Summary
The article outlines how modernisation can tackle legacy systems, escalating cyber risks, and siloed data across the United Kingdom’s technology landscape. It presents FPT’s role in enabling enterprise and public sector progress, focusing on reducing inefficiencies, strengthening resilience, and creating conditions for secure, data-driven innovation and sustainable service improvement.
Key Points:
- Defines the transformation agenda addressing legacy systems, cyber risks, and fragmented data across organisations.
- Highlights potential benefits delivering cost efficiency, operational resilience, and faster innovation through coordinated modernisation.
- Emphasises value for public services by improving reliability, citizen experience, and cross-department collaboration.
- Discusses adoption hurdles and future outlook, including cultural resistance, funding constraints, and evolving threat environments.
The global technology landscape is rapidly evolving across the globe, where the UK stands out as a vibrant hub for technological advancements. Despite this momentum, the country faces ongoing challenges, including legacy systems, cybersecurity threats, and data fragmentation.
What are the risks and costs associated with legacy technology in the public sector?
Legacy technology exposes the UK public sector to mounting risk and expense because many critical systems run on unsupported platforms that cannot evolve with policy or service demands. Evidence from Gov.UK and the NHS shows rising red-rated systems, operational disruption, and safety implications, therefore making targeted, cost-conscious modernisation urgent.
Across the UK public sector, reliability is paramount, and yet many foundational platforms remain outdated or unupgradeable. Research from Gov.UK and the NHS shows how widespread the issue has become, and why risk, cost, and service quality are increasingly intertwined.
- Systemic exposure across government and critical services: While reliability remains critical, a significant share of estates now qualifies as legacy. According to Gov.UK research, approximately 28% of the central government technology estate is legacy, and comparable or higher figures are reported across the NHS, ranging from 10% to 50%. Between 2023 and 2024, the same research recorded a 26% increase in red-rated systems, and these platforms often carry security gaps, receive no vendor support, and fail to align with changing requirements, potentially endangering national security, public health, and personal safety.
- NHS operational impact and patient safety: According to the NHS, while a GBP 900 million investment was made to modernise digital infrastructure, many trusts still rely on fragmented, outdated, or hard-to-maintain systems. In the same report, legacy issues continue to disrupt hospital operations across the UK, and nearly half of NHS hospital trusts report difficulties with electronic patient record (EPR) systems. These outdated or poorly integrated platforms struggle to meet modern clinical demands, thereby compromising the reliability of critical patient information and the overall quality of care.
To support organisations, FPT provides comprehensive legacy modernisation solutions across healthcare, public services, transportation, and BFSI. Recognising that cost management and operational efficiency are essential, FPT employs a flexible global delivery model that blends onshore, nearshore, and offshore resources for 24/7 support and rapid scaling. Driven by a strategic focus on AI, FPT integrates innovations through EMT (Engineering Platform and Modernisation Technologies), xMainframe, and CodeVista. By leveraging xMainframe—an advanced LLM that understands and interacts with legacy mainframes and COBOL—clients have seen a 30% reduction in onboarding time, accuracy rates of up to 97%, and efficiency reported as six times higher than previous models such as ChatGPT 3.5 and 4.
What cybersecurity threats are rising and how do they affect public sector organizations?
Cybersecurity threats are rising as geopolitical tensions, AI-enabled attacks, and expanding digital estates amplify both frequency and severity. UK data shows more nationally significant incidents and widespread breaches, while many leaders feel underprepared. Strengthening end-to-end defenses, governance, and identity controls can reduce risk, and proven approaches already demonstrate measurable impact.
Cybersecurity threats are escalating rapidly, and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reported a 50% increase in nationally significant incidents in 2024 and a threefold rise in incident severity. This shift reflects a more complex threat landscape, intensified by geopolitical tensions and the growing use of AI in cyber operations.
The private sector remains highly vulnerable, and 50% of UK businesses reported breaches in the past year while 75% have now made cybersecurity a senior leadership priority, according to the 2024 UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey. These attacks could have been mitigated with robust cybersecurity and data protection practices; however, according to the State of Digital Government Technical Leadership Survey, only 50% of digital government leaders expressed confidence in their ability to prevent a breach.
Against this backdrop, FPT—drawing on extensive experience in cybersecurity, a vast pool of data experts, and strict adherence to global compliance standards—can deliver comprehensive solutions spanning the entire cybersecurity lifecycle. FPT’s standardised cybersecurity management packages are designed to detect and neutralise threats before deployment, therefore reducing risk, time, and complexity. FPT has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) as its first member in Vietnam, which underscores the company’s expertise and strengthens its position as a Microsoft Solutions Partner in Security.
FPT has helped the global customer base strengthen security posture through innovative solutions. For instance, a leading conversation intelligence company struggled to manage identities across Microsoft Azure and AWS as it expanded, and establishing a Zero Trust framework became increasingly challenging. The client adopted FPT’s Identity Governance to automate identity workflows and cut administrative overhead by 40%. This automation freed IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives, and streamlined processes contributed to a 70% decrease in unauthorised access attempts. These results highlight the effectiveness of FPT’s approach in protecting sensitive information and mitigating risk.
How does underutilized and fragmented data limit AI training and innovation?
Data is often underutilised and fragmented for AI because legacy systems and poor interoperability create silos, and policy efforts have moved slowly. High costs, inconsistent governance, and cultural barriers limit sharing. Consequently, AI initiatives struggle with quality and access, whereas integrated strategies and expert support can unlock value and speed adoption.
