EOSL on-premise data workloads are stalling cloud migration, AI readiness and modern data platform adoption.

As enterprises accelerate their use of data for AI, analytics and cloud transformation, many are bottlenecked by EOSL infrastructure and entrenched on-premise data workloads that no longer meet modern demands.

Legacy systems such as Netezza, Exadata or ageing Oracle platforms are reaching End of Support Life (EOSL), while continuing to incur high operating costs and performance limitations.

This isn’t just a technology issue, it’s a strategic one. Legacy warehousing infrastructure impacts cost, agility, risk, and long-term architectural flexibility.

The Hidden Cost of Holding On

The real cost of legacy warehousing isn’t what you see on the books, it’s what it stops you from doing.

Older infrastructure persists not because it’s fit for purpose, but because it is still on the books, still in use, and perceived as ‘too complex’ to replace. But these systems:

  • Limit your ability to adopt cloud-native or AI-ready platforms
  • Constrain performance and create maintenance bottlenecks
  • Pose escalating risk due to support expiry and regulatory misalignment
  • Delay migration due to book value or contractual lock-in

For many organisations, this technical inaction causes operational drag, lost agility, and increased cost. The cost of maintaining outdated warehousing infrastructure often eclipses the value it still provides.

We explored a similar idea in an earlier article, The Hidden Cost of Waiting, which outlines how ageing infrastructure quietly delays innovation.

It’s Not All or Nothing: A Smarter Way Forward

Enterprises often assume that migrating from legacy warehousing platforms requires wholesale re-architecture or large upfront investment.

That’s no longer the case. With the right partner, organisations can transition incrementally, maintaining business continuity, securing financial efficiency, and leveraging the full value of their infrastructure throughout the change.

This is where RTK supports clients: helping them move or upgrade to a more scalable, cloud-ready, or hybrid warehousing architecture without the need for disruptive overhauls.

We work alongside IT and finance teams to build the right business case, aligning operational priorities with financial governance. Whether it’s calculating value offsets from legacy infrastructure, mapping cost-avoidance paths, or presenting lifecycle-driven ROI, we help ensure the transformation is CFO and CTO-ready.

Why Infrastructure Matters in a Data Strategy

A high-performing data architecture is not simply about compute power or database licensing. It includes:

  • Physical infrastructure capable of supporting modern workloads
  • De-risked decommissioning and interim support strategies
  • Preferential commercial access to next-generation environments
  • Seamless paths to cloud, hybrid, or on-prem architectures aligned with business strategy

Whether you are targeting Snowflake, Azure, AWS or EDB, having a clear understanding of the hardware and financial picture is crucial.

Turning Infrastructure Risk Into Strategic Momentum

By taking a more strategic and phased approach, enterprises can modernise their warehousing infrastructure without committing excessive resources upfront. This allows them to scale in line with demand, adopt AI and cloud capabilities incrementally, and ensure their architecture is foundationally ready for future growth, without unnecessary cost or disruption.

This results in faster time to value. Reduced operational risk. And a foundation for future growth.

The Data Opportunity Is Too Big to Delay

The more your business relies on data, the more infrastructure decisions matter. Legacy platforms might still be running, but they’re no longer running at the pace of your business.

RTK helps empowers enterprise IT teams to de-risk modernisation, monetise ageing infrastructure, and transition to scalable platforms with confidence, by working across infrastructure, finance, and delivery to unlock progress without disruption.

Your data is ready. Make sure your infrastructure is too.

Speak with our infrastructure team to conduct a discovery session today.