy IT as part of equity and strategic planning.
This type of reset syndrome dynamic is not sustainable. Not for your pocket, not for the environment. In fact, environmental, social and corporate (ESG) governance is at the center of corporate discussions to maximize profits. So, here is a reflection: we always talk positively about leaving a legacy for the next generations, for our children, so why can't we also think about IT in companies?
*Thiago Spósito, Partner at ADD Value
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
EN 
PT 