Many organisations still rely on outdated infrastructure and non-interoperable systems, and this combination entrenches data silos that hinder collaboration across departments. However, fragmentation is not caused by technology alone; it is reinforced by cost pressures and organisational norms that resist data sharing and standardisation.
Legislative and programme efforts have begun to address the problem, and yet progress remains uneven. Complex approval processes and limited enforcement slow momentum, while inconsistent data governance prevents reuse at scale. Therefore, coordinated investment in modern infrastructure and common standards is essential to realise the UK’s digital and AI ambitions.
The themes below are grouped by drivers, policy context, risks, adoption gap, and solution pathways to clarify what is blocking progress and what can be done next:
1. Causes of fragmentation: Systems that do not talk to each other keep data locked within lines of business, and organisational incentives often favour control over collaboration. As a result, the practical cost of integration rises while trust and data quality decline.
- High API costs that discourage integration at scale
- Inconsistent data governance across departments
- Cultural barriers, including strong data ownership and hesitation to share or aggregate personal data
2. Policy efforts and constraints: Initiatives such as the Digital Economy Act 2017 and the ONS Integrated Data Service have set direction, and yet progress has been slow due to complex approvals and limited enforcement. This creates uncertainty, and it reduces the incentive to invest in long-term integration.
3. Consequences and national risk: Without coordinated modernisation and standardised data management, the UK risks falling short of its digital and AI ambitions. Moreover, the opportunity cost compounds as projects duplicate effort, and valuable insights remain trapped within silos.
4. Underutilisation in AI programmes: AI holds vast potential, with over 140 use cases identified across central government. However, research indicates that poor data quality and limited accessibility frequently hinder implementation, and this turns promising pilots into stalled initiatives.
How is FPT transforming the UK’s tech landscape?
Legacy systems, data fragmentation, and rising cybersecurity threats continue to hinder the UK’s tech ecosystem, and they often introduce costly inefficiencies. These barriers affect both businesses and public-sector organisations, limiting their ability to seize emerging opportunities. However, the landscape can shift quickly when strategy, talent, and governance align. Therefore, addressing foundations is as critical as deploying new tools.
FPT brings deep expertise in legacy system modernisation, internationally certified cybersecurity specialists, and a bench of over 1,000 AI and 1,100 data engineers. The company designs end-to-end solutions tailored to complex environments, and it rigorously adheres to global security standards. It also holds multiple security certifications, including ISO 27001, which provides a comprehensive framework to establish, implement, maintain, and continually enhance an Information Security Management System (ISMS). Thus, risk is reduced while agility improves.
FPT continues to drive digital transformation with UK organisations such as GBG, delivering robust banking and financial security solutions. Meanwhile, it partners with Chelsea Football Club to redefine fan engagement, enhancing experiences inside the stadium and across global digital platforms. Together, these collaborations demonstrate practical outcomes and measurable impact.
By combining the right strategies, cutting-edge resources, and advanced technologies, FPT empowers UK businesses and institutions to enhance digital resilience, unlock the value of their data, and accelerate innovation. And with a focus on compliance and scalability, benefits persist as needs evolve.
Conclusion
Modernising legacy estates, tightening cyber resilience, and unifying data are now mission-critical for sustainable growth in the UK. With FPT's proven accelerators, sector expertise, and secure-by-design approach, organisations can reduce risk, unlock AI value, and deliver better outcomes faster.
The path forward is clear: assess, prioritise, and execute with a trusted partner that balances speed with governance, cost with impact, and innovation with public trust.
Key Takeaways:
- Audit legacy systems and map a phased modernisation plan aligned to business outcomes.
- Implement zero-trust security, continuous monitoring, and incident playbooks to cut cyber risk.
- Consolidate data into governed platforms to enable trustworthy, scalable AI.
- Partner with trusted technology service providers such as FPT to accelerate delivery, control costs, and ensure compliance across sectors.
- Measure value with clear KPIs and iterate to sustain momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions
How serious are cybersecurity threats in the UK and what's driving the increase?
UK cybersecurity threats have escalated dramatically with NCSC reporting 50% more nationally significant incidents in 2024 and threefold increase in severity, driven by complex threat landscapes and geopolitical tensions.
Why are legacy systems such a critical risk for UK public sector organizations?
Legacy systems in UK public sector are built on outdated, unsupported technologies that cannot be upgraded. Research shows approximately significant portions of foundational systems lack modern support, creating reliability risks for critical public services.
What are the biggest technology challenges facing UK businesses and public sector organizations today?
UK organizations face three major tech challenges: outdated legacy systems that can't be upgraded, escalating cybersecurity threats with 50% more incidents in 2024, and fragmented data silos preventing effective AI implementation and collaboration.
What causes data fragmentation in UK organizations and how does it impact AI development?
Data fragmentation stems from outdated infrastructure, non-interoperable systems, high API costs, inconsistent governance, and cultural barriers. These silos obstruct departmental collaboration and prevent organizations from effectively training AI systems.
How can FPT help UK organizations overcome their technology transformation challenges?
FPT provides comprehensive transformation solutions addressing legacy system modernization, cybersecurity enhancement, and data integration. Their expertise helps UK businesses and public sector organizations overcome inefficiencies and capitalize on emerging technological opportunities.
