Migration to the cloud has become a symbol of digital maturity for businesses, but in Poland it is still a process full of compromises. A recent report by PMR and Asseco Cloud shows that more than half of companies (52%) point to technology debt – old, long-standing systems – as the main barrier to investment in cloud computing. These systems, often based on solutions written ‘for the company’ more than a decade ago, still sustain key processes and cannot be switched off in one move.
The clash between modernisation and operational risk is causing businesses to opt for a ‘slow transformation’ strategy. A hybrid model is becoming increasingly popular – part of the application remains on-premise, while new features are already developed natively in the cloud. Such a phased course spreads out expenditure and avoids paralysing operations. The problem is that any such decision requires competence that is in short supply in the market.
People are in short supply, so companies are mixing up working models
More than 50% of companies admit that the biggest challenge of digitalisation is the shortage of IT professionals. This is not only a shortage of developers, but also of system architects, DevOps engineers and security experts. As a result, companies are no longer relying solely on their own IT departments.
According to the report, already 61% of companies use the support of external providers – most often local integrators and technology partners. Importantly, outsourcing does not replace internal teams – 63% of companies are investing in parallel in staff training, especially in the areas of security and cloud management. This signals a maturation – organisations are starting to treat IT not as a cost centre, but as a survival strategy.
“The growing importance of training is indicative of the increasing maturity of Polish business. According to our report, this is the second most important measure to increase companies’ cyber resilience, after backups. In the area of IT security, raising employee awareness is of paramount importance, as humans remain the weakest link in security systems, and cybercriminals are relentless in their efforts to use social engineering to persuade users to share authorisation data or confidential company information.” – says Marcin Lebiecki, Vice President of the Management Board of Asseco Cloud.
Employee education is becoming the second most frequently chosen means of increasing cyber resilience, just after backups.
Local supplier gets back in the game
An interesting trend that the report highlights is the growing role of local technology providers. As many as 67% of companies say they are willing to pay more for the services of a national partner if that partner offers better support and market-specific customisation. 62% of respondents believe that Polish suppliers understand local regulations and business processes better.
This means one thing: in a world of global platforms, operational proximity is once again gaining importance. Particularly in the context of cyber threats and geopolitical tensions, companies want to talk to the supplier “in Polish” – not just in language, but in organisation. Price still counts, but for only 40% of companies it is already a key selection criterion.
Migration is not a sprint, but a strategy
The report by PMR and Asseco Cloud shows a mature picture of the Polish IT market – full of limitations, but aware of priorities. Today, technological debt is not an absolute obstacle, but a challenging adversary. Polish companies are not giving up on the cloud – rather, they are negotiating with reality, seeking their own path between innovation and stability.
In practice, transformation is looking less and less like ‘migration’ and more like ‘modernisation’ – based on hybrid, partnerships and investment in people. And perhaps it is this pragmatism, not spectacular technological leaps, that will become the hallmark of Poland’s approach to the cloud in the coming years.
