Contributors
Complex digital infrastructure is stalling AI initiatives in financial services companies and impacting their ability to respond to regulatory requirements, according to research from Colt Technology Services. The research is part of a global study highlighted in a report entitled The Cost of Complexity, which surveyed senior leaders in large organisations across industries including financial services, manufacturing, retail and transport in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.
The study explores the wider strategic impact of digital infrastructure, encompassing networks, security, communications and cloud services, and evaluates how complexity in these areas has evolved from an IT challenge into a barrier to organisational growth and progress.
Impact on AI progress
AI adoption is stalling due to complex, fragmented infrastructure. More than one in every two (56%) financial organisations surveyed say digital infrastructure complexity is a barrier to embracing the full benefits of AI at scale. Just over two thirds (67%) believe businesses have missed AI opportunities because of limitations in their digital infrastructure.
Financial impact
61% of the financial firms surveyed agree that businesses are losing revenue every year because their digital infrastructure cannot keep up with business ambition.
When asked to consider the financial impact of this complexity on their business financial services respondents estimated that the average value at stake during periods of delay was around £138,600 per week. Separately they reported that an average of 10 innovation initiatives1 had failed to progress over the past 12 months with an estimated annual value of £419,161.
Impact on time
Complex digital infrastructure is slowing critical business operations for financial firms in the survey, creating the equivalent of seven weeks of delays across the past 12 months. Almost one in two (49%) of the financial services firms surveyed say this complexity has resulted in increased operational or support costs while 39% note it has resulted in slower-than expected performance of critical systems.
When asked in more depth about the wider strategic impact of digital infrastructure complexity on their financial services firm:
• 64% say complexity has caused delays to their business in terms of entering a new market or region, or expanding their business
• 50% note it has caused delays in responding to a major compliance, regulatory or security requirement
• 47% say it’s created delays in completing an acquisition or divestment integration
• 41% of the financial services firms surveyed report that this complexity has created delays in embracing emerging technologies such as Agentic AI
Laura Farina, EVP – Enterprise Sales, Colt Technology Services said, “Many complex enterprise networks have been built over time like LEGO bricks from different generations – compatible in theory, but not designed to form a clean, stable structure together. This complexity is now having a real financial and operational impact, slowing AI adoption and putting future growth at risk.”
Key takeaways
Financial services firms that reduce infrastructure complexity are better placed to drive growth, strengthen resilience and scale AI initiatives with confidence. To achieve this, organisations should:
• Treat simplification as a continuous business strategy, not a one-off IT project.
• Balance innovation with operational stability and regulatory obligations
• Ensure new technology investments reduce complexity rather than add to it
• Retire legacy systems as new platforms are introduced to prevent technical debt from accumulating
• Draw on specialist expertise to accelerate transformation while minimising risk and disruption
1 ‘Innovation initiatives’ are defined as any new or significantly improved idea, project, product, service, process, or business model proposed, piloted, or implemented with the goal of creating measurable business value or competitive advantage.
Notes to editors
Financial services survey respondents said they experience a number of different sources of network complexity - including managing multiple vendors (named by 65%), running legacy systems (47%) and managing security and compliance requirements (38%) - resulting in internal costs, slow progress on projects, increased costs from suppliers, delayed revenues and security and compliance risks.
Research Methodology
Coleman Parkes surveyed 600 CEOs, CIOs, CTOs and IT directors within organisations across the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. Of these, 150 were financial services companies. The research was carried out in February and March 2026.Digital infrastructure was defined as comprising networks, security and cloud/data platforms.
