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How Top Technology Teams Are Modernizing

How top technology teams are modernizing applications in 2026

 

Application modernization in 2026 is no longer about choosing a single path. Technology teams are balancing technical debt, AI readiness, application sprawl, and business priorities across the same portfolio.
Explore six plays shaping how teams are deciding what to modernize, where to invest, and what to tackle first.

plays preview

Six plays shaping application modernization in 2026

This preview highlights three of the six plays covered in the full outlook. Together, they explore how technology teams are addressing technical debt, preparing applications for AI, and deciding where to focus modernization investments.

Download the full report to explore all six plays and the practical actions behind them.

Play 01

Technical debt is limiting how much teams can deliver


21–40% of IT spend is technical debt
As technical debt grows, teams spend more time maintaining existing systems and less time delivering new capabilities. For many organizations, that means valuable initiatives stay delayed while modernization competes for funding.

Play 02

Legacy applications can become a barrier to AI adoption


The AI roadmap has nowhere to land
Many legacy applications were not designed for today’s AI-driven workflows. Undocumented business logic, tightly coupled architectures, and limited integration options can make it harder to bring AI use cases into production.

Play 03

SaaS sprawl is creating a growing integration challenge


660 apps per large enterprise on average
As application portfolios grow, teams are dealing with more overlapping tools, disconnected data, and integration complexity. Modernization is becoming an opportunity to simplify the portfolio and reduce the friction created by years of SaaS growth.
WHAT'S INSIDE THE REPORT

What you'll get in the 2026 Application Modernization Outlook

The full report explores six practical plays technology teams can use to prioritize modernization across complex application portfolios. Each play includes the context behind the shift, what it means for technology leaders, and actions teams can take next. You'll also get a one-page worksheet to help bring those decisions into your planning conversations.

Play 01

Technical debt is limiting how much teams can deliver

How growing technical debt is consuming capacity and competing with new business priorities.

Play 02

Legacy applications can become a barrier to AI adoption

Why aging architectures, undocumented logic, and limited integration options can make AI harder to operationalize.

Play 03

SaaS sprawl is creating a growing integration challenge

How expanding application portfolios are increasing complexity, duplication, and integration overhead.

Play 04

Modernization priorities are becoming more time-sensitive

Why growing demand and faster technology cycles are pushing teams to make modernization decisions sooner.

Play 05

Different applications need different modernization paths

How teams can choose the right approach based on business value, technical constraints, and long-term goals.

Play 06

AI is changing how modernization gets delivered

How AI-assisted tools are helping teams reduce effort, accelerate delivery, and rethink traditional modernization approaches.

About this outlook

This outlook brings together current market signals and technology trends to highlight six plays shaping application modernization in 2026. It’s designed to help technology leaders understand where modernization priorities are shifting, what’s driving those changes, and how teams can respond.

Simple, Smart, Reliable. Built for what’s next.

Ready to put these plays into action? Talk with our team about your application portfolio, modernization priorities, and what to tackle next.

Download the full outlook
Get the complete 2026 Application Modernization Outlook, including all six plays, practical actions, and a one-page worksheet to help your team prioritize what to modernize next.